Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recycling And Waste Reduction topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Thurston County updates recycling, composting and reuse outreach; events and pilots planned
Summary
County staff briefed the Solid Waste Advisory Committee on a suite of recycling, composting, reuse and education programs for 2025, including a May 3 compost giveaway, an April 16 Fix It Fair, a one-year bicycle-donation pilot with Intercity Transit and expanded multifamily and commercial outreach.
Thurston County solid-waste staff outlined an expanded slate of recycling, composting and reuse outreach programs on March 6, detailing events, volunteer support and pilot projects aimed at keeping material out of the landfill.
The update matters because county staff say outreach and partnerships are driving measurable public engagement and will be used to support mandates such as the county's organics management rollout for businesses as the county tightens diversion efforts.
Rob Putner, Thurston County Public Works presenter, said the department will continue community presentation series, broaden locations this year and concentrate content into two topics: how the recycling and waste systems work and a "what can I recycle" question-and-answer format. Staff reported continuing use of billing inserts distributed through LeMay's billing (reaching more than 36,000 households) and said online tools tied to those inserts have shown increased traffic.
The county listed these events and initiatives for 2025 (dates and locations as presented): - Compost giveaway: May 3, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Foxbury Park & Ride near the Waste & Recovery Center; Brady Trucking donating compost material; staff reported nearly 1,100 interested responses on social media. - Fix It Fair: Wednesday, April 16, 2:30-6:30 p.m., Lacey Makerspace (Saint Martin's University campus); attendees asked to pre-register items and volunteers were being recruited online. - Bicycle donation pilot: one-year pilot at the Waste & Recovery Center in partnership with Intercity Transit's Walk & Roll program to accept adult bicycles for refurbishment and distribution. - "Talking Trash" video series: planned to resume in April with periodic online content. - Christmas tree recycling: seasonal program to continue at county solid-waste facilities.
Rob Putner also described multifamily contamination reduction work (third year), noting staff plan closer partnerships with waste haulers and property managers to address site maintenance, equipment and service issues that education alone cannot fix. On commercial outreach, county staff said they sent a December mailer to retail and food businesses that included information about the organics management rule and contact information for business assistance, and that staff can perform on-site business rate and waste-assessment visits.
School and youth work was highlighted: a three-lesson fourth- and fifth-grade curriculum aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Washington's environmental literacy plan will be available; participating classrooms will receive reusable utensil kits to reduce single-use plastic in cafeterias.
The county confirmed several ongoing volunteer and reuse programs: ClearStream borrow bins for events (70 recycling and 48 garbage bins loaned in 2024), ongoing Master Recycler Composter (MRC) volunteer outreach, and a planned ramp-up of volunteer-supported tabling and workshops. Program staff asked interested volunteers and stakeholders to sign up through the county website.
Ending note: staff said many initiatives rely on partnerships (haulers, Brady Trucking, Intercity Transit, libraries and nonprofit volunteers) and that most items will come back for continued reporting at future committee meetings.
