Thurston County Public Works staff briefed the Solid Waste Advisory Committee on a year of expanded outreach, pilot programs and continued effort to reduce contamination and increase reuse and recycling.

Rob Putner and colleagues described an expanded billing-insert program that distributes five inserts through LeMay Pacific Disposal bills to more than 36,000 households per issue, and they said county staff use the inserts to drive attendance at events and direct residents to where to take items for proper disposal.

Public Works staff recapped three signature outreach events: a May compost giveaway that distributed 20 cubic yards of compost to 62 attendees in roughly an hour; an Earth Day Fix-It Fair in April where 77 attendees resulted in nearly 100 repairs and about 800 pounds diverted from landfill; and an upcoming Fix-It Fair planned for Nov. 5. The November 2024 Fix-It Fair previously won a National Association of Counties (NACo) achievement award in the volunteer category, Rob said.

Program staff described a bike-rescue pilot launched July 1 in partnership with Intercity Transit’s Walk & Roll program. As of late August staff reported 181 donations, with roughly 35% of donated bikes rescued for reuse — about 15% going into Walk & Roll’s own programs and another ~20% redonated to Second Cycle in Tacoma. Staff said the pilot accepts adult commuter-style bikes (24-inch wheels or larger) and that the county is exploring additional local partners for bikes that do not meet those criteria.

Multi-family contamination reduction work continues, including enclosure signage and restickering at selected properties; staff said they will provide in-unit reusable totes, literature and refreshed stickers this fall. The county is also redesigning its recycling guide — combining the organics and recycling guides into a single magnetic piece — and plans a mid-November distribution timed with America Recycles Day. Staff reported they previously mailed 111,000 copies in an earlier distribution and expect similar reach.

Rob and colleagues said the county is preparing a restaurant bin study in advance of the state’s organics-management law (2026 threshold: businesses generating at least 96 gallons per week must arrange organics collection). The pilot will allow restaurants to trial two bin styles for a month in exchange for feedback; at the end of the month participating restaurants may keep the preferred bin.

County staff also described the Borrow-A-Bin program: so far in 2025 staff have loaned 75 recycling bins and 54 garbage bins and recently had 37 organic bins powder-coated for reuse as black or blue garbage bins rather than buying new units.

Ending: Staff said they will continue outreach and contamination-reduction efforts, continue virtual and in-person presentations through the fall, and return to the committee with updates on pilot results and guide distribution.