Compost giveaway draws long lines; county readies bike-reuse drop-off and "Bring Your Cup" outreach

Rob Putner of Thurston County's Solid Waste Division reported that the county's second annual compost giveaway on May 3 drew far more demand than anticipated: Brady Trucking donated 20 cubic yards of compost, the county issued a limit of one-half cubic yard per vehicle (about 25-gallon buckets), and the event served about 64 residents before the material was exhausted. Putner said the distribution site ran out of compost in roughly one hour and that staff are evaluating options for next year including more material, multiple distribution events, registration, additional lanes, or different site logistics.

Hope Springer summarized a statewide "Bring Your Cup" campaign led by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The campaign includes a short video and a public map (bringyourcupwa.org) where coffee shops that accept personal cups can list themselves. Springer said Thurston County participated in producing a short promotional video and encouraged residents to use reusable cups because disposable hot cups and many plastic cups are not recyclable in Thurston County.

Jeff Bickford said the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with Intercity Transit to host a bike-reuse drop-off at the Waste and Recovery Center. The program aims to accept gently used, adult-sized bicycles (not heavily damaged or nonfunctional items) beginning July 1; county staff will install infrastructure and signage and coordinate with Intercity Transit on intake criteria and operations.

Committee members asked whether the county could hold more than one compost giveaway per year. Putner said the county hopes to evaluate logistics and supply and that next year's event could look different to serve more residents while maintaining safety.