APRIL 2016
upcycling in the garden Upcycling is a creative way We recently showed off our • Zero Waste Garden to reuse items you would upcycled garden creations at the Tacoma Home and Garden Show. normally recycle or throw away. Check out some of our favorites, • 2015 Trash Trends The garden is the perfect complete with instructions, at: spot to create an upcycled piercecountywa.org/upcycle • Your Questions oasis. From seed starts in Answered egg cartons, to punched- We’d love to see what you come tin lanterns and bottle-cap up with for your garden. Share your DIY upcycling projects: table tops, the ideas—and #upcycle New look for materials—are endless. All it /Pierce County Public Works Earth Matters takes is a little imagination. @PierceCo We thought it was time to freshen things up. Try upcycled projects in your Our new, easy-to-read design garden. And check features photos and graphics out our Edible Garden Workshop series. to make the newsletter Details on pg 2. more colorful and fun— and just as informative. We’re still committed to providing all you need to know about recycling and reducing waste. We hope you like the changes. Let us know what you think at: piercecountywa.org/ earthmatters
Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper and recyclable through Pierce County’s curbside recycling program. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS FROM PIERCE COUNTY
FREE CLASSES New and Expanded Content • Food waste reduction strategies • Soil-building techniques the zerø • A deeper dive into hot composting for yard waste View class schedule and register at: waste garden piercecountywa.org/compost
Introduction to the Zero Waste Garden
Are you a composting novice? Are you looking for new CLASS INFORMATION ideas to turn your garden waste into something special? April 23 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Puyallup This series overview will help you decide your next steps. May 14 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Graham
Planting an Ecosystem: Better Backyard Natural Soil-Building Methods Composting Learn how organic waste can mimic and incorporate Your garden will become more self-reliant once you natural relationships and systems into your garden. turn yard waste into rich, organic compost. We’ll dig Long-term soil-building techniques feed your soil and deeper into active, hot and passive techniques, and increase its fertility with time. And that means less demonstrate how to balance carbon and nitrogen water and more enjoyment in your garden. ingredients to fire up your compost pile. CLASS INFORMATION CLASS INFORMATION May 26 6:30–8:30 p.m. Graham June 4 10 a.m.–12 Noon Sumner
Food Waste Advanced Composting Recycling and Composting and Troubleshooting Reduce the waste you send to the landfill by recycling Take your composting skills to the next level. We’ll review kitchen scraps at home. You’ll hear the pros and cons soil structure and testing and essential components to get of several food waste reduction strategies, and learn your pile hot. Bring photos of your own compost pile or about do-it-yourself and off-the-shelf systems. worm bin so we can make recommendations. CLASS INFORMATION CLASS INFORMATION May 19 6–8 p.m. Puyallup June 15 6–8 p.m. Puyallup
Edible Gardens Workshop Series
This popular series provides step-by-step guidance to grow a successful CLASS INFORMATION (and delicious) vegetable garden—from seed to table. Whether you are Offered February through November a novice gardener or you’ve been planting and harvesting vegetables at five Pierce County locations: for years, the series offers something for everyone. piercecountywa.org/ediblegardens Your Questions. 2015 FINDINGS: Our Answers. trash trends More than 500 of you attended our Solid Waste Ever wonder what goes in our landfill and how Management Plan Update virtual workshop and that changes over time? We do. Three weeks took the survey. We’re happy to know you like our each summer, Pierce County staff sorts through ideas, and appreciate your great comments and the county’s trash to look for answers. suggestions. Here are just a few answers to the most common questions we received. Attend the One of the highlights from 2015? Less than 1 percent of the total trash was household virtual workshop at piercecountywa.org/recycle hazardous waste. That’s a good thing, and What confuses you the most? proves that our household hazardous waste A lot of people suggested more detailed handouts collection program is working. about recycling options. To keep things simple, and avoid overwhelming you with details, we limit our recycling reminders to the most common materials. 400,000 Want more details about what goes into your Tons of trash sent to the landfill recycling cart? We’ve added a new page to in 2015 (3.5 pounds/person/day) our website: piercecountywa.org/recycle
Why don’t we collect glass at the curb? Your passion for glass recycling is impressive. 44,000 Glass isn’t collected in the curbside cart because it Tons of edible food breaks and contaminates the other recyclables. But glass makes up less than 6 percent of the total trash thrown in the trash (11%) going to the landfill. Meanwhile, recyclable paper, plastic and metal make up almost 20 percent of the total trash—a much bigger problem and a higher $6.38 million priority for us to focus our efforts and resources on. What households spent to dispose of uneaten food Don’t toss that mayo jar in the trash. There are more than 30 convenient drop-off sites for glass around Pierce County. Find one close to you at: piercecountywa.org/glass 97 million Single-serve coffee pods were thrown Why can’t all plastic be recycled? away last year in Pierce County That “recycling code” on your container doesn’t necessarily mean it’s recyclable. The code represents what type of plastic the container is made from. Shape determines how a container travels through 48,000 the sorting facility, and the plastics we collect can Tons of curbside recyclables hold their shape during sorting. So when it comes thrown away (12%) to plastic recycling, think rigid—not crinkly.
Wondering if it’s recyclable? piercecountywa.org/recyclemenu 10,680 5,800 32,120 tons tons tons recyclable recyclable recyclable plastic metal paper To learn more about solid waste management in Pierce County, attend one of our Solid Waste Advisory Committee meetings. Full report and more information about how we Info at piercecountywa.org/swac sort the trash available at: piercecountywa.org/wta Curbside Collection PRESORTED Contact Info STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID Murrey’s Disposal 2702 S. 42nd St., Ste. 201 TACOMA WA American Disposal Tacoma, WA 98409-7322 PERMIT NO 820 DM Disposal uprefuse.com
(888) 806-7048
LeMay Enterprises Lakewood Refuse Pierce County Refuse lemaypiercecountyrefuse.com (253) 537-8687
University Place Refuse Westside Disposal uprefuse.com (253) 564-3212 ECRWSS – POSTAL CUSTOMER
Contact your service provider to ask billing questions, request a smaller trash
can and find out your collection schedule.
of Pierce County’s solid waste system. waste solid County’s Pierce of
Dan Roach, Rick Talbert, Derek Young Derek Talbert, Rick Roach, Dan
HHW=Household hazardous waste hazardous HHW=Household
The City of Tacoma and JBLM are not part part not are JBLM and Tacoma of City The *
Connie Ladenburg, Jim McCune, Joyce McDonald McDonald Joyce McCune, Jim Ladenburg, Connie
Pierce County Council: Council: County Pierce
Chair, Richardson, Doug
HHW: Daily HHW:
Pierce County Executive: Executive: County Pierce
Pat McCarthy Pat Recycling/Disposal Recycling
p.m. a.m.–4:45 9 days, 7 p.m. a.m.–6 8 days, 7
Prairie South E, Dr Ridge Prairie 11710 Tacoma St, Mullen S 3510
@PierceCo 847-7555 (253) Ridge Prairie 3. 502-2100 (253) Tacoma* 6.
Recycling/Disposal Recycling/Disposal
p.m. a.m.–4:45 9 days, 7 p.m. a.m.–6 10 Mon & Sun
/Pierce County Public Works Public County /Pierce
Harbor Gig Ave, 54th 14515 30: 1-Sept April
847-7555 (253) Purdy 2. Island Anderson Rd, Steffensen 9607
847-7555 (253) Island Anderson 5.
HHW: Tues & Thurs & Tues HHW:
tpchd.org Recycling/Disposal Recycling/Disposal
p.m. a.m.–5:45 8 days, 7 p.m. a.m.–4:45 9 Wed–Sun, 1-800-287-6429
Puyallup E, Meridian 17925 Lakebay Hwy, Peninsula Key block 5900
DEPARTMENT HEALTH 847-7555 (253) Valley Hidden 1. 847-7555 (253) Center Key 4.
TACOMA-PIERCE COUNTY COUNTY TACOMA-PIERCE
& Environmental Health Info: Health Environmental &
Household Hazardous Waste Waste Hazardous Household
piercecountyresponds.org
798-4636 (253)
PIERCE COUNTY RESPONDS COUNTY PIERCE
1
3
piercecountywa.org/recycle
5
(253) 798-2179 (253)
6
SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLE
4
Pierce County Public Works Public County Pierce
2 For More Information: More For
What to include in your RECYCLING REMINDERS curbside recycling cart
PREPARATION recycle plastics by shape PLASTIC CONTAINERS empty · quick rinse · no lids ignore numbers
plastic bottles milk jugs plastic tubs plastic jars buckets plant pots
PREPARATION PAPER & CARDBOARD clean · dry · quick rinse for milk and juice cartons
milk and juice cartons paper or frozen food boxes cardboard
mail, magazines paper bags shredded paper newspaper phone books mixed paper and catalogs
PREPARATION METAL CANS empty · quick rinse · no loose lids · do not crush
NO GLASS aluminum cans metal cans NO PLASTIC BAGS OR WRAP NO DANGEROUS MATERIALS
piercecountywa.org/recycle Questions?
Murrey’s Disposal LeMay Enterprises University Place Refuse Pierce County American Disposal Lakewood Refuse Westside Disposal Public Works DM Disposal Pierce County Refuse uprefuse.com piercecountywa.org/recycle murreysdisposal.com lemaypiercecountyrefuse.com (253) 564-3212 (253) 798-2179 (888) 806-7048 (253) 537-8687
Good to Know Plastics Recycling Resources Milk and Juice Cartons Recycle Plastics by Shape Online Recycling Menu You can recycle milk and juice Numbers on the bottom don’t tell piercecountywa.org/recyclemenu cartons. Plastic spouts are fine, you if an item is recyclable. That’s Skip a trip to the transfer station. but toss the lid in the trash. why we ask you to look at the Our online recycling menu is a Aseptic packaging is NOT shape. The types of plastic we resource for finding places to accepted. This means shelf-stable collect have the best chance of drop off your unwanted items items like juice boxes, soy milk, being recycled into new products. for re-use or recycling. soups and stocks. We accept: Shredded Paper • Plastic bottles Electronics Recycling Put shredded paper in a paper • Plastic jars, tubs and buckets ecyclewashington.org bag and roll down the top before 1-800-RECYCLE putting in your recycle cart. Plastic Items Not Accepted:
Pizza Boxes Lids Household Hazardous If a pizza box is clean and Throw lids in the trash. Plastic Waste Disposal completely free of grease, you can lids and caps are too small to piercecountywa.org/hhw recycle the cardboard. Anything be sorted properly and don’t greasy goes in the trash. Never get recycled. put pizza boxes in your yard Plastic Bags and Wrap waste container. Plastic bags and plastic wrap get tangled in machinery at sorting What to do on Glass facilities. Throw plastic wrap in recycling day piercecountywa.org/glass the trash. Reuse plastic bags or Glass is not collected curbside in take back to the participating • Cart should be at the Pierce County. Glass has very little grocery stores for recycling. curb by 6 a.m. market value and makes up a small percentage of our waste Crinkly and Lightweight Plastic • All items must fit in the stream. Take glass to drop-off Items like plastic drink cups, cart with the lid closed sites for recycling. clamshell packaging for produce, and packaging around toys and • Lid opening toward street– Contamination electronics are not recyclable handle toward house Food residue is a contaminant that because they flatten during • Remove empty cart from ruins the recyclability of materials. collection and processing and curb as soon as possible If you can’t empty and rinse a get sorted incorrectly as paper. container please don’t put it in Throw these items in the trash. your recycle cart. Safety piercecountywa.org/sharpdisposal CART PLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS Needles, sharps, ammunition and 18 FT CLEARANCE other dangerous materials turn up ABOVE CART at sorting facilities every day. These are hazards for employees and should never be in recycling carts.
3-5 FT CLEAR 3-5 FT AWAY ON ALL SIDES
Request a magnet version of the reminders: piercecountywa.org/recycle