HomeMy WebLinkAbout021326 email - Cardboard recyclingALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Commissioners,
During your January 26 evening meeting, it was confirmed there will be no more county-subsidized recycling of any materials in Jefferson County starting April 1, 2026; all material self-hauled
to both the county transfer station and to the one other remaining site (Quilcene) will be subject to the same fees as non-recyclable garbage.
As one resident put it at that January 26 meeting, “I will burn my cardboard in my backyard before I'll pay. I'm a typical Brinnon person. They're not going to take their cardboard and
pay for it at the dump.”
I’m sure many people will do exactly that.
Old Corrugated Container (OCC) is one of the very few recyclables that’s a break-even for the county, so it’s reasonable for customers to object to having to pay for its disposal.***
A knock-on effect of the planned change in recycling will be the loss of a significant source of raw feedstock OCC for PT Paper Corporation (PTPC).
Here’s a simple solution that will allow customers to recycle OCC.
With the top(s) of the container locked, the 4” tall slot allows only flattened cardboard and makes dumping of other materials very unlikely (greatly reduced contamination). The closed
top will also, of course, keep the OCC dry which makes it even more valuable.
PTPC currently has a small OCC collection bin near the entrance to the employee parking lot on Mill Road. I’m suggesting that PTPC put a larger bin (like the one pictured) at that location
and encourage residents to drop off their OCC. This would be totally free feedstock for PTPC.
County solid waste should set aside space for one or more lockable containers (as pictured) at the transfer station in the area that is currently used for subsidized recycling; i.e.,
ahead of the scales. Those containers would be provided and managed solely by PTPC; i.e., PTPC would be responsible for transport of the containers and they would have the keys to the
locked lids. It may also be feasible for PTPC to provide such a container at the Quilcene collection site – that would be PTPC’s call and would depend mostly on the cost of transporting
the containers.
Commissioners, I think this could be a win-win-win:
* Free recycling of OCC for residents
* Reduced handling of OCC and simplified operations at county Solid Waste’s transfer station
* PTPC gets free, feedstock
* PTPC provides an important community service (good PR!)
I hope you agree with this and will direct county Public Works staff to reach out to PTPC management and make this happen!
Thank you,
Tom Thiersch
Jefferson County, WA
*** Aluminum (cans) are perhaps the single most valuable recyclable – or would be if source separation of metals from plastics was required. Cans are infinitely recyclable; material
from used cans returns to store shelves as a new ones in about 60 days. But that’s a subject for another day.