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Beat the heat and the waste this summer
The sun and mountains are out, which means reducing waste during your summer activities is in! Welcome to the summer edition of Garbage and Recycling News. This edition covers topics including handling common household hazardous waste, reducing single-use plastics statewide, upcoming events, and much more!
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Tips from our solid and hazardous waste experts
We asked our solid and household hazardous waste (HHW) experts what summer tips they’d share for a safe summer, and they answered!
Prevent fires with safe disposal
Don’t let things heat up this summer! Remains from hot coals, used fireworks, and used marine flares can ignite in your garbage if not properly handled during disposal.
To safely dispose of used fireworks and used marine flares:
- Soak fireworks in a bucket of water for at least 15 minutes.
- Wrap them in plastic.
- Place them in your garbage.
- Dump used water onto grass or gravel to prevent heavy metals from polluting local waterways and the Puget Sound.
To safely dispose of hot coals and residual ash:
- Thoroughly soak in water.
- Place them in a plastic bag and in your garbage.
For more information on firework safety, please visit the County Fire Marshall’s Office webpage. If you have unused fireworks and marine flares, contact the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office. Our solid and hazardous waste facilities do not accept unused fireworks, marine flares, and other explosives.
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Dive into pool and spa chemical safety
Mixing pool and spa chemicals can cause fires, explosions, and toxic fumes, so never dispose of them in the trash or pour them down a drain!
"Pool and spa chemicals are more dangerous than you think if not handled properly," HHW facility staff share. When you no longer need them, take them to our HHW facility and follow these safety tips:
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- Always keep pool and spa chemicals dry. If they do get wet, place them in a tightly sealed plastic container to contain harmful gases and take them directly to our HHW facility.
- Transport pool and spa chemicals in a separate container. Do not mix with other chemicals.
- Always store and transport pH increasers, pH decreasers, and SHOCK/Chlorene powders and tablets separately from one another and other chemicals.
Have a question you want answered?
Send us your questions about household hazardous waste, recycling, solid waste, or food and yard waste! Your question may be featured in a future newsletter.
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Facility news and summer holiday hours
Kitsap County facility named third largest paint recycler in Washington
In an average week, the Kitsap County HHW Facility fills eleven large totes with unwanted latex and oil-based paints. In 2023, this totaled to 27,000 gallons!
According to PaintCare, Washington’s new statewide paint recycling program, this made us the third largest paint collector in the state!
Do you have unwanted paint? Bring it to our HHW Facility or one of the local paint stores that partner with PaintCare. Find a free location near you at paintcare.org/wa.
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PaintCare recycles 83% of collected paint back into paint. For more information, watch PaintCare's 'What happens to the leftover paint collected?' video.
Summer holiday hours
Juneteenth: Olympic View Transfer Station and Hansville Recycling and Garbage Facility will remain open on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. All other solid and hazardous waste facilities are regularly closed on Wednesdays.
Fourth of July: All Kitsap County solid and hazardous waste facilities will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024.
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Hot tips for a low-waste summer |
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Include the food in your yard cart
Composting is in this summer! Kitsap County's residential yard waste program accepts food waste. You can put all food and yard waste in your existing yard waste cart. If you don't yet have a yard waste cart, contact your service provider to start composting!
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Make the switch to reusable
Summer gatherings, backyard barbeques, and picnics are back! Help reduce waste at these events by choosing reusable plates, cutlery, and cups, instead of purchasing single-use. These single-use plastic items are not recyclable and create additional waste. Learn more about recycling in Kitsap on our Recycle Right webpage.
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Preventing single-use plastics statewide
Many products we use are packaged in plastics or made from plastics, which means it’s difficult to avoid them. Washington state is working to reduce single-use plastic waste through a series of plastic laws that passed in 2020 and 2021.
The plastic laws currently in effect are the:
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Single-use plastic bag ban that went into effect October 1, 2021. This law bans the use of single-use plastic carryout bags and charges a fee for acceptable plastic bags.
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Single-use serviceware law that went into effect January 1, 2022. This law prohibits businesses from giving out bundled utensil kits and businesses can no longer automatically include single-use items, such as utensils, lids, or condiment packets in orders.
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Packing peanuts ban that went into effect June 1, 2023. This law bans the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene packing peanuts.
Bans in effect this year
If you’ve ordered takeout, you’ve most likely used expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers, often mistakenly called Styrofoam. EPS creates waste, is costly and difficult to recycle, and pollutes our environment.
As of June 1, 2024, most EPS food service products and coolers are banned in Washington. The law includes products like portable coolers, containers, plates, bowls, clam shells, trays, and cups. There are a few exceptions, such as block packaging material and coolers for medicines. Visit ecology.wa.gov/epsban for more information.
Efforts to prevent EPS and other plastic waste doesn’t stop there! Locally, 715 Kitsap residents showed up to recycle over 8,780 pounds of EPS foam at our Styrofoam Collection Event in April. Thank you to all who made this event a success! As for other plastics, you can help reduce your use by swapping single use for durable reusable items.
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Summer events
- Join us at the Scrap Metal and Small Electronics Recycling Event on June 29, 2024, at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds - Thunderbird Arena. For more information on accepted and not accepted items, visit our Public Waste and Recycling Events webpage.
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Kitsap Regional Library's Port Orchard Branch is hosting a Craft Supply Swap on Saturday, June 29, 2024! You can drop off clean, unbroken, usable craft supplies on June 24, 26, 27, and 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Find us at Silverdale Whaling Days at our Secure Your Load for Safer Roads information booth on July 26 - 28, 2024. We'll demonstrate how to secure your load, answer your questions, and provide resources to help keep our roads safe and clean!
Contact information
Kitsap County Public Works, Solid Waste Division, 360.337.5777 or solidwaste@kitsap.gov
Kimberly Pleger, Public Works Communications Manager, 360.337.5777, 360.277.6032 or kpleger@kitsap.gov
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