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A cornucopia of waste reduction tips
Welcome to the November holiday edition of Recycling and Garbage News. In this newsletter, we share tips for recycling right, composting your pumpkin, retiring American flags, reducing Thanksgiving food waste, and more.
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What do I do with…?
Recycle with confidence this Thanksgiving with these helpful tips.
Aluminum pie and food trays belong in the garbage. Opt for reuseable casserole or pie dishes if making your own desserts and food.
Plastic trays and clamshells used for deli foods, deserts, fruits, and vegetables belong in the garbage. Use reuseable food trays and dishware if possible.
Plastic cups, utensils, and plates belong in the garbage. If you're hosting a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dinner, ask your guests to bring their own service ware and take-home containers to help you save time on dishes!
Plastic tubs for whipped toppings (like Cool Whip) belong in the recycling cart after a quick rinse. Place the lid in the garbage.
Metal whipped cream cans belong in the garbage once they’re empty.
Pumpkin puree and cranberry sauce metal cans belong in the recycling cart after a quick rinse. Place loose lids in the garbage.
Cooking oil must be solidified or absorbed before placing it in the garbage. We no longer collect used cooking oil for recycling at our facilities as of February 2024. Read below for more tips on handling leftover cooking oil.
Search our Waste Wizard to find more answers on proper disposal and recycling.
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 Borrow a Bin for your Friendsgiving feast
Help your friends and family recycle right by borrowing recycling and garbage bins from us. We provide the bins, signs, and bags. All you have to do is recycle your collected materials and dispose of your garbage. Make sure your recyclables are loose!
Learn more at kcowa.us/borrowabin.
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 American flag retirement
Veterans Day, observed on November 11, serves as a reminder to thank and honor our community members who have served. It's also a good time to check your flag to ensure it's suitable to fly. When the U.S. flag is tattered, torn or faded, it’s ready for retirement.
There are several organizations that collect American flags for retirement as a service to our community.
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Cooking oil disposal
Think twice before frying your turkey this year! Unfortunately, cooking oil recycling is no longer available in Kitsap County. We encourage you to cook your turkey using an alternative method.
Small amounts of cooking oil can be absorbed with paper towels, napkins, or flour before placing it in your garbage. Large amounts of cooking oil can be solidified with a cooking oil solidifier or cat litter before placing it in your garbage. (Tip: Cooking oil solidifier must be used while the oil is warm.)
What to avoid:
- Don't pour cooking oil down the sink or drains, as it can clog pipes.
- It is illegal to dump oil, fats, and grease into the environment, water bodies, down storm drains or other outdoor drains. This pollution is harmful to fish and wildlife and can lead to penalties and costly cleanups.
- Oils, fat, and grease are not accepted in food and yard waste carts.
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Savor the season and reduce food waste
An estimated 305 million pounds of food is wasted during Thanksgiving. And it’s not just food that’s wasted; it’s also the money spent to purchase it, and the resources used to grow and transport that food. Join us in reducing food waste this season with these tips.
Prevent food waste
Plan ahead. It's always a challenge to estimate how much food you need for your dinner party guests. Use Save the Food’s Guest-imator to help you plan the amount of side dishes, main dishes, and desserts you need.
Donate. If you still have unopened cans of cranberry sauce, gravy, or other food items after the Thanksgiving holiday, considering donating them to a local food bank.
Repurpose your leftovers
Use your scraps. Scraps from vegetables like carrot tops, onion peels, and celery ends can be turned into vegetable broth.
Get creative. Sandwiches made from leftover turkey, rolls, and cranberry sauce are perfect for lunch. If you want something more creative, try:
From your plate to the food and yard waste cart
Include the food. Once your leftovers are past their prime, place them in your food and yard waste cart! Most Kitsap homes are eligible for food and yard waste service. Search our compost map to check if your home is eligible.
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Compost kit giveaway
Looking for a convenient way to store your food scraps in your kitchen? Sign our pledge to compost right and receive a free compost toolkit, while supplies last! Toolkits include a kitchen pail, BPI-certified compostable bags, and other educational resources.
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Community events and resources
Waste reduction and recycling events
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Pumpkin composting drop-off: DTG Olympic Organics Bremerton location is collecting pumpkins for composting on November 1, 2, and 4, 2024 during business hours. Pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns free of glitter and paint can be dropped off at their facility at 6068 State Highway 303 NE, Bremerton, WA 98311.
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Kitsap Fix-it Fair in Kingston: We're hosting a free community repair event November 2, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Kingston library. Visit our Fix-it Fairs webpage for more details.
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Kitsap Fix-it Fair in Port Orchard: Save the date! We're hosting a free community repair event on December 14, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Long Lake Park community building. Visit our Fix-it Fairs webpage for more details.
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Mending meetup: People’s Exchange in Bremerton hosts a free mending meetup each month on the second Friday.
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Fall clothing swap: ReFashion Bainbridge Island is hosting a fall clothing swap featuring minor mending repairs on November 17, 2024. Visit their webpage for more details.
Resources and creative ways to reduce waste
Learn more about preventing and reducing waste with these resources:
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