Mark your calendars for our upcoming holiday closures this year, and in 2024. All facilities will be closed for commercial and household garbage and recycling, and household hazardous waste disposal.
Ovenell Transfer Station
14104 Ovenell Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Hours of operation: Every day from 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Open to commercial and household garbage, and household recycling
The Ovenell Transfer Station will be CLOSED on the following holidays:
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- New Years Day
- Easter Sunday
- 4th of July
- Labor Day
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
The HHW Facility is located within the Ovenell Transfer Station. Therefore, the same holiday schedule for the Ovenell Transfer Station applies to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
Clear Lake Compactor Site
23202 Howey Road, Clear Lake, WA 98235
Hours of operation: Friday - Monday from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Open to household garbage and recycling.**No construction or demolition debris accepted.**
Clear Lake Compactor Site will be CLOSED on the following holidays:
- Thanksgiving
- The day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- New Years Day
- MLK Day
- Presidents Day
- Easter Sunday
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- 4th of July
- Labor Day
- Veteran's Day
Sauk Recycling & Transfer Station
50796 State Route 20, Concrete, WA 98237
Hours of operation: Thursday - Sunday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Open to household garbage and recycling. **No construction or demolition debris accepted.**
The Sauk Transfer Site will be CLOSED on the following, upcoming holidays:
- Thanksgiving
- The day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- New Years Day
- Easter Sunday
- 4th of July
- Labor Day
Solid Waste Highlighted Employee
Get to know Dennis Collins
 Dennis Collins poses for a photo in front of the Litter Crew van.
Dennis started work with Skagit County Solid Waste in December 2004 as a Moderate Risk Hazardous Waste Technician. In 2015 he transferred to his current position of Community Service Litter Supervisor, where he runs the County CSW (community service worker) program with the Sheriff’s Office. Using low risk offenders, Dennis supervises inmates picking up roadside litter and illegal dump sites on county maintained rights of way. "What I enjoy the most about my job is the interesting people I get to interact with on a daily basis. My crew usually is very diverse, ranging in age 18 to 70+. I am fascinated by my contact with these individuals I normally wouldn’t have crossed paths with. Talking with them, learning about their lives and stories of how they landed in my program really never gets old. I think I have one of the best jobs in Skagit County."
Dennis and his wife have two grown daughters, and are long time residents of Stanwood. In his free time Dennis enjoys traveling the world with his beautiful wife, adventure motorcycle riding, and spending time with his family and friends.
 Photo of two bandit turkeys evading the holiday harvest.
Of the many roadside attractions Dennis comes across, he and his crew recently ran into a hostile rafter of turkeys on Colony Rd. Dennis recounts the event, "Four of them came charging at us, very animated and talking smack. Then another two jumped into the trailer and their owner had to come out and save us from possible 'death by turkey attack.'" The owner of the flock was quoted saying, "Thanksgiving can't come soon enough, you goofballs are driving me crazy!" "Another Litter Crew first," said Dennis.
Education & Outreach
Sign up for the 2023 Master Composter Recycler Training has opened!
If composting and recycling interest you, you want a sustainable future, and to be part of a great community, consider becoming Certified Skagit County Master Composter Recycler. The certification training, hosted by the Skagit County Solid Waste Division, provides participants with tools and knowledge to share back to the community as official waste reduction educators.
The 16-hour training explores backyard composting, vermicomposting, recycling, sustainable living, green cleaning, and more. The training includes six, Wednesday afternoon classroom sessions, and two Saturday field trips. Participants receive a training notebook, and two free books on topics of waste reduction.
Certified Master Composter Recyclers “pay back” their NO COST training by returning 24-hours of volunteer service as representatives of the program by tabling at events (such as fairs and farmers markets), growing redworms for compost workshops, maintaining compost demonstration sites, and sharing knowledge with neighbors and community groups.
We hope you'll join us! Apply Here or scan the QR code below to reach our online application.
Final day to apply to the program is Wednesday, January 31st
Home composting workshop surveys
This fall, the Solid Waste Education and Outreach team updated home composting workshop surveys using Microsoft Forms. Surveys act as a tool to evaluate the impact of instruction for educational events such as courses, programs, and workshops. The purpose of these surveys is to assess participants perceptions of changes in their knowledge and skills, personal attributes, or impact on their future behavior and aspirations.
The goal in collecting workshop surveys is to collect data that will show whether workshop participants start composting food and yard waste at home after taking a workshop.
"We have been offering home composting workshops for free to the public for over 20 years," said Callie Martin, Waste Reduction Recycling Ed. Specialist for the County. "But it has been challenging to collect data on behavior changes that occur after people go home." Solid Waste believes that refreshing the survey style to be more accessible by use of QR codes will help increase participation in taking the surveys. Teaching staff will also provide paper copies of the surveys at workshops for people to fill out by hand. "We are excited to receive the feedback," Martin said, "to help us improve our teaching, and to help us see where we are doing our best work in educating for behavior change."
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Prepare for launch: Inter-departmental compost procurement tracking is here
Composting benefits Washington agencies, counties, cities, businesses, and residents by diverting hundreds of thousands of tons of organic waste from landfills, reducing solid waste costs, and lowering carbon emissions. Local compost manufacturing plays a critical role in our state's solid waste infrastructure. Equally important to making compost, is the use of finished compost in the landscape. The application of compost to soil permits increased carbon sequestration. Compost can also replace synthetic chemical fertilizer, prevent topsoil erosion, and filter stormwater on green infrastructure projects such as rain gardens and retention ponds.
The use of finished compost in local government operations is called compost procurement, and it is now the law as part of the 2022 Organics Management Law for Washington State.
In an effort to lead by example, Skagit County adopted their own Compost Procurement Ordinance earlier this spring. The ordinance offers guidance and instruction to County departments on the purchase and use of compost throughout County operations. The goal is for County departments to use compost as much as possible in projects where fitting, such as habitat restoration, natural lawn care, landscape maintenance and beautification.
This fall, Solid Waste completed work on a guidance packet to help department employees become familiar with and follow the new County compost ordinance.
The packet includes:
- The benefits of compost and potential uses for purchased compost in County projects
- A detailed list of local businesses where compost products are sold
- A tracking form that employees will use to document the purchase and uses of purchased compost in their County projects
The new Compost Procurement Packet will be sent out across County departments and divisions that may have use for purchased compost, such as Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Facilities Management, Environmental Health, and Planning & Development. The finalized packet it geared to arrive to inboxes just after the 1st of the year, 2024.
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Updates to event recycling program
Did you know that recycling at your events is the law? Yep. RCW 70.93.093 requires recycling at official gatherings and sports facilities across Washington State. This fall, the Education and Outreach team began streamlining their event recycling program.
History
Known in other jurisdictions as "Lend a Bin," Skagit residents and County staff have known our local program as Skagit County Zero Waste Events for many years. In 2010, the program got a boost through federal grant funding. This funding helped the Solid Waste Division purchase a trailer, event recycling bins and lids, recycling signs, and decals for the trailer to promote the program while parked at events. Education and outreach staff worked with event managers to coordinate the catchment of recycling, compost, and garbage, and delivered the gear trailer to events hosting as many as 10,000 people. The comprehensive program included:
- Logo certification and promotion
- Free borrowing of portable waste bins and signs
- Technical assistance
- Tracking of waste catchment
Program Updates
Within the past five years, however, collecting compost at large scale events has become unmanageable due to contamination. In addition, local industrial composting facilities stopped accepting single-use compostable plastics. With this in mind, the Solid Waste Division decided to simplify the bin lending program. The program will re-focus to help small to mid-size events recycle effectively, but will not encourage compost catchment for large scale events. Additional changes to the the program include:
- A new bin lending form
- Updated FAQ sheet
- Program participation rules and responsibilities page
- Updated Guide to Hosting a Low Waste Event packet
The program will remain assisting smaller events with collection of compostable items such as food waste, but will no longer offer this as a staple feature of the bin lending program. By simplifying the event recycling program, Solid Waste staff hope to make recycle bin pickup and drop off easier for event coordinators, reduce the contamination of recyclables collected at events, and make tracking the number of bags of recyclables collected easier for event coordinators to report.
A final program update that may come as sad news to our community is the retirement of the zero waste trailer from delivery to events. The years of pulling the old roadrunner around have been fun! We will miss you "CeCe!"
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 Our Zero Waste trailer, lovingly known as the "Celadon" sunsets this year for good.
The Benefits of Leaves
Fall leaves. Something beautiful we can count on every year. When they begin to pile up, it can be difficult to fight the urge to leave them. After raking them up to reduce slippery surfaces however, allowing them to blanket your yard has immense benefits. This article from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shares why.
 This Fall, Leave the Leaves!
Brooke Franklin, NRCS in Conservation
October 17, 2022
Leaves create a natural mulch that helps to suppress weeds while fertilizing the soil as it breaks down. The leaves also serve as a habitat for wildlife including lizards, birds, turtles, frogs, and insects that overwinter in the fallen leaves. These living creatures help keep pests down and increase pollination in your garden, so having a habitat for them in the fallen leaves can help to keep them around when you need them the most.
Micro-organisms are the life of soil, and they need food and nutrients all the time. The more leaves left on your garden, the more feed for these micro-organisms that make soil healthier and plants grow stronger. As the leaves decay, they add organic matter back into the soil, which lessens the need for fertilizer.
You can also include leaves in a compost mix to use on your crops. Mulching is a simple and beneficial practice you can use to create a healthy garden, and if you have trees, you have free mulch at your fingertips each fall. Mulching can protect the soil surface and help stop erosion from rainfall. Mulch also helps to moderate temperature extremes by keeping roots warmer during the winter and cooler in the summer, and helps to keep moisture in the ground, which is especially helpful during times of drought.
You can mulch leaves where they fall, chop them up with your mower, or choose to move the leaves. Leaves work well in between rows of crops or around fruit trees, areas where there is heavy machine or foot traffic, and shaded areas where vegetation doesn’t grow well. They can also be used in between growing seasons rather than leaving the soil bare. The leaves can also be useful in areas that have compacted soil as they help to reduce runoff as well as using their nutrients to create healthier soils.
Mulching leaves is only one way to use sustainable practices in your home garden. For more gardening tips, as well as information about how to participate in USDA’s People’s Garden initiative.
Plastic bottles and bags to be made with more recycled content
 A new rule requires companies that sell drinks, milk, wine, trash bags, personal care products, and household cleaners to include more recycled plastic in their packaging.
Article from Department of Ecology News Release - October 31, 2023
You can find plastic trash everywhere. It’s one of the most common items in roadside litter. Plastic bottles and containers end up in our lakes and rivers, and plastic refuse mars our parks and public spaces. Moreover, the fossil fuels that go into making these products contribute to climate change.
New regulations from the Washington Department of Ecology will help to address some of those problems by increasing the amount of plastic that gets recycled and reused to make new plastic packaging.
Companies that sell drinks, milk, wine, trash bags, personal care products, and household cleaners must include more recycled plastic in their packaging, according to the new rule.
“You don’t have to look very hard to see that we have a plastic problem – plastic containers are among the most common items we find in roadside litter," said Ecology Director Laura Watson. “This rule will help us reduce pollution, increase the value of our recycling, and make sure that we’re doing everything possible to keep Washington beautiful and litter-free.”
Since January, companies that make trash bags and beverage containers have been required to make their products with at least 10% and 15% recycled content, respectively.
The requirements gradually increase over the next 12 years, and expand to include plastic packaging for other common products. By 2036, most plastic packaging will be required to contain at least 50% recycled content.
Every year, companies must comply with the requirements, report, and pay fees based on the weight of plastic they sell into the state.
Increasing recycled content in plastics is the latest step in implementing a 2021 law passed by the Washington Legislature, aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastics. The law banned single-use plastic bags as well as foam packing peanuts and takeout containers. It also restricted the use of throw-away plastic takeout items at restaurants and lodging establishments, and set new standards for recycled plastic content.
“Plastic pollution is ugly, harmful, and expensive to clean up,” said Peter Lyon, manager of Ecology’s Solid Waste Management program. “Using recycled plastic to make new products is the sustainable thing to do, and it cuts down on harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”
Washington proposes new rule to decrease methane emissions from landfills
 Rule would require more capture and control of planet-warming gas
Article from Department of Ecology News Release - October 30, 2023
Reducing methane gas emissions is one of the best strategies for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the near term. The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing a rule to reduce emissions of methane by requiring municipal solid waste landfills to meet more stringent requirements to prevent the gas from escaping into the atmosphere.
When organic material such as food and yard waste decomposes in a landfill, it emits methane and carbon dioxide (CO2) – two gases that contribute to climate change. Methane has approximately 83 times the global warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year period and is responsible for more than 25% of the global warming experienced today.
“Methane gas emissions from landfills are a significant contributor to the climate crisis, and this new program will help us take measures to reduce them,” said Laura Watson, Ecology’s director. “Cutting landfill methane emissions is an important step toward meeting our statewide commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050.”
Ecology’s proposed rule would apply to most municipal solid waste landfills that have received solid waste after Jan. 1, 1992.
To comply with the new regulation, landfill owners and operators will have to meet additional requirements for collecting and controlling methane, as well as new state monitoring and reporting requirements. The state will make $15 million in grants available to help landfill owners and operators cover costs associated with meeting these requirements. The grants are funded from revenue generated under the Climate Commitment Act.
With this rulemaking, Washington will join California, Oregon, and Maryland in implementing more protective standards for decreasing methane emissions from landfills.
Provide input
The Department of Ecology began accepting public comments on this rule since Monday, Oct. 30, 2023.
You can submit your comments online, by mail, or at a public hearing:
- Comment Online
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Mail to:
Bill Flagg
Department of Ecology
Air Quality Program
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
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Public hearing: We will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. We will provide an overview of the proposed rule and hold a question-and-answer period, followed by public comment. Register here.
Each month we will answer a recycling or disposal question recently asked by a member of the Skagit County community. These questions are sent to us by email and phone call. Do you have a recycling or disposal question you'd like answered? Email us at calliem@co.skagit.wa.us or ask us through a post or comment on one of our social media pages. Your questions could be chosen for an upcoming newsletter!
Dear Skagit County Solid Waste Division,
I have tons of shredded office paper. I'd like to recycle it in my curbside cart, however I have heard shredded paper is not recyclable. Can you please tell me why this is?
Torn up,
Skagit Recycler
 Dear Skagit Recycler,
When paper is shredded, the paper fiber looses much of its integrity, making it a much less valuable product to the pulp mills. To keep paper at a high value for recycling, make sure that it is clean, dry, and whole (not shredded)
If you shred paper at home, this is great material for the compost bin. You can either place it into your curbside green waste cart for pick up, or mix it into your home compost piles.
If you worry about the types of paper you are shredding and whether they are good for the compost, rest easy knowing that much of the ink and paper we use for printing today is non-toxic. If you tear out the plastic windows in your envelopes, and avoid shredding shiny, colorful inserts from the news, your shredding will be in great form to turn back into dirt.
Thanks for the inquiry, and we hope this helps!
Sincerely,
The Skagit County Solid Waste Division
What We're Reading/Watching
1. Captain Matt's Youtube Channel
Want to learn how to start composting with the help of red worms? Look no further than YouTube, where Captain Matt and friends offer some of the best videos on how to get started and be successful in home vermicomposting.
2. How to Use Compost in Gardens and Landscapes
This is a great overview from Oregon State University of how to use the compost you make or buy. Downloadable PDF available!
 Upcoming Events
Each season the Solid Waste Division's Education & Outreach team offers chances to learn methods for making less garbage. Get your recycling, composting, and waste reduction questions answered, and take home materials to help you succeed. Catch us this season at a local event or free workshop near you!
Home Composting Workshops
All workshops will be held at the WSU Discovery Garden located at 16650 WA-536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 (off Memorial Hwy). Workshops are first come, first service and will be hosted rain or shine. Be sure to check our social media pages for more information and workshop updates.
Saturday, October 28th
Home Composting 101 Workshop
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Learn the basics of setting up a home compost bin, and techniques for creating "hot" compost.
Saturday, November 4th
Vermicomposting 101 Workshop
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Learn how to get started using red wriggler worms to compost food waste, compost set up, care and maintenance included.
Saturday, November 18th
Home Composting 101
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Learn the basics of setting up a home compost bin, and techniques for creating "hot" compost.
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