REcyclopedia: “What can I do with this?”
Disclaimer: This alphabetical list of options to reduce waste disposal to the landfill is a working document and, therefore,
may not contain all the information you are seeking; also, current markets and conditions may not be reflected in this
latest update. Please contact the San Juan County Waste Reduction/Hazardous Waste Hotline at 370-0503, or email
helenv@sjcpublicworks.org, with any questions, additional comments and, especially, suggested additions.
When private or other non-county programs are listed, you are advised to contact the business or other
organization providing the program to check on current conditions BEFORE delivery of any materials! Please
see the last page for their phone numbers.
Abandoned Vehicles (Junk cars): (1) Call Jerry, 425-870-0882 for free pickup of titled
vehicles.
Agricultural plastics (nursery pots, flats, irrigation drip line, etc.): recycle through Skagit
River Steel & Recycling or phone the Solid Waste Division for latest information on local
collection events.
Appliances:
Refrigerated – (1) recycled through each island’s solid waste facility; (2) recycled
through Consignment Treasures on San Juan Island ???/\?????????
Other large appliances –
Small appliances
Antifreeze: Uncontaminated antifreeze is collected at each island’s solid waste facility.
Asbestos: DO NOT dispose of any asbestos material with your solid waste; call
Environmental Abatement Services in Burlington.
Asphalt: (asphalt roofing shingles) T&T Recovery, Burlington
Batteries:
Vehicle/marine (lead-acid) are recycled through each island’s solid waste facility
and through most automotive/marine parts stores or repair shops that sell batteries.
Rechargeables (including cellphones) can be recycled FREE through the
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation at http://www.call2recycle.org/
Household alkaline batteries can be recycled at Ace Hardware in Friday Harbor; at
the Orcas Exchange located at the solid waste facility
Bicycles: A-1 Wildlife Cycles, Eastsound; Lopez Bicycle Works; Michael (FH)
Bilge Water: Call ORRCO (Oil Recycling & Refining Corporation) for a pick up.
Biomedical waste (sharps, syringes, hypodermic needles, etc.): Can be disposed of at
each island’s solid waste facility. Please inform the site attendant so these materials can
be isolated from other waste for proper disposal.
Cardboard boxes: used boxes are accepted at Aeronautical Services; can be “sheet
composted (see link for instructions on main menu)
Carpet:
Ceramics: (toilets, tubs): Lawson ???????
Christmas trees: will be chipped for mulch at each island’s solid waste facility
Commingled recyclables (see Recycling Guidelines on this webpage for specific items)
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs): (1) Save burnt out or broken CFLs (bagged) for
recycling through your island’s next hazardous waste collection event; or, (2) Recycle your
burnt out, UNBROKEN, CFLs at any Home Depot store FREE; put them in a plastic bag and
deposit into the orange collection units in the store; (3) recycle at Consignment Treasures…….
(4) recycle at the Orcas Exchange
Concrete (e.g. mooring buoys): (1) Lawson Quarry, San Juan Island; (2) R&R Moorings,
Lopez; (3) T&T Recovery, Burlington
Construction/Demolition waste (C&D): T&T Recovery, Burlington
Contaminated soil:
Creosote-treated wood:
Drywall (clean, unused scraps): recycle through T&T Recovery, Burlington
Electronics (computers/laptops, monitors, televisions): Consignment Treasures, San Juan
Island; Orcas Exchange at the Orcas Island solid waste facililty
Empties (e.g. motor oil/antifreeze/paint containers): These are garbage!
Explosives (fireworks, ammunition, flares): DO NOT bring to our hazardous waste
collections; deliver to the Sheriff’s office on your island.
Eyeglasses: Recycle through Lions Club program.
Fire Extinguishers:
Fish nets: reuse for deer netting
Flares (marine/automobile): Do NOT bring to our hazardous waste collections; deliver to
the Sheriff’s office on your island.
Fluorescent Light Tubes (lamps): (1) Store burnt out or broken fluorescent light tubes (in
boxes) for recycling through your island’s next hazardous waste collection event; (2)
CT??????; Exchange?
Food waste:
Glass (other than recyclable glass bottles): windows, mirrors
Green waste (see “yard waste”)
Hazardous wastes:
Kitchen/restaurant grease: Standard Biodiesel
Junk Cars (see abandoned vehicles above)
Landscaping/ landclearing debris (see “yard waste”):
LATEX paint: Post-1979 latex paints and stains are not designated as "hazardous." Please try
to give away usable paint or evaporate or solidify unusable latex paint with sawdust for regular
solid waste disposal. The Hazardous Waste project accepts latex paints for $2 per gallon at
hazardous waste collections; please consolidate like materials to fill paint cans as much as
possible.
Litter (BEACH and ROAD): deliver to each island’s solid waste facility for free disposal.
Manure:
Medications: (see “pharmaceuticals” below)
Motor oil: recyclable at each island’s solid waste facility
Nursery pots/flats: can be recycled at Skagit River Steel & Recycling, Burlington
Packaging materials (used boxes, packing peanuts, air bags, bubble wrap): Aeronautical
Services
Pet wastes: DO NOT compost! Pet wastes are garbage.
Pharmaceuticals: Med Take Back program at drug stores on all the islands (sponsored by
Sheriff’s Dept. and the Prevention Coalition)
Plastic bags: recycle clean bags, packed into larger bag, at Marketplace in Friday Harbor
Plastics #1 to #7: can be “commingled” (mixed together) for recycling through county
solid waste facilities; NO Styrofoam materials, please!
Propane tanks / camping fuel cylinders: (2 gallons or larger only) Vanderyacht Propane,
Friday Harbor; San Juan Sanitation Co. facility on Orcas Island (all sizes/free if punctured;
$5, if not)
Rags (contaminated with paint, solvents, etc.)
Reusable items: Clean, usable items (small appliances, books, clothing, tools, etc.) can
be given a second life through these non-profit organizations: (San Juan island) FH Fire
Department Thrift House, Consignment Treasures; (Orcas Island) The Exchange; (Lopez
Island) Thrift Store, Take It or Leave It
Scrap Metal (steel, large aluminum items, copper, brass)
Sharps / needles / syringes: (see Biomedical waste above)
Sheetrock (clean, unused scrap): T&T Recovery, Burlington
Shredded paper: Compost ?????????
Styrofoam packing peanuts: Aeronautical Services
Tires: Larry’s, Burlington
Wood (clean): T&T Recovery, Burlington
Yard waste: Skagit Soils, Inc., Mount Vernon
Ace Hardware, Friday Harbor, 378-4622
A-1 Vessel Assist ??????????????????????
A-1 Wildlife Cycles, 376-4708
Aeronautical Services 378-2640 X10
Consignment Treasures, 370-5562
Environmental Abatement Services, Burlington, 360-360-755-1085
Larry’s, Burlington,
Lawson Quarry, 378-4313
Lopez Bicycle Works, 468-2847
Lopez Ready Mix ???????????????????
Marketplace
ORRCO 206-200-9054
R&R Moorings, Lopez, 468-2823
San Juan Sanitation Company, Eastsound, Orcas Island, 376-4717
Skagit River Steel & Recycling Co, Burlington 1-800-869-7097
Skagit Soils, Inc., Mount Vernon, 360-424-0199
Standard Biodiesel, 206-388-3869
T&T Recovery, Burlington, 360-757-4000
Vanderyacht Propane, Friday Harbor, 370-5511