Welcome to Skagit County

April 17th, 2008

Recycling Event to Accept Garden Plastics

Special One-Day Event Will Accept Clean Compost and Potting Soil Bags,

Plastic Flower Containers and Trays for Recycling

Have you been saving empty garden containers, such as pots and flats? Don't throw them in the trash. If the containers are dry and relatively clean, you can recycle them at a special collection event Saturday May 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at WSU Extension Station 16650 State Route 536 west of Mount Vernon. The collection will be in conjunction with the annual plant sale hosted by the WSU Skagit County Master Gardener Foundation.

Many garden plastics can be recycled back into black plastic nursery items as well as drain pipe, truck bed liners and plastic lumber for benches, posts and pilings.

How to Prepare Materials

Compost and Potting Soil Bags:
· Turn bags inside out and shake off or brush off any remaining soil or compost
· Stuff multiple bags into a single bag of the same material
· Plastic only – do not include any bags with paper liners
· Keep plastic dry

Plastic nursery pots and trays:

Empty pots;
Knock off loose dirt
Sort by size
Stack trays

You will need to place your sorted containers into specially marked bags at the collection event. You can also take away pots and flats that other gardeners have left for use in your own garden or greenhouse. Volunteers are welcome to help at the collection event; e-mail recycle@re-sources.org by May 1 to sign up.

There is no charge for this special one-weekend-only recycling collection, which is sponsored by:

Northwest Clean Air Agency
RE Sources for Sustainable Communities
Skagit Conservation District
Skagit County Public Works, Solid Waste Division
Skagit River Steel and Recycling
Washington State University Skagit County Extension

Other recycling opportunities are available for rinsed pesticide containers, baling twine and film, row covers, pipe, drip tape, and business plastics. Call the RE Sources agricultural plastics recycling program at 800-760-8434 for details. You can also find information on-line at http://www.re-sources.org/wastereduction.htm#agplastics