Solid Waste Division

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Solid Waste Division

Division Manager: Margo Gillaspy
Skagit County Recycles!
Frequent Household Recycling


City Residents:

If you live within city limits, your city provides curbside recycling. Check out information on what each accept.

Unincorporated Areas:
If you live in an unincorporated Skagit County, you have two options:

1. Waste Management provides curbside recycling upon request. Click here for information on what they accept.

2. You can recycle the following limited set of materials free at any of the Skagit County Recycling Sites. Be sure to include only the products listed. If there is too much contamination with other unwanted materials, the whole load may have to go to a landfill rather than be recycled into new products. Please sort into the following accepted categories:

Aluminum cans: Must be empty and clean.

Cardboard: The transfer station accepts corrugated cardboard only. It must be empty, with no liners or contents and flattened.

Glass bottles and jars: Must be empty and clean, without lids, separated by color (green, brown, and clear). No dishware, pottery, window glass, or mirrors allowed.

Mixed Paper: Must be dry and clean! This includes clean and dry advertising mail, envelopes, cereal boxes, soda & beer boxes, phone books, paper egg cartons, school papers, paper sacks, and magazines. Remember no pizza boxes or other food-contaminated paper is allowed

Newspapers: Must be clean and without kitty litter or excessively soiled.

Plastics: Clean plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs ONLY. Keep items loose, not in plastic bags. No other plastic is accepted (i.e. clamshells, bakery trays or plastic bags).

Scrap metal: Please remove all plastic or other non-metal materials from your scrap before disposal.

Appliances

You can take your appliances to one of the following locations. Call to verify fees and to ensure that your appliance type is accepted.

Computers, TVs, & Electronics

Computers, televisions, and other electronic equipment contain heavy metals and other hazardous materials that should not go into a landfill. Beginning January 1, 2009, recycling is free for the following products under Washington’s E-Cycle law:

  • Computers (Desktops and Towers)
  • Laptops
  • Computer Monitors
  • Televisions

ecyscle
Look for the E-Cycle Washington logo at participating vendors. For recycling locations for the above products, please visit the website
or call 1800RECYCLE.
Peripherals, such as cell phones, mice, printers, copiers, and scanners may be covered at local drop off locations for a small $ fee.

Recycle locations:

Anacortes

Aktion Club of Anacortes
Frontier Lumber
1911 Commercial Ave
Anacortes, WA 
from 9:00 a.m. – Noon the second Saturday of every month

Mount Vernon

Goodwill Store
102 Valley Mall Way
(360) 848-0646
Goodwill is open for electronics drop-off from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Pacific Power Batteries
107 E. Cedar St,
Mt. Vernon, WA 98273
Phone:425-259-9260
Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sedro-Woolley

City Recycling Facility
315 Sterling Street
(360) 855-1884
Electronics can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays at the facility at the corner of 3rd and Sterling Streets.

Lumber & Building Materials Exchanges

Building Salvage Supply Stores

Online Materials Exchange

Guide to Construction & Demolition Recycling (Pdf)

Reuse

Secondhand Stores

  • Bargains Galore
    1909 2nd Street Mount Vernon
    (360) 336-1081
  • First Stop Thrift Shop
    351 Pease Rd. Burlington
    (360) 757-6600
  • Humane Society Thrift Shop
    525 E College #D Way Mount Vernon
    (360) 424-5991
  • St. Vincent DePaul Society
    719 Ferry Street Sedro Woolley
    (360) 855-1937
  • The Walnut Tree Thrift Shop
    713 Puget Street Sedro Woolley
    (360) 855-2337
  • Treasure Chest
    509 East Fairhaven Ave Burlington
    (360) 755-0369
  • Value Village
    525 E College Way Mount Vernon
    (360)416-0104
  • Kiwanis
    420 O Ave Anacortes
    (360) 293-2921


Neighborhood Barter & Trade

Online Materials Exchange

Building Salvage Supply Stores

 

Food & Yard Waste

Food Waste
Not all food waste can be composted at home, nor do all households choose to compost on-site. If you are interested in composting more types of food waste, or are interested in yard waste
pick-up at the curbside, Waste Management provides food & yard waste pick-up in the cities of Anacortes, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley and the town of La Conner including Shelter Bay. If you live outside the city or town limits, you may still qualify, find out by contacting Waste Management at 360-757-4851. Waste Management hauls all of the yard and food waste collected at the curbside to Skagit Soils for composting. Skagit Soils will also accept yard & food waste dropped-off by customers.

What can you place in your curbside food & yard waste bin?

  • Brush under 4 inches in diameter and no more than 4 inches long
  • Grass, prunings, weeds and leaves
  • Pasta, grain and breads
  • Meats, bones, fish and shellfish
  • Eggshells, dairy, nuts and shells
  • Fruit and vegetable scraps
  • Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags
  • Waxed cardboard & food soiled paper (pizza boxes and paper towels)
  • Shredded paper

Yard Waste
Yard waste can be picked up with food waste via the curbside pick-up service provided through your city by Waste Management. Please see Food Waste (above) for more information.
Drop-Off Locations for Yard Waste

Mount Vernon (Residents Only)
Purchase punch cards for $5, $10, or $20
$1 per punch, loads up to 60 lbs
City Shop, 409 W. Fir Street, 360-336-6218
Mar-Oct: W- F 11 am - 5:30 pm; Sat, Sun
9 am - 4 pm; Nov-Feb: W, Sat, Sun 9 am - 4 pm
Grass, leaves, fruits, vegetables, brush, & branches that are no more than 7 inches in diameter

Sedro-Woolley
(Residents & Urban Growth Areas)
315 Sterling St, 360-855-0929
$12.00 per yard
March-Sept: Mon and Sat, 8 am - 4 pm
Oct - first weekend in Nov: Sat, 8 am - 4 pm
2nd week in Nov - Feb: no drop-off.
Grass clippings & light brush. *Pumpkins: First 2 weeks /November, bare Christmas trees first 3 weeks/January.

Batteries


You can dispose of the following batteries at all Skagit County Recycling Sites.

a. Rechargeables
b. Automotive
c. Button
d. NiCad
e. Lead-Acid

Single-use, alkaline batteries are NOT accepted at any of the Skagit County Transfer Sites.

Please do not bring them in for recycling. Alkaline batteries made in the United States (Energizer, Duracell, etc.) in the last 5 years do not contain mercury and can be thrown in the regular garbage. When purchasing batteries it is always good to consider buying rechargeables.

You can drop off all types of household and automotive batteries at Pacific Power Battery
107 E Cedar Street Mount Vernon WA 98273
360-419-3190
(Across the parking lot from the Chuck Wagon)

Cars & Tires

Cars: Have a car you need to get rid of and want to recycle? Try one of these options:

  • Cascade Hauling and Recycling will haul your car away to recycling facilities where the parts can be salvaged and reused.
  • Skagit Valley College takes used or unwanted cars as part of their Automotive Education Program. For more information on how to donate your car to this program please contact Scott Hall (360)416-7661 or email him scott.hall@skagit.edu.
  • Donate a Car. Washington Wheels for Wishes associated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is an organization that takes cars, even if they aren't in running condition to help grant the wishes of children facing life-threatening medical conditions. When you make a car donation, proceeds from the sale of your vehicle donation through the Wheels For Wishes 501(c)(3) charity benefits your local Make-A-Wish.
    Additionally, check your local charities, Red Cross, and Salvation Army Chapters to find out if they accept cars as tax deductible donations.

Tires:
The County's Ovenell Transfer Station will take up to four tires, no larger than 36-inches in diameter. General waste rates apply.

 

Please refrain from illegal dumping!
Illegal dump sites are hazardous to wildlife and human health and are very expensive to clean up. To report illegal dumping, please call (360) 416-1573.

Oil, Chemicals, and Paint

The following information is for households only. Businesses must contact the Small Quantity Generator Program to arrange for disposal of chemicals. Each type of oil or chemical must not be mixed with other chemicals and must be stored in an unbreakable, sealed container.

Antifreeze:
Households may dispose of up to five gallons of antifreeze at any of the Skagit County Recycling Sites.

Motor oil:
Households may dispose of up to five gallons of motor oil at any of the Skagit County Recycling Sites. You can also take motor oil to:

Schuck's Auto Supply
Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon, 360-424-6131
Burlington Boulevard, Burlington, 360-707-0310
Crossroads Square, Sedro-Woolley, 360-854-9508

Paint Recycling

Skagit households and businesses have a new place to put old paint with the debut of the PaintCare program. This new recycling program makes it safe and easy to recycle leftover paint stain, and varnish, free at over 149 locations across Washington. The PaintCare program collaborates with local government facilities and paint retailers near residential neighborhoods. These locations make it simple for households and businesses to find their nearest drop-off site by visiting PaintCare’s online site locator. To reinforce the program’s ease of use, businesses, organizations, and households with 200 gallons of paint or more to recycle may request a free pickup at their location. Some restrictions apply. More information about what kinds of paints are accepted, and a request form are found on PaintCare’s website. Find out more about PaintCare, and locate drop-off locations near you by visiting the website https://www.paintcare.org/states/washington/

Most PaintCare drop-off locations accept both latex and oil-based architectural paint products, including paints, stains, and varnishes. Paint must be dropped off for recycling in original containers with its original manufacturer labels. Non-PaintCare products (those not accepted for recycling within the program) are still acceptable to bring to the Skagit County Household Hazardous Waste Facility for disposal.

PaintCare Products Non-PaintCare Products
Interior and exterior architectural paints: latex, acrylic, water based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel (including textured coatings) Paint thinners, mineral spirits, and solvents
Deck coatings, floor paints (including elastomeric) Aerosol paints (spray cans)
Primers, sealer, undercoaters Auto and marine paints
Stains Art and craft paints
Shellacs, lacquers, varnishes, urethanes (single component) Caulking compounds, epoxies, glues, adhesives
Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellants (not tar or bitumen- based) Paint additives, colorants, tints, resins
Metal coatings, rust preventatives Wood preservatives (containing pesticides)
Field and lawn paints Rood patch and repair
  Asphalt, tar, and bitumen-based products
  2-component coatings
  Deck cleaners
  Traffic and road marking paints
  Industrial Maintenance (IM) coatings
  Original Equipment Manufacturer (EOM) (shop application) paints and finishes
Medical Waste

Pharmaceuticals
Skagit County Health Department: Dispose of Medical Wastes Properly

Walgreens Pharmacy now sells pill disposal pouches for a small fee. Place you leftover pills in a pouch and return them to the pharmacy for safe disposal.

Sharps Disposal By Mail System

Waste Management provides each customer with a specially designed sharps container for used needles, a government-approved exterior shipping box, and instructions for use. When the container is full, it is closed, bagged, and sealed inside its original exterior packaging. Residential and commercial customers simply return the postage pre-paid box to their mail carrier or nearest post office. It is then delivered to the Sharps Disposal by Mail System processing center where the receipt and complete destruction of the container and its contents are fully documented.
www.wastemd.com
877-WASTE-MD
877-927-8363

Scrap Metal

Steel is accepted at Skagit County's recycling sites, as well as at Skagit River Steel & Recycling, 360-757-6096, in Burlington.

Light Bulbs

light
The LightCycle Washington program makes it easy to recycle fluorescent lights! You can drop up to 10 bulbs a day, compact fluorescents, tubes or HID bulbs, at any of the following Skagit locations for no cost.
Visit www.lightrecycle.org for additional information.

Kaptein's Ace Hardware
1420 Riverside Dr.
Mount Vernon
Mon-Sat 7:30 am - 7 pm

Ekrem Hardware Do-It Center
237 E. Fairhaven Ave.
Burlington, WA
Mon-Sat 8 am - 5:30 pm

Chuckanut Lighting
938 Fountain St.
Burlington, WA
Mon-Fri 9 am - 6 pm, Sat 10-5
City Recycling Center
315 Sterling Street
Sedro-Woolley, WA
Mon 7 am - 2 pm


Fluorescent and compact florescent light bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury, a hazardous material. Please store used bulbs safely to prevent breakage and take to the Skagit County Household Hazardous Waste Facility at the Ovenell Transfer Station. Households can also take their light bulbs to Lowe’s and Home Depot for collection or to the Skagit County PSE office. Note that PSE only accepts small household fluorescent bulbs but no large tubes or other lighting.
Businesses needing to safely dispose of their fluorescent lighting should contact the Small Quantity Generator program.

Guide to Recycling and Solid Waste Brochure

Cell Phones

Cell phones and accessories are made from valuable resources such as precious metals, copper, and plastics - all of which require energy to extract and manufacture. Recycling cell phones reduces greenhouse gas emissions, keeps valuable material out of landfills and incinerators, and conserves natural resources.

Packing Materials
Styrofoam

Styro Recycle Inc-Renton
West of Ikea
253-838-9555
http://www.styrorecycle.com/contact/contact.htm
Monday-Sunday, 9am-5pm


  • Mail Box: 360-293-0342; Anacortes. Accepts clean peanuts, bubble wrap and flat Styrofoam sheets.
  • Postal & More: 360-428-5848; Mount Vernon. Accepts bagged and clean peanuts, and air cushions.
  • Postnet Postal: 360-757-3281; Burlington. Accepts clean peanuts, bubble wrap, air cushions and gray foam.