Washington County reduced garbage by 19%, increased recycling by 24% and more than doubled composting per FTE since 2008. Below are some of the ways we help the County better manage its waste.
ReUse Store – Provides free, used office supplies for County employees. We recover items that might have been donated or thrown away and make them available for pickup.
Water Bottle Stations – These stations allow employees to fill their reusable water bottles and reduce their dependence on single use plastics.
Durable Dish Program – Employees can reserve durable, reusable dishes and tablecloths for County events. Items include plates, bowls, cups, silverware, and tablecloths.
Centralized Waste Bins – Common office areas have bins for trash and mixed recycling. Individual offices may sign up to add compost, bottle return, batteries, and plastic film collection.
Special Collections – We partner with TerraCycle to offer recycling of bottle caps, pens and markers, and broken office supplies.
Building Deconstruction – Instead of completely demolishing buildings, Washington County deconstructs them to donate usable materials to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.