....................
Storm Debris
Pickup Requires
Official Notice
Storm debris removal is provided
only after an official declaration of
emergency.
Officials will consider the severity
of the storm and debris program costs
before enacting a pickup program.
If a storm debris program is enacted, pickup dates will be announced
in newspapers, on the Solid Waste
Information Line at (253) 798-4115
and on the County website: www.
piercecountywa.org/solidwaste.
DO NOT place storm debris at the
curb unless you are sure a debris program has begun.
American Disposal
1-800-529-9892
www.murreysdisposal.com
Pierce County Refuse
(253) 537-8687
www.lemayinc.com
Lakewood Refuse
(253) 588-1705
www.lemayinc.com
University Place Refuse/
Westside Disposal
(253) 564-3212
www.uprefuse.com
Murrey’s/DM Disposal
(253) 414-0345
www.murreysdisposal.com
For More Information:
PIERCE COUNTY SOLID WASTE DIVISION.......... (253) 798-2179
PIERCE CO. PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITIES, ROAD MAINTENANCE
24-hour Info Line...............................................(253) 798-4115
Website............................. www.piercecountywa.org/solidwaste
E-mail......................................... [email protected]
Adopt-A-Road Information..............................(253) 798-6000
STATEWIDE RECYCLING INFORMATION.............1-800-RECYCLE
TACOMA-PIERCE CO. HEALTH DEPT.
Household Hazardous Waste Info.................1-800-287-6429
PIERCE COUNTY RESPONDS. ............................(253) 798-4636
Website.................................... www.piercecountyresponds.org
E-mail.......................................... [email protected]
Pierce County Responds accepts reports on a variety of land use,
dumping and vehicle-related nuisances.
Don’t Trash Your Recycling Cart
costs to remove contaminants increasing
Are you putting trash in your
recycling cart?
Pierce County households averaged 1 pound of
nonrecyclables in the recycling cart each month
last year. Now the average is up to 1¾ pounds per
month—a 75% increase.
Nonrecyclable materials make trucks fill up
faster. That requires more routes, more labor, more
fuel and higher costs.
Costs also increase because more sorting is
needed to separate contaminants from potential
recyclables.
To keep our contamination low,
here are a few suggestions:
Plastic bags, Styrofoam
and clamshell containers are “contaminants”
that cannot be collected in our curbside
program.
Let’s review: Plastic bottles
must have a neck
smaller than the base.
For example: bottles
that contained
water, soda, ketchup or shampoo.
We cannot
recycle plastic
containers without a
“neck,” such as margarine tubs, yogurt containers,
“clamshell” containers and drinking cups.
Plastic bags and glass need to be recycled in
other ways. They damage machines and may injure
workers during the sorting process.
Glass shards also get caught in paper and other
materials, lowering their value for manufacturers.
It’s a step backward when we consider the positive growth. Since our single cart recycling program
began in 2005, households are recycling 64% more
paper, 94% more aluminum and 33% more tin
cans.
Also noteworthy: Each household recycles
an average of 34 plastic bottles (20-ounce size)
per month.
Here are examples of the leading trouble
spots and tips to help solve the
contamination problem.
PROBLEM: Plastic bags
and film-like shrink
wrap. These materials
get caught and wrap
around the sorting
machinery. Recyclables
should be loose, not
enclosed in a clear or
black plastic bag.
Tip: Take plastic
shopping bags to
participating grocery
Keep these items OUT of your recycling cart!
Class Schedule
BACKYARD COMPOSTING
February 6, March 13, April 17
10 a.m.-noon
FOOD WASTE COMPOSTING
February 18, March 23, April 7
6-8 p.m.
Additional classes and locations
may be added.
Plastic shopping
bags and shrink
wrap film
Butter tubs, yogurttype containers
and bottles from
pesticides, herbicides
or automotive fluids
Clamshell
containers
and plastic
drinking cups
Styrofoam and
polystyrene
Glass
Solid Waste Division
ing (trash or other materials) in
ditches or other drainage
systems.
• Visit www.piercecountywa.org/flood
or call Pierce County
Surface Water Management Division at (253)
798-2725 for more
information on how to
prepare for a flood.
You can have a voice in new commercial recycling programs and
other topics by becoming a member of the Solid Waste Advisory
Committee (SWAC).
The 15-member SWAC meets monthly and has openings for a few
members. The group helps develop and implement the Solid Waste
Plan. SWAC members also explore ways to expand and improve our
current recycling programs.
To learn more about the SWAC and how to apply for membership,
visit our website, www.piercecountywa.org/swac or call
(253) 798-2179.
Who to Contact for
Garbage Collection
& Curbside Recycling
Public Works and Utilities
Serious flooding may
occur in some areas
of Pierce County
this winter. Prepare now to help
keep your family
and property safe
during the flood
season (usually
October through
March).
•Make an emergency plan and
assemble an emergency kit. Visit
www.piercecountywa.org/
floodprep for more information.
•Know your property’s risk for
flooding. For a free detailed
floodplain map of your property,
call (253) 798-2725 or e-mail
[email protected]. Please
include your parcel number.
•If you are at risk, purchase flood
insurance. Visit www.piercecountywa.org/floodinsco or call
1-800-638-6620. Flood insurance
is the only sure way to be reimbursed for some of your flood
losses.
•Prevent localized flooding by
keeping ditches, culverts and
storm drains clear of leaves and
debris. Call (253) 798-4274 to report flooding problems. Call (253)
798-4636 to report illegal dump-
We now offer free Backyard “Hot”
Composting classes! Learn how to
improve the quality of your soil by
putting your leaves and grass clippings to use and spend less time and
money fertilizing and watering.
We also continue to offer our
popular food waste composting
classes. You may register for “instruction only” at no fee, or for $30 you
will go home with a 14-gallon plastic
worm bin, a pound of red worms and
class supplies.
Classes are offered regularly. Registration is required. Deadline is two
weeks before each class.
For more information or to register,
call (253) 798-2179 or e-mail
[email protected]. You
can also register online at
www.piercecountywa.org/compost.
Winter 2009
Be Part of Recycling
Discussions—Join SWAC
9850 64th Street West
University Place, WA 98467-1078
Are You Prepared
for the Next Flood?
New Backyard
Composting Class
Begins
Earth Matters is a publication of Pierce County
Public Works and Utilities, Solid Waste Division.
Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper and recyclable
through Pierce County’s curbside recycling program.
Pierce County Executive:
Pat McCarthy
Pierce County Council: Roger Bush, Chair
Shawn Bunney
Tim Farrell Joyce McDonald
Barbara Gelman Terry Lee
Dick Muri
Curbside Recycling, cont’d.
stores for recycling. Use cloth or
other reusable shopping bags—
just one could save 100-200
plastic bags per year.
PROBLEM: Butter tubs,
yogurt-type containers and
bottles from pesticides, herbicides or automotive fluids.
Containers with a recycling
symbol may not necessarily be
recyclable.
Be sure to “check the neck.”
We only accept plastic bottles
with an opening that’s smaller
than the base.
Tip: Try to reuse or reduce the
amount of tub-like containers
you purchase.
PROBLEM: Clamshell containers, disposable plastic cups
and food trays have different chemical compositions and
molding processes. There are very
limited to non-existent recycling
markets. Please put them in the
trash.
Tip: Try to “precycle” and
choose items in a recyclable container. Or better yet, avoid the
container entirely.
PROBLEM: Styrofoam or
packing peanuts. Our material
recovery facility does not have a
reliable market for these
materials.
Tip: Reuse when possible.
Choose paper or other
recyclable packaging when
available. Save packing
peanuts for future mailing
needs or call the Plastic
Peanut Hotline at
1-800-828-2214 for reuse
locations.
PROBLEM: Glass in our
comingled recycling carts may
injure workers and damage
equipment at the sorting facility.
Broken glass also ends up
in bales of recycled paper,
damaging expensive equipment
at paper mills.
Tip: Glass collected at various
drop-off sites is emptied directly
into shipping containers and
marketed. Find an updated list
of glass recycling sites on our
website, www.piercecountywa.
org/glass, or call us at (253)
798-2179.
How to be a Better Recycler
• Always keep these items out of the recycling cart
– Rigid plastic blister packs (from batteries, electronics, etc.)
– PVC pipe
– Clothing and shoes
– Caps from bottles and jugs
– Bubble wrap and packing peanuts
• Always properly dispose of
– Needles,
lancets or syringes (for proper disposal information
go to www.piercecountywa.org/hhw)
• Keep materials loose and separated
Combining or nesting items actually makes more trash. Flattened cans and plastic bottles hidden inside a cereal box don’t
get sorted and end up in the garbage at a paper mill.
• Look for the neck, not the numbers
Not every item with a recycling symbol or number can be
recycled in our curbside program. By accepting plastic containers with a neck smaller than the base, we create a supply our
region’s recycling manufacturers can use.
Recycle Your
Fluorescent Bulbs
Energy-efficient compact fluorescent
light (CFL) bulbs use up to 75% less
energy and last up to 10 times
longer than incandescent bulbs.
However, fluorescent bulbs and
tubes contain small amounts of
mercury and should never be
placed in garbage cans.
Mercury is an essential
component of CFL bulbs and is
what allows the bulb to be an
efficient light source. No mercury
is released when bulbs are intact or
in use.
The following locations recycle unbroken
fluorescent bulbs and/or tubes.
Take It Back Network participants:
McLendon Hardware
11307 Canyon Road East, Puyallup 1111 Fryar Avenue, Sumner
www.mclendons.com
Bulbs (no charge) and tubes (fee)
Seattle Lighting
6710 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma www.seattlelighting.com
Bulbs and tubes (fee for both)
For additional information regarding the Take
It Back Network go to www.piercecounty
wa.org/TIBN.
Other recycling locations:
Hidden Valley Hazardous Waste Facility
17925 Meridian Street East, Puyallup
www.piercecountywa.org/hhw
Bulbs and tubes (no charge)
Open Tuesdays and Thursdays
Puget Sound Energy
3130 South 38th Street, Tacoma
www.pse.com
Bulbs only (no charge)
Tacoma Hazardous Waste Facility
3510 South Mullen, Tacoma
www.cityoftacoma.org/hazwaste
Bulbs and tubes (no charge)
For more information about
disposing broken CFL bulbs, visit:
www.piercecountywa.org/fbulb
Businesses should call the Tacoma-Pierce
County Health Department (1-800-287-6429)
about disposing or recycling large quantities
of bulbs.
EnviroStar 5-Star Business
DENTAL OFFICE REDUCES CHEMICALS, PAPER WASTE
Everyone at Puyallup Valley Dental
Care deserves an extra smile. The office
has reached its fifth year as an EnviroStar 5-star business.
That’s the highest EnviroStar rating
given to a business, recognizing environmental responsibility.
Puyallup Valley Dental Care has minimized its environmental footprint in a
number of ways, including using:
• Digital X-rays, which require no odorous and hazardous chemicals. Digital
X-rays also eliminate the need to
dispose of lead that is present in traditional film packets. There’s also less
paper waste because digital X-rays can
be transferred by e-mail and websites.
• Composite restorations, which are
mercury-free fillings. Puyallup Valley Dental Care uses the latest dental
technology to trap and dispose of old
• A designated space for the office recysilver-mercury fillings in an environcling program.
mentally friendly way.
To learn more visit
• Steam-based sterilization autoclave
www.puyallupvalleydental.com,
instead of a chemical type, which was
e-mail [email protected]
methanol/formalin based.
or call (253) 841-3173.
• Digital charts, eliminating the
need for paper charting. Any
paper they receive is scanned,
shredded and recycled.
Every day they reduce waste by
using e-mail to send dental
appointment reminders and
communicate with specialists
and laboratories.
• Reusable products such as
rechargeable batteries and “solid Dr. Urback, Dr. Hall and staff were instrumental in
bringing a dental van from Medical Teams Internaink, cartridge-free” printing
tional to the Puyallup School District. They have
supplies.
volunteered their time and talents every year since
• Low-flow toilets.
2003.
Trees Keep
Giving When
You Treecycle
To participate in treecycling:
•Remove the tree stand and tinsel,
decorations, garland, nails and staples.
• If you subscribe to your hauler’s
curbside yardwaste collection program,
cut the tree into 4-foot lengths and
place it in your yardwaste cart on any
of your regularly scheduled yardwaste
collection days in January.
•Flocked trees are not accepted.
•If you are not a yardwaste program
subscriber, take your tree to a drop-off
location.
For more information about curbside
collection or drop-off sites, call the 24hour Solid Waste Information Line at
(253) 798-4115 or visit our website at
www.piercecountywa.org/treecycle.
Beautiful Christmas trees sometimes
turn into illegally dumped discards after
the holidays. We have a much better
solution—treecycling.
....................
Earth-Friendly Tips
to Celebrate
the Season
Holidays remind us of the many
precious things around us—our family,
friends, children and the earth. Every
holiday, you can help the environment
and be rewarded for generations to
come.
• Reuse gift wrap or find creative
cover-ups.
• Retrieve as many recyclables as
possible—wrapping paper, gift boxes
and inside packing materials. You’ll be
doing your part to give Mother Nature
a happy holiday.
• Buy with an eye toward recycling.
Choose products and packaging made
from recycled materials.
• Give gifts of time and talent.
• Donate old things to charity.
Start Here:
Www.WasteFreeGifts.com
Take your shopping and party planning lists to a website created by Pierce
County to encourage waste-free giving
for any occasion.
You’ll also find an environmentally
friendly online shopping catalog and
much more.
Going Green
in Traffic
Green traffic signals and green
directional signs are the obvious
“green” elements of the traffic
operations technicians’ work on Pierce
County’s 1,500 miles of public roads.
Behind the scenes, “green” has an
entirely different meaning.
Water-based paint
lasts longer
Water-based paint—
all 39,180 gallons of
it—means road stripes
and markings are applied without harmful
solvents. Best of all,
water-based paint
appears to last longer
than the old solventbased paint.
sign posts go back to school
County crews maintain more than
24,000 traffic signs, with posts made
of Western Red Cedar. The cedar is
lightweight and lasts for years without
preservative chemicals. About 2,400
new sign posts were used last year,
mostly to replace signs that were
knocked down, broken
or even stolen.
Because
they
aren’t chemically or pressure treated,
old or broken posts are reused in a
number of ways:
• High schools pick up the broken
posts and use them for students’
wood shop projects.
• A nonprofit organization used old
sign parts to build raised planting
gardens for the elderly.
• Broken pieces too small for other
uses are ground at a recycling
center.
Traffic signs turn
to recycling
Traffic signs are made
with aluminum backing and retroreflective
material on front.
When these signs are
worn, damaged or
vandalized beyond
repair, they are
replaced and the old signs are recycled.
Even vegetation that’s trimmed to
keep signs visible is collected, ground
and composted.
Electrical components get
special treatment
Lots of electronic materials are used,
replaced and recycled to support the
County’s traffic signals and street
lights. Traffic Operations crews collect
outdated and inoperable electronic
components, as well as signal light
bulbs and street light lamps. These materials are treated as electronic waste
and are properly disposed on an annual
basis.
Removing old markings is nearly dust free
When traffic patterns change,
sometimes street markings need to be
removed to make way for new
arrows and stop bars. Grinding off old
markings can release dust containing
chemicals and heavy metals, raising
environmental and personal safety
concerns.
In these instances, the County traffic
crew uses a specially designed vacuum
system with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to collect the dust.
Help us by reporting
downed signs
The County’s sign and signal technicians are proud to be environmentally
responsible. If you notice a traffic
sign on a County public road that has
been knocked down, is missing or has
been defaced, report it to the County’s
24-hour phone number at (253) 5316990. County sign technicians respond
to stop and yield sign calls 24/7. Traffic signal concerns can also be reported
to the same number.
Curbside Recycling, cont’d.
stores for recycling. Use cloth or
other reusable shopping bags—
just one could save 100-200
plastic bags per year.
PROBLEM: Butter tubs,
yogurt-type containers and
bottles from pesticides, herbicides or automotive fluids.
Containers with a recycling
symbol may not necessarily be
recyclable.
Be sure to “check the neck.”
We only accept plastic bottles
with an opening that’s smaller
than the base.
Tip: Try to reuse or reduce the
amount of tub-like containers
you purchase.
PROBLEM: Clamshell containers, disposable plastic cups
and food trays have different chemical compositions and
molding processes. There are very
limited to non-existent recycling
markets. Please put them in the
trash.
Tip: Try to “precycle” and
choose items in a recyclable container. Or better yet, avoid the
container entirely.
PROBLEM: Styrofoam or
packing peanuts. Our material
recovery facility does not have a
reliable market for these
materials.
Tip: Reuse when possible.
Choose paper or other
recyclable packaging when
available. Save packing
peanuts for future mailing
needs or call the Plastic
Peanut Hotline at
1-800-828-2214 for reuse
locations.
PROBLEM: Glass in our
comingled recycling carts may
injure workers and damage
equipment at the sorting facility.
Broken glass also ends up
in bales of recycled paper,
damaging expensive equipment
at paper mills.
Tip: Glass collected at various
drop-off sites is emptied directly
into shipping containers and
marketed. Find an updated list
of glass recycling sites on our
website, www.piercecountywa.
org/glass, or call us at (253)
798-2179.
How to be a Better Recycler
• Always keep these items out of the recycling cart
– Rigid plastic blister packs (from batteries, electronics, etc.)
– PVC pipe
– Clothing and shoes
– Caps from bottles and jugs
– Bubble wrap and packing peanuts
• Always properly dispose of
– Needles,
lancets or syringes (for proper disposal information
go to www.piercecountywa.org/hhw)
• Keep materials loose and separated
Combining or nesting items actually makes more trash. Flattened cans and plastic bottles hidden inside a cereal box don’t
get sorted and end up in the garbage at a paper mill.
• Look for the neck, not the numbers
Not every item with a recycling symbol or number can be
recycled in our curbside program. By accepting plastic containers with a neck smaller than the base, we create a supply our
region’s recycling manufacturers can use.
Recycle Your
Fluorescent Bulbs
Energy-efficient compact fluorescent
light (CFL) bulbs use up to 75% less
energy and last up to 10 times
longer than incandescent bulbs.
However, fluorescent bulbs and
tubes contain small amounts of
mercury and should never be
placed in garbage cans.
Mercury is an essential
component of CFL bulbs and is
what allows the bulb to be an
efficient light source. No mercury
is released when bulbs are intact or
in use.
The following locations recycle unbroken
fluorescent bulbs and/or tubes.
Take It Back Network participants:
McLendon Hardware
11307 Canyon Road East, Puyallup 1111 Fryar Avenue, Sumner
www.mclendons.com
Bulbs (no charge) and tubes (fee)
Seattle Lighting
6710 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma www.seattlelighting.com
Bulbs and tubes (fee for both)
For additional information regarding the Take
It Back Network go to www.piercecounty
wa.org/TIBN.
Other recycling locations:
Hidden Valley Hazardous Waste Facility
17925 Meridian Street East, Puyallup
www.piercecountywa.org/hhw
Bulbs and tubes (no charge)
Open Tuesdays and Thursdays
Puget Sound Energy
3130 South 38th Street, Tacoma
www.pse.com
Bulbs only (no charge)
Tacoma Hazardous Waste Facility
3510 South Mullen, Tacoma
www.cityoftacoma.org/hazwaste
Bulbs and tubes (no charge)
For more information about
disposing broken CFL bulbs, visit:
www.piercecountywa.org/fbulb
Businesses should call the Tacoma-Pierce
County Health Department (1-800-287-6429)
about disposing or recycling large quantities
of bulbs.
EnviroStar 5-Star Business
DENTAL OFFICE REDUCES CHEMICALS, PAPER WASTE
Everyone at Puyallup Valley Dental
Care deserves an extra smile. The office
has reached its fifth year as an EnviroStar 5-star business.
That’s the highest EnviroStar rating
given to a business, recognizing environmental responsibility.
Puyallup Valley Dental Care has minimized its environmental footprint in a
number of ways, including using:
• Digital X-rays, which require no odorous and hazardous chemicals. Digital
X-rays also eliminate the need to
dispose of lead that is present in traditional film packets. There’s also less
paper waste because digital X-rays can
be transferred by e-mail and websites.
• Composite restorations, which are
mercury-free fillings. Puyallup Valley Dental Care uses the latest dental
technology to trap and dispose of old
• A designated space for the office recysilver-mercury fillings in an environcling program.
mentally friendly way.
To learn more visit
• Steam-based sterilization autoclave
www.puyallupvalleydental.com,
instead of a chemical type, which was
e-mail [email protected]
methanol/formalin based.
or call (253) 841-3173.
• Digital charts, eliminating the
need for paper charting. Any
paper they receive is scanned,
shredded and recycled.
Every day they reduce waste by
using e-mail to send dental
appointment reminders and
communicate with specialists
and laboratories.
• Reusable products such as
rechargeable batteries and “solid Dr. Urback, Dr. Hall and staff were instrumental in
bringing a dental van from Medical Teams Internaink, cartridge-free” printing
tional to the Puyallup School District. They have
supplies.
volunteered their time and talents every year since
• Low-flow toilets.
2003.
Trees Keep
Giving When
You Treecycle
To participate in treecycling:
•Remove the tree stand and tinsel,
decorations, garland, nails and staples.
• If you subscribe to your hauler’s
curbside yardwaste collection program,
cut the tree into 4-foot lengths and
place it in your yardwaste cart on any
of your regularly scheduled yardwaste
collection days in January.
•Flocked trees are not accepted.
•If you are not a yardwaste program
subscriber, take your tree to a drop-off
location.
For more information about curbside
collection or drop-off sites, call the 24hour Solid Waste Information Line at
(253) 798-4115 or visit our website at
www.piercecountywa.org/treecycle.
Beautiful Christmas trees sometimes
turn into illegally dumped discards after
the holidays. We have a much better
solution—treecycling.
....................
Earth-Friendly Tips
to Celebrate
the Season
Holidays remind us of the many
precious things around us—our family,
friends, children and the earth. Every
holiday, you can help the environment
and be rewarded for generations to
come.
• Reuse gift wrap or find creative
cover-ups.
• Retrieve as many recyclables as
possible—wrapping paper, gift boxes
and inside packing materials. You’ll be
doing your part to give Mother Nature
a happy holiday.
• Buy with an eye toward recycling.
Choose products and packaging made
from recycled materials.
• Give gifts of time and talent.
• Donate old things to charity.
Start Here:
Www.WasteFreeGifts.com
Take your shopping and party planning lists to a website created by Pierce
County to encourage waste-free giving
for any occasion.
You’ll also find an environmentally
friendly online shopping catalog and
much more.
Going Green
in Traffic
Green traffic signals and green
directional signs are the obvious
“green” elements of the traffic
operations technicians’ work on Pierce
County’s 1,500 miles of public roads.
Behind the scenes, “green” has an
entirely different meaning.
Water-based paint
lasts longer
Water-based paint—
all 39,180 gallons of
it—means road stripes
and markings are applied without harmful
solvents. Best of all,
water-based paint
appears to last longer
than the old solventbased paint.
sign posts go back to school
County crews maintain more than
24,000 traffic signs, with posts made
of Western Red Cedar. The cedar is
lightweight and lasts for years without
preservative chemicals. About 2,400
new sign posts were used last year,
mostly to replace signs that were
knocked down, broken
or even stolen.
Because
they
aren’t chemically or pressure treated,
old or broken posts are reused in a
number of ways:
• High schools pick up the broken
posts and use them for students’
wood shop projects.
• A nonprofit organization used old
sign parts to build raised planting
gardens for the elderly.
• Broken pieces too small for other
uses are ground at a recycling
center.
Traffic signs turn
to recycling
Traffic signs are made
with aluminum backing and retroreflective
material on front.
When these signs are
worn, damaged or
vandalized beyond
repair, they are
replaced and the old signs are recycled.
Even vegetation that’s trimmed to
keep signs visible is collected, ground
and composted.
Electrical components get
special treatment
Lots of electronic materials are used,
replaced and recycled to support the
County’s traffic signals and street
lights. Traffic Operations crews collect
outdated and inoperable electronic
components, as well as signal light
bulbs and street light lamps. These materials are treated as electronic waste
and are properly disposed on an annual
basis.
Removing old markings is nearly dust free
When traffic patterns change,
sometimes street markings need to be
removed to make way for new
arrows and stop bars. Grinding off old
markings can release dust containing
chemicals and heavy metals, raising
environmental and personal safety
concerns.
In these instances, the County traffic
crew uses a specially designed vacuum
system with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to collect the dust.
Help us by reporting
downed signs
The County’s sign and signal technicians are proud to be environmentally
responsible. If you notice a traffic
sign on a County public road that has
been knocked down, is missing or has
been defaced, report it to the County’s
24-hour phone number at (253) 5316990. County sign technicians respond
to stop and yield sign calls 24/7. Traffic signal concerns can also be reported
to the same number.
Curbside Recycling, cont’d.
stores for recycling. Use cloth or
other reusable shopping bags—
just one could save 100-200
plastic bags per year.
PROBLEM: Butter tubs,
yogurt-type containers and
bottles from pesticides, herbicides or automotive fluids.
Containers with a recycling
symbol may not necessarily be
recyclable.
Be sure to “check the neck.”
We only accept plastic bottles
with an opening that’s smaller
than the base.
Tip: Try to reuse or reduce the
amount of tub-like containers
you purchase.
PROBLEM: Clamshell containers, disposable plastic cups
and food trays have different chemical compositions and
molding processes. There are very
limited to non-existent recycling
markets. Please put them in the
trash.
Tip: Try to “precycle” and
choose items in a recyclable container. Or better yet, avoid the
container entirely.
PROBLEM: Styrofoam or
packing peanuts. Our material
recovery facility does not have a
reliable market for these
materials.
Tip: Reuse when possible.
Choose paper or other
recyclable packaging when
available. Save packing
peanuts for future mailing
needs or call the Plastic
Peanut Hotline at
1-800-828-2214 for reuse
locations.
PROBLEM: Glass in our
comingled recycling carts may
injure workers and damage
equipment at the sorting facility.
Broken glass also ends up
in bales of recycled paper,
damaging expensive equipment
at paper mills.
Tip: Glass collected at various
drop-off sites is emptied directly
into shipping containers and
marketed. Find an updated list
of glass recycling sites on our
website, www.piercecountywa.
org/glass, or call us at (253)
798-2179.
How to be a Better Recycler
• Always keep these items out of the recycling cart
– Rigid plastic blister packs (from batteries, electronics, etc.)
– PVC pipe
– Clothing and shoes
– Caps from bottles and jugs
– Bubble wrap and packing peanuts
• Always properly dispose of
– Needles,
lancets or syringes (for proper disposal information
go to www.piercecountywa.org/hhw)
• Keep materials loose and separated
Combining or nesting items actually makes more trash. Flattened cans and plastic bottles hidden inside a cereal box don’t
get sorted and end up in the garbage at a paper mill.
• Look for the neck, not the numbers
Not every item with a recycling symbol or number can be
recycled in our curbside program. By accepting plastic containers with a neck smaller than the base, we create a supply our
region’s recycling manufacturers can use.
Recycle Your
Fluorescent Bulbs
Energy-efficient compact fluorescent
light (CFL) bulbs use up to 75% less
energy and last up to 10 times
longer than incandescent bulbs.
However, fluorescent bulbs and
tubes contain small amounts of
mercury and should never be
placed in garbage cans.
Mercury is an essential
component of CFL bulbs and is
what allows the bulb to be an
efficient light source. No mercury
is released when bulbs are intact or
in use.
The following locations recycle unbroken
fluorescent bulbs and/or tubes.
Take It Back Network participants:
McLendon Hardware
11307 Canyon Road East, Puyallup 1111 Fryar Avenue, Sumner
www.mclendons.com
Bulbs (no charge) and tubes (fee)
Seattle Lighting
6710 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma www.seattlelighting.com
Bulbs and tubes (fee for both)
For additional information regarding the Take
It Back Network go to www.piercecounty
wa.org/TIBN.
Other recycling locations:
Hidden Valley Hazardous Waste Facility
17925 Meridian Street East, Puyallup
www.piercecountywa.org/hhw
Bulbs and tubes (no charge)
Open Tuesdays and Thursdays
Puget Sound Energy
3130 South 38th Street, Tacoma
www.pse.com
Bulbs only (no charge)
Tacoma Hazardous Waste Facility
3510 South Mullen, Tacoma
www.cityoftacoma.org/hazwaste
Bulbs and tubes (no charge)
For more information about
disposing broken CFL bulbs, visit:
www.piercecountywa.org/fbulb
Businesses should call the Tacoma-Pierce
County Health Department (1-800-287-6429)
about disposing or recycling large quantities
of bulbs.
EnviroStar 5-Star Business
DENTAL OFFICE REDUCES CHEMICALS, PAPER WASTE
Everyone at Puyallup Valley Dental
Care deserves an extra smile. The office
has reached its fifth year as an EnviroStar 5-star business.
That’s the highest EnviroStar rating
given to a business, recognizing environmental responsibility.
Puyallup Valley Dental Care has minimized its environmental footprint in a
number of ways, including using:
• Digital X-rays, which require no odorous and hazardous chemicals. Digital
X-rays also eliminate the need to
dispose of lead that is present in traditional film packets. There’s also less
paper waste because digital X-rays can
be transferred by e-mail and websites.
• Composite restorations, which are
mercury-free fillings. Puyallup Valley Dental Care uses the latest dental
technology to trap and dispose of old
• A designated space for the office recysilver-mercury fillings in an environcling program.
mentally friendly way.
To learn more visit
• Steam-based sterilization autoclave
www.puyallupvalleydental.com,
instead of a chemical type, which was
e-mail [email protected]
methanol/formalin based.
or call (253) 841-3173.
• Digital charts, eliminating the
need for paper charting. Any
paper they receive is scanned,
shredded and recycled.
Every day they reduce waste by
using e-mail to send dental
appointment reminders and
communicate with specialists
and laboratories.
• Reusable products such as
rechargeable batteries and “solid Dr. Urback, Dr. Hall and staff were instrumental in
bringing a dental van from Medical Teams Internaink, cartridge-free” printing
tional to the Puyallup School District. They have
supplies.
volunteered their time and talents every year since
• Low-flow toilets.
2003.
Trees Keep
Giving When
You Treecycle
To participate in treecycling:
•Remove the tree stand and tinsel,
decorations, garland, nails and staples.
• If you subscribe to your hauler’s
curbside yardwaste collection program,
cut the tree into 4-foot lengths and
place it in your yardwaste cart on any
of your regularly scheduled yardwaste
collection days in January.
•Flocked trees are not accepted.
•If you are not a yardwaste program
subscriber, take your tree to a drop-off
location.
For more information about curbside
collection or drop-off sites, call the 24hour Solid Waste Information Line at
(253) 798-4115 or visit our website at
www.piercecountywa.org/treecycle.
Beautiful Christmas trees sometimes
turn into illegally dumped discards after
the holidays. We have a much better
solution—treecycling.
....................
Earth-Friendly Tips
to Celebrate
the Season
Holidays remind us of the many
precious things around us—our family,
friends, children and the earth. Every
holiday, you can help the environment
and be rewarded for generations to
come.
• Reuse gift wrap or find creative
cover-ups.
• Retrieve as many recyclables as
possible—wrapping paper, gift boxes
and inside packing materials. You’ll be
doing your part to give Mother Nature
a happy holiday.
• Buy with an eye toward recycling.
Choose products and packaging made
from recycled materials.
• Give gifts of time and talent.
• Donate old things to charity.
Start Here:
Www.WasteFreeGifts.com
Take your shopping and party planning lists to a website created by Pierce
County to encourage waste-free giving
for any occasion.
You’ll also find an environmentally
friendly online shopping catalog and
much more.
Going Green
in Traffic
Green traffic signals and green
directional signs are the obvious
“green” elements of the traffic
operations technicians’ work on Pierce
County’s 1,500 miles of public roads.
Behind the scenes, “green” has an
entirely different meaning.
Water-based paint
lasts longer
Water-based paint—
all 39,180 gallons of
it—means road stripes
and markings are applied without harmful
solvents. Best of all,
water-based paint
appears to last longer
than the old solventbased paint.
sign posts go back to school
County crews maintain more than
24,000 traffic signs, with posts made
of Western Red Cedar. The cedar is
lightweight and lasts for years without
preservative chemicals. About 2,400
new sign posts were used last year,
mostly to replace signs that were
knocked down, broken
or even stolen.
Because
they
aren’t chemically or pressure treated,
old or broken posts are reused in a
number of ways:
• High schools pick up the broken
posts and use them for students’
wood shop projects.
• A nonprofit organization used old
sign parts to build raised planting
gardens for the elderly.
• Broken pieces too small for other
uses are ground at a recycling
center.
Traffic signs turn
to recycling
Traffic signs are made
with aluminum backing and retroreflective
material on front.
When these signs are
worn, damaged or
vandalized beyond
repair, they are
replaced and the old signs are recycled.
Even vegetation that’s trimmed to
keep signs visible is collected, ground
and composted.
Electrical components get
special treatment
Lots of electronic materials are used,
replaced and recycled to support the
County’s traffic signals and street
lights. Traffic Operations crews collect
outdated and inoperable electronic
components, as well as signal light
bulbs and street light lamps. These materials are treated as electronic waste
and are properly disposed on an annual
basis.
Removing old markings is nearly dust free
When traffic patterns change,
sometimes street markings need to be
removed to make way for new
arrows and stop bars. Grinding off old
markings can release dust containing
chemicals and heavy metals, raising
environmental and personal safety
concerns.
In these instances, the County traffic
crew uses a specially designed vacuum
system with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to collect the dust.
Help us by reporting
downed signs
The County’s sign and signal technicians are proud to be environmentally
responsible. If you notice a traffic
sign on a County public road that has
been knocked down, is missing or has
been defaced, report it to the County’s
24-hour phone number at (253) 5316990. County sign technicians respond
to stop and yield sign calls 24/7. Traffic signal concerns can also be reported
to the same number.
....................
Storm Debris
Pickup Requires
Official Notice
Storm debris removal is provided
only after an official declaration of
emergency.
Officials will consider the severity
of the storm and debris program costs
before enacting a pickup program.
If a storm debris program is enacted, pickup dates will be announced
in newspapers, on the Solid Waste
Information Line at (253) 798-4115
and on the County website: www.
piercecountywa.org/solidwaste.
DO NOT place storm debris at the
curb unless you are sure a debris program has begun.
American Disposal
1-800-529-9892
www.murreysdisposal.com
Pierce County Refuse
(253) 537-8687
www.lemayinc.com
Lakewood Refuse
(253) 588-1705
www.lemayinc.com
University Place Refuse/
Westside Disposal
(253) 564-3212
www.uprefuse.com
Murrey’s/DM Disposal
(253) 414-0345
www.murreysdisposal.com
For More Information:
PIERCE COUNTY SOLID WASTE DIVISION.......... (253) 798-2179
PIERCE CO. PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITIES, ROAD MAINTENANCE
24-hour Info Line...............................................(253) 798-4115
Website............................. www.piercecountywa.org/solidwaste
E-mail......................................... [email protected]
Adopt-A-Road Information..............................(253) 798-6000
STATEWIDE RECYCLING INFORMATION.............1-800-RECYCLE
TACOMA-PIERCE CO. HEALTH DEPT.
Household Hazardous Waste Info.................1-800-287-6429
PIERCE COUNTY RESPONDS. ............................(253) 798-4636
Website.................................... www.piercecountyresponds.org
E-mail.......................................... [email protected]
Pierce County Responds accepts reports on a variety of land use,
dumping and vehicle-related nuisances.
Don’t Trash Your Recycling Cart
costs to remove contaminants increasing
Are you putting trash in your
recycling cart?
Pierce County households averaged 1 pound of
nonrecyclables in the recycling cart each month
last year. Now the average is up to 1¾ pounds per
month—a 75% increase.
Nonrecyclable materials make trucks fill up
faster. That requires more routes, more labor, more
fuel and higher costs.
Costs also increase because more sorting is
needed to separate contaminants from potential
recyclables.
To keep our contamination low,
here are a few suggestions:
Plastic bags, Styrofoam
and clamshell containers are “contaminants”
that cannot be collected in our curbside
program.
Let’s review: Plastic bottles
must have a neck
smaller than the base.
For example: bottles
that contained
water, soda, ketchup or shampoo.
We cannot
recycle plastic
containers without a
“neck,” such as margarine tubs, yogurt containers,
“clamshell” containers and drinking cups.
Plastic bags and glass need to be recycled in
other ways. They damage machines and may injure
workers during the sorting process.
Glass shards also get caught in paper and other
materials, lowering their value for manufacturers.
It’s a step backward when we consider the positive growth. Since our single cart recycling program
began in 2005, households are recycling 64% more
paper, 94% more aluminum and 33% more tin
cans.
Also noteworthy: Each household recycles
an average of 34 plastic bottles (20-ounce size)
per month.
Here are examples of the leading trouble
spots and tips to help solve the
contamination problem.
PROBLEM: Plastic bags
and film-like shrink
wrap. These materials
get caught and wrap
around the sorting
machinery. Recyclables
should be loose, not
enclosed in a clear or
black plastic bag.
Tip: Take plastic
shopping bags to
participating grocery
Keep these items OUT of your recycling cart!
Class Schedule
BACKYARD COMPOSTING
February 6, March 13, April 17
10 a.m.-noon
FOOD WASTE COMPOSTING
February 18, March 23, April 7
6-8 p.m.
Additional classes and locations
may be added.
Plastic shopping
bags and shrink
wrap film
Butter tubs, yogurttype containers
and bottles from
pesticides, herbicides
or automotive fluids
Clamshell
containers
and plastic
drinking cups
Styrofoam and
polystyrene
Glass
Solid Waste Division
ing (trash or other materials) in
ditches or other drainage
systems.
• Visit www.piercecountywa.org/flood
or call Pierce County
Surface Water Management Division at (253)
798-2725 for more
information on how to
prepare for a flood.
You can have a voice in new commercial recycling programs and
other topics by becoming a member of the Solid Waste Advisory
Committee (SWAC).
The 15-member SWAC meets monthly and has openings for a few
members. The group helps develop and implement the Solid Waste
Plan. SWAC members also explore ways to expand and improve our
current recycling programs.
To learn more about the SWAC and how to apply for membership,
visit our website, www.piercecountywa.org/swac or call
(253) 798-2179.
Who to Contact for
Garbage Collection
& Curbside Recycling
Public Works and Utilities
Serious flooding may
occur in some areas
of Pierce County
this winter. Prepare now to help
keep your family
and property safe
during the flood
season (usually
October through
March).
•Make an emergency plan and
assemble an emergency kit. Visit
www.piercecountywa.org/
floodprep for more information.
•Know your property’s risk for
flooding. For a free detailed
floodplain map of your property,
call (253) 798-2725 or e-mail
[email protected]. Please
include your parcel number.
•If you are at risk, purchase flood
insurance. Visit www.piercecountywa.org/floodinsco or call
1-800-638-6620. Flood insurance
is the only sure way to be reimbursed for some of your flood
losses.
•Prevent localized flooding by
keeping ditches, culverts and
storm drains clear of leaves and
debris. Call (253) 798-4274 to report flooding problems. Call (253)
798-4636 to report illegal dump-
We now offer free Backyard “Hot”
Composting classes! Learn how to
improve the quality of your soil by
putting your leaves and grass clippings to use and spend less time and
money fertilizing and watering.
We also continue to offer our
popular food waste composting
classes. You may register for “instruction only” at no fee, or for $30 you
will go home with a 14-gallon plastic
worm bin, a pound of red worms and
class supplies.
Classes are offered regularly. Registration is required. Deadline is two
weeks before each class.
For more information or to register,
call (253) 798-2179 or e-mail
[email protected]. You
can also register online at
www.piercecountywa.org/compost.
Winter 2009
Be Part of Recycling
Discussions—Join SWAC
9850 64th Street West
University Place, WA 98467-1078
Are You Prepared
for the Next Flood?
New Backyard
Composting Class
Begins
Earth Matters is a publication of Pierce County
Public Works and Utilities, Solid Waste Division.
Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper and recyclable
through Pierce County’s curbside recycling program.
Pierce County Executive:
Pat McCarthy
Pierce County Council: Roger Bush, Chair
Shawn Bunney
Tim Farrell Joyce McDonald
Barbara Gelman Terry Lee
Dick Muri
....................
Storm Debris
Pickup Requires
Official Notice
Storm debris removal is provided
only after an official declaration of
emergency.
Officials will consider the severity
of the storm and debris program costs
before enacting a pickup program.
If a storm debris program is enacted, pickup dates will be announced
in newspapers, on the Solid Waste
Information Line at (253) 798-4115
and on the County website: www.
piercecountywa.org/solidwaste.
DO NOT place storm debris at the
curb unless you are sure a debris program has begun.
American Disposal
1-800-529-9892
www.murreysdisposal.com
Pierce County Refuse
(253) 537-8687
www.lemayinc.com
Lakewood Refuse
(253) 588-1705
www.lemayinc.com
University Place Refuse/
Westside Disposal
(253) 564-3212
www.uprefuse.com
Murrey’s/DM Disposal
(253) 414-0345
www.murreysdisposal.com
For More Information:
PIERCE COUNTY SOLID WASTE DIVISION.......... (253) 798-2179
PIERCE CO. PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITIES, ROAD MAINTENANCE
24-hour Info Line...............................................(253) 798-4115
Website............................. www.piercecountywa.org/solidwaste
E-mail......................................... [email protected]
Adopt-A-Road Information..............................(253) 798-6000
STATEWIDE RECYCLING INFORMATION.............1-800-RECYCLE
TACOMA-PIERCE CO. HEALTH DEPT.
Household Hazardous Waste Info.................1-800-287-6429
PIERCE COUNTY RESPONDS. ............................(253) 798-4636
Website.................................... www.piercecountyresponds.org
E-mail.......................................... [email protected]
Pierce County Responds accepts reports on a variety of land use,
dumping and vehicle-related nuisances.
Don’t Trash Your Recycling Cart
costs to remove contaminants increasing
Are you putting trash in your
recycling cart?
Pierce County households averaged 1 pound of
nonrecyclables in the recycling cart each month
last year. Now the average is up to 1¾ pounds per
month—a 75% increase.
Nonrecyclable materials make trucks fill up
faster. That requires more routes, more labor, more
fuel and higher costs.
Costs also increase because more sorting is
needed to separate contaminants from potential
recyclables.
To keep our contamination low,
here are a few suggestions:
Plastic bags, Styrofoam
and clamshell containers are “contaminants”
that cannot be collected in our curbside
program.
Let’s review: Plastic bottles
must have a neck
smaller than the base.
For example: bottles
that contained
water, soda, ketchup or shampoo.
We cannot
recycle plastic
containers without a
“neck,” such as margarine tubs, yogurt containers,
“clamshell” containers and drinking cups.
Plastic bags and glass need to be recycled in
other ways. They damage machines and may injure
workers during the sorting process.
Glass shards also get caught in paper and other
materials, lowering their value for manufacturers.
It’s a step backward when we consider the positive growth. Since our single cart recycling program
began in 2005, households are recycling 64% more
paper, 94% more aluminum and 33% more tin
cans.
Also noteworthy: Each household recycles
an average of 34 plastic bottles (20-ounce size)
per month.
Here are examples of the leading trouble
spots and tips to help solve the
contamination problem.
PROBLEM: Plastic bags
and film-like shrink
wrap. These materials
get caught and wrap
around the sorting
machinery. Recyclables
should be loose, not
enclosed in a clear or
black plastic bag.
Tip: Take plastic
shopping bags to
participating grocery
Keep these items OUT of your recycling cart!
Class Schedule
BACKYARD COMPOSTING
February 6, March 13, April 17
10 a.m.-noon
FOOD WASTE COMPOSTING
February 18, March 23, April 7
6-8 p.m.
Additional classes and locations
may be added.
Plastic shopping
bags and shrink
wrap film
Butter tubs, yogurttype containers
and bottles from
pesticides, herbicides
or automotive fluids
Clamshell
containers
and plastic
drinking cups
Styrofoam and
polystyrene
Glass
Solid Waste Division
ing (trash or other materials) in
ditches or other drainage
systems.
• Visit www.piercecountywa.org/flood
or call Pierce County
Surface Water Management Division at (253)
798-2725 for more
information on how to
prepare for a flood.
You can have a voice in new commercial recycling programs and
other topics by becoming a member of the Solid Waste Advisory
Committee (SWAC).
The 15-member SWAC meets monthly and has openings for a few
members. The group helps develop and implement the Solid Waste
Plan. SWAC members also explore ways to expand and improve our
current recycling programs.
To learn more about the SWAC and how to apply for membership,
visit our website, www.piercecountywa.org/swac or call
(253) 798-2179.
Who to Contact for
Garbage Collection
& Curbside Recycling
Public Works and Utilities
Serious flooding may
occur in some areas
of Pierce County
this winter. Prepare now to help
keep your family
and property safe
during the flood
season (usually
October through
March).
•Make an emergency plan and
assemble an emergency kit. Visit
www.piercecountywa.org/
floodprep for more information.
•Know your property’s risk for
flooding. For a free detailed
floodplain map of your property,
call (253) 798-2725 or e-mail
[email protected]. Please
include your parcel number.
•If you are at risk, purchase flood
insurance. Visit www.piercecountywa.org/floodinsco or call
1-800-638-6620. Flood insurance
is the only sure way to be reimbursed for some of your flood
losses.
•Prevent localized flooding by
keeping ditches, culverts and
storm drains clear of leaves and
debris. Call (253) 798-4274 to report flooding problems. Call (253)
798-4636 to report illegal dump-
We now offer free Backyard “Hot”
Composting classes! Learn how to
improve the quality of your soil by
putting your leaves and grass clippings to use and spend less time and
money fertilizing and watering.
We also continue to offer our
popular food waste composting
classes. You may register for “instruction only” at no fee, or for $30 you
will go home with a 14-gallon plastic
worm bin, a pound of red worms and
class supplies.
Classes are offered regularly. Registration is required. Deadline is two
weeks before each class.
For more information or to register,
call (253) 798-2179 or e-mail
[email protected]. You
can also register online at
www.piercecountywa.org/compost.
Winter 2009
Be Part of Recycling
Discussions—Join SWAC
9850 64th Street West
University Place, WA 98467-1078
Are You Prepared
for the Next Flood?
New Backyard
Composting Class
Begins
Earth Matters is a publication of Pierce County
Public Works and Utilities, Solid Waste Division.
Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper and recyclable
through Pierce County’s curbside recycling program.
Pierce County Executive:
Pat McCarthy
Pierce County Council: Roger Bush, Chair
Shawn Bunney
Tim Farrell Joyce McDonald
Barbara Gelman Terry Lee
Dick Muri