Solid Waste

Here's some interesting thing to note about solid waste in the San Juans or elsewhere:

National recycling rate: 35%

San Juan recycling rate: 21%

The San Juan recycling rate has actually fallen since the inception of the Solid Waste Management Plan.

In Portland Metro, 70% of the trips to transfer stations are made by self-haulers.  Only 20% of the waste deposited is from these self-haulers.  

Portland claims the reasons for their 60% recycling rate is curbside pick up in free recycling containers every time the garbage is picked up.  

The San Juan Solid Waste budget is so far the only solid waste budget that I have found solely funded by tipping fees.  Nearly all are funded by some kind of special tax assessment or portion of property taxes collected by the region.

We, as a country, do not charge people for the opportunity to pollute our ground with solid waste.  We only cover the costs of burying it.

The Nantucket Diversion Rate is close to 80%.

San Juan County pays more 10% of its Solid Waste budget on debt and landfill closure costs.

San Juan County has no ordinances banning solid waste materials like recyclables in its waste stream, mandating a recycling rate from business or residents, or franchise curbside recycling requirement.