Island County
Solid Waste |
WASTE REDUCTION |
In the market for something new?
Instead of buying new, consider repairing, borrowing, renting, or buying used items. Also consider shared ownership. For example, do you AND your neighbors all need to own a yard waste chipper? Reusing and recycling helps keep natural resources in the product cycle and not wasted in a landfill
Visit the links below to avoid throwing at least some of your household waste into the trash.
Reuse Opportunities
Give those unwanted household items another chance by donating to a thrift store or a charitable organization.
- Appliances and electronic goods
- Autos and auto parts
- Books
- Building materials
- Children’s items
- Clothing
- Furniture
- Office equipment
- Packing materials
- Sports equipment
- Tools
Thrift Stores, Whidbey
Community Thrift 331-5701
5518 Woodard Ave, Freeland
Good Cheer Thrift Stores
4777 Commercial St, Suite A-8, Clinton, 341-2880
114 Anthes Ave, Langley, 321-6454
Island Thrift 675-1133
600 SE Barrington Dr, Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor Thrift Plus 675-0975
3161 Goldie Rd, Oak Harbor
WAIF Thrift Shop
1651 Main St, Freeland, 331-2818
50 NE Midway Blvd, Oak Harbor, 279-9504
Thrift Stores, Camano/Stanwood
Second Chance Thrift Shop 629-6142
1335 E SR 532, Camano Island
Second Generation Thrift Store 629-7403
7430 276th St. NW, Stanwood
Food Bank “Swan” Thrift Shop 629-6646
27030 102nd Av NW
Stanwood
Warm Beach Thrift Shop 652-9011
Stanwood
Arc of Washington State will pick up items from North or Central Whidbey Island. 360-671-3344 or
800-446-4980
Reduce & Reuse
 The Three R's
Everyone has heard of the Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Out of these, recycling has definitely taken the spotlight thanks to efforts to popularize the practice over the last 30 years or so. Now, municipal recycling programs are common place and approximately 30% of municipal solid waste is recycled instead of ending up in a landfill. Recycling is playing a huge role in the conservation of natural resources and the proportion of our waste that can be and is being recycled continues to rise.
So, what about the other two R’s? Believe it or not, they play an even larger role in conservation than recycling. Although recycling is a very important piece of the waste reduction puzzle and generally yields positive economic and environmental benefits, it takes huge inputs of energy, water and money and can still result in waste products that have to be disposed.
Reduce
Reducing the amount and toxicity of products that you purchase is the very best way to reduce your individual environmental impact as a consumer. This doesn't mean you have to give up essentials and adopt an ascetic lifestyle, but it does mean exercising your judgment. Do you really need a third pair of black heels, or two televisions in the house, or a giant SUV for taking the kids to school? If you ask yourself these questions before you make a purchase, you may find many ways to use fewer products and decrease your impact without reducing your quality of life at all.
Reuse
Another important action that can be taken is to reuse items before considering buying new ones. When you buy new plastic food storage containers, oil has to be extracted from the ground, processed into plastic and then transported to the store. Instead of buying new containers, consider reusing yogurt tubs and peanut butter jars that might otherwise become waste products. Keeping those resources in rotation will reduce the demand for new ones and avoid the costs of recycling. Thrift stores and local classified ads are also a great way to acquire anything from clothes to appliances to furniture to cars that have been gently used but still have a lot of life left.
For more information on reducing and reusing resources, visit the Environmental Protection Agency's page on Source Reduction and Reuse.
Junk Mail
There is no single step that can eliminate unwanted direct marketing mail because there is not a national “Opt Out” registry. Visit Forest Ethics to learn this and more facts about junk mail.
Here are a few tips that will help:
If it is necessary to give your name and address to a business or organization, request to be kept off of their mailing or solicitation lists.
Opt Out lists are maintained by waste prevention advocates and by the direct marketing companies that will reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive.
Contact the following businesses to request your name be taken off their lists:
Credit Card Offers
Equifax/Trans Union/Novus/Experian:
1-888-567-8688
Sweepstakes
Publisher ’s Clearinghouse: 1-800-645-9242
Reader ’s Digest: 1-800-334-9599 or write to
Reader ’s Digest Sweepstakes Dept., Reader’s
Digest Rd., Pleasantville, NY 10570
Shopping Flyers
Valassis
or send a signed letter to P.O. Box 249,
Windsor, CT 06095
PennySaver/Potpourri: 1-800-479-4795
Catalogs
Abacus: optout@abacus-direct.com or send full name and current address to P.O. Box 1478, Broomfield, CO 80038
1. Write the following information on two postcards:
Date:
I want to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail I receive. Please remove my name and address from your mailing list.
(Include all variations of your name)
Name:
Name:
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Signature:
2. Mail them to:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
and
Val-Pak Coupons
Label Order Department
P.O. Box 13428
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
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