The Great Islands Clean-Up is a San Juan County event that takes place each Spring and Fall. This Spring, we'll come together on April 20 from 10am to 2pm to pick up and properly dispose of litter along our island's roads and beaches. We hope to see you there! Here's how it works: 10am to 11am: Pick up equipment (grabbers, buckets or bags, high-visibility vests) from the bin at Southend Market or the tent in Lopez Village Park. Come to Lopez Village Park to fuel up on coffee, tea, and baked goods! Collect litter from roadsides and public areas like parks and beaches. Not sure where you should go? If you check in at Lopez Village Park between 10 and 11, volunteers can help you identify recommended routes. 12pm to 2pm: Drop off equipment and collected litter at Lopez Solid Waste (the Dump), following signs to the drop-off area. At drop-off, those who collect litter will each receive a ticket for one drink at Brewvado Taproom, courtesy of the Solid Waste Alternatives Program (SWAP)! Questions? Please contact sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org.

San Juan County's Household Hazardous Waste Round-Up is our annual opportunity to legally and responsibly dispose of poisonous, flammable, corrosive or other hazardous chemicals for FREE.* Why? Proper disposal of hazardous materials protects you and your family, the workers who handle your waste, and the place we call home — it keeps harmful chemicals out of our bodies, our drinking water, and the environment around us. ​ Where? Lopez Solid Waste AKA the Dump (2419 Fisherman Bay Road) When? Saturday, May 11, 2024; 10am to 2pm ​ Important: Please do not bring children or pets to Lopez Solid Waste during the Household Hazardous Waste Round-up. ​​ Here's what you can bring: Pesticides, fungicides and other poisons Gasoline and other used fuels Wood preservatives, solvents and thinners Pool and photo chemicals, resins Corrosives, degreasers, and cleaning products Mercury, rechargeable batteries Propane cylinders and aerosols ​ Here's what NOT to bring:  ​ Flares, explosives, or ammunition (deliver to the Sheriff's office) Antifreeze, motor oil (unless the oil is mixed with water or other fuels), and vehicle batteries — these can be recycled for free at Lopez Solid Waste during operating hours: learn more. Spent fluorescent light tubes and bulbs — these are also accepted for recycling at Lopez Solid Waste during operating hours. Barbecue-style propane tanks — dispose of empty propane tanks, up to 10 gallons, for a fee during operating hours. Lopez Solid Waste is a PaintCare recycling site — we accept latex and oil-based paints for reuse and recycling every Sunday during business hours. Learn more. ​ *Households can dispose of 25 gallons or less of qualifying hazardous waste for free. Businesses disposing hazardous wastes will be charged disposal fees and must pre-register 10 days in advance — call or email Katie Fleming to register: 360-762-5821; katief@sanjuanco.com. Find more information at sanjuanco.com/351/Hazardous-Waste.

Celebrate Earth Day with LSWDD! The Great Islands Clean-Up is a county-wide event that takes place twice a year: each spring around Earth Day and then again each fall. In the fall of 2023, volunteers on San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw picked up and properly disposed of 1,871 pounds of litter! SRING 2024 GREAT ISLANDS CLEAN-UP — April 20, 2024 10am to 11am: Pick up garbage bags, grabbers, and high-visibility vests at Lopez Village Park or Southend Market. Visit and fuel up on coffee, tea, and baked goods before heading out! 12pm to 2pm: Drop off equipment and collected litter at Lopez Solid Waste, AKA "the Dump" (2419 Fisherman Bay Rd). Follow signs to drop-off area. Questions? Please contact Sarah Reeves: sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on March 22, 2024, staff noticed a plume of smoke coming from one of the large garbage containers at Lopez Solid Waste (“the dump”). Staff promptly evacuated all customers from the site, moved quickly away from the container and called Lopez Fire & EMS. “Any fire in a dumpster needs to be considered a potential hazmat situation,” said Justin Hagge, LSWDD Facility Manager. “We will always evacuate in this instance and take every precaution to ensure the site is cleared.” Lopez Fire & EMS arrived promptly on-site with two engines and an incident command vehicle. Responders observed only smoldering materials in the container and no open flames. They notified neighbors of the incident and closed a section of Fisherman Bay Road in proximity to Lopez Solid Waste, routing traffic away from the site. Because this was a small fire with minimal spread, the incident commander did not evacuate neighboring homes. Staff who had been in proximity to the container were evaluated and cleared by Lopez EMS. Lopez Fire removed a number of items from the container and identified a metal can filled with an unknown substance as a potential source of the fire. The can’s contents could have been ignited by a spark after the garbage was compressed. Other hazardous materials found in the container included fertilizer, pesticides, and cleaning materials. To avoid potential run-off, no water was used during the incident response. By 4:00 p.m. on March 22, the site was deemed safe and released by Lopez Fire & EMS back to LSWDD staff. The container was left open overnight and monitored by LSWDD and Lopez Fire. LSWDD staff consulted CHEMTREC and The Washington State Department of Ecology and are currently awaiting further information before safely removing materials from the container. The container will be closed until remaining materials can be safely removed. The dump is safe and open for regular operating hours: Friday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. LSWDD will continue to update the Lopez Island community as more information becomes available. Important Reminder: Do not dispose of hazardous waste at the dump EXCEPT during LSWDD's annual Household Hazardous Waste Roundup. Household hazardous waste includes pesticides, fungicides and other poisons; gasoline and other used fuels; wood preservatives; solvents and thinners; pool and photo chemicals; resins; corrosives; degreasers; cleaning products; mercury; rechargeable batteries; propane cylinders; and aerosols. Qualifying paint products can be dropped off for reuse or recycling on Sundays only. This year, the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup will take place on May 11, 2024, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In the afternoon on March 22, 2024, LSWDD (the dump) as well as a section of Fisherman Bay Road near the dump were temporarily closed due to a hazmat incident that took place on-site. LSWDD staff quickly and safely evacuated the site and Lopez Fire, EMS, and law enforcement contained the incident. The dump will be open for regular operating hours on Saturday, March 23. Important Reminder: Do not dispose of hazardous waste at the dump EXCEPT during LSWDD's annual Household Hazardous Waste Roundup. Hazardous waste includes pesticides, fungicides and other poisons; gasoline and other used fuels; wood preservatives; solvents and thinners; pool and photo chemicals; resins; corrosives; degreasers; cleaning products; mercury; rechargeable batteries; propane cylinders; and aerosols. Qualifying paint products can be dropped off for reuse or recycling on Sundays only. This year, the Household Hazardous Waste Roundup will take place on May 11, 2024. Hours of operation forthcoming.

Due to safety concerns with the current weather system, we have decided to close TIOLI this coming Friday (January 12th). All other Lopez Solid Waste services will be available.

The Dump will resume regular hours following the upcoming holidays! Keep your eyes peeled for updates in the coming weeks on the Spring Great Island Cleanup and also the Summer Household Hazardous Waste Roundup!

It's that time again! Our year-end Great Islands Clean-Up will be September 30, 2023. See our flyers below (English/Español) for this season's information. During this bi-annual event, participants of all ages can sign-up to collect trash together on a designated beach or road, then return their collected trash to Lopez Solid Waste (aka, "The Dump") to be weighed. Support our local efforts to keep Lopez clean and cozy these winter months! Bring your own coffee cup and enjoy treats on us! For further questions, email: wendyb@lopezsolidwaste.org

We are so proud of our awesome volunteers and Recycle Dogs. They put together a fun and informative parade float, and brought home the Lopez Lions Club, Bosko Bailey Award. Way to go! If you did not get a chance to see them in the parade, enjoy these photos from the big day.