Join Lopez Solid Waste on Saturday, February 8 , from 2 to 4 p.m ., for a free backyard composting workshop. Participants will: Learn composting basics for reducing food waste. Learn to build & use steel can composters — one free composter per participant! Connect with other folks on Lopez who are composting! Steel can composters are a popular, affordable, and rat-proof option for composting food waste. The workshop will be facilitated by two Master Composters at a location close to the village. Bring questions! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Space is limited. Register by emailing sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org .

Last month, in a big win for efficiency and safety at the Lopez Dump, Facility Manager Colby White and District Manager Ric Carr facilitated the purchase of a long-awaited backhoe to replace aging equipment on-site.  “The old backhoe needed more and more repairs,” said Colby, who located the new (to us) machine in Colville, Washington. The search had been extensive for a machine that met both the organization’s needs and its budget. “The new backhoe has more power, packs containers more efficiently, and will save LSWDD money in the long-run.”  “Whereas we all feel we should respect our elders, replacement parts can only prolong life so far,” noted Gene Helfman, LSWDD board member and Recycle Dog.  The team depends on the backhoe to compress garbage into containers, allowing LSWDD to dispose of as much garbage as possible during each trip off-island. This minimizes both the cost and the environmental impact of hauling our community's waste. After some maintenance in Burlington, the new backhoe was ready to get to work. Huge thanks to David Zapalac for inspecting the machine and delivering it to the site! And the news just gets better! Shortly after the backhoe purchase was complete, the Solid Waste Alternatives Program (SWAP) board voted to support the Dump in a big way, making a donation to LSWDD that covered nearly the full cost of the backhoe and necessary maintenance. If you don’t know about them already, SWAP is the organization who put together this summer’s unforgettable Trashion Fashion event. Trashion Fashion raised thousands of dollars in support of community-led waste disposal and zero-waste efforts on Lopez! “LSWDD offers its profound thanks to SWAP and the Lopez community for this generous donation,” said Ric.  Learn more about SWAP here !

Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District (LSWDD) is a truly community-led endeavor, and requires dependable and recurring support from several sources to maintain current services, including free recycling and Take It Or Leave It (TIOLI). Our sources of support include garbage disposal fees, volunteer hours, donations, and our annual levy. Washington State authorizes disposal districts to seek levy funding only one year at a time, which means LSWDD must pass a levy each year to secure funding for the following year. How much do property owners pay? The proposed 2025 levy rate is about $0.094 per $1,000 of taxable assessed property value. So, if your property's taxable assessed value is $600,000, you will contribute about $56.40 over the entire year to help sustain the Lopez Dump. Taxable Property Value $300,000 $600,000 $1,000,000 Estimated Total Contribution $28.20 $56.40 $94.00 How does this levy compare to previous years? Historically, levy revenue has remained the same, despite significant increases in operating costs. In 2014, a levy of $105,000 supported about 40% of LSWDD's operating expenses. In 2023, that same amount covered only 19% of expenses. The LSWDD board determined that in 2025, a $210,000 levy is needed to sustain services and make essential improvements. This levy amount is required to: Repair and replace critical equipment. The Dump's garbage truck, excavator, and forklift are in urgent need of replacement. Cover significant increases in transportation and disposal costs. This year, the rate LSWDD pays to dispose of our community's garbage is increasing from $111 to $138 per ton — a 24% increase. Within five years, the rate will increase to nearly 30%. Rising fuel and ferry costs also add to LSWDD's growing expenses. Maintain sufficient staff. In order to safely and efficiently operate the Dump and sustain services like free recycling and TIOLI, LSWDD must maintain sufficient staff by offering sustainable wages and benefits. Prepare for uncertain circumstances following LSWDD's interlocal agreement renewal with San Juan County in 2025, which could include new lease payments and capital improvements. What if the levy fails? If the levy doesn't pass, LSWDD will have to operate on about 67% of the funding that's needed to sustain current services. Difficult options to address such a large drop in revenue would include drastically reduced services (including recycling and TIOLI), elimination of free recycling, and significant increases to garbage disposal fees. If you have any questions about the levy, please reach out to sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org !

This month, two of Lopez Solid Waste's board members took a field trip to Burlington to visit Skagit River Steel & Recycling — the facility that processes a majority of our community's recyclables. Gene Helfman and John Trench, who are both dedicated recycling volunteers at the Dump, met with Skagit River Steel's General Manager Todd Reynolds, who gave them a full tour while they asked lots of questions about where our garbage really goes. "The result of [our] meticulous parceling of waste is gratifying. Skagit River Steel recycles over 99% by weight of deposited materials, less than 1% eventually entering the waste stream!" Gene reported. "Reynolds was very complimentary of Lopez efforts at recycling, emphasizing that deliveries from Lopez are exceptionally free of contamination." Read their full report, published this week in Islands' Weekly: " Where does it go when it goes 'away.' "

If you're at the Dump this weekend and spot Facility Manager Justin Hagge scurrying about, take a moment to thank him for his many contributions to Lopez Solid Waste! Next week, Justin will be leaving his position at LSWDD to join Lopez Fire & EMS full-time. While we're sad to see him go, we know he'll be right down the street — and we're very grateful for his continued commitment to the Lopez community. "The song that best fits Justin is the Beach Boys' 'I Get Around'—he's constantly on the move, making sure all is operating smoothly and helping volunteers with whatever we need," said John Trench, an LSWDD board member who volunteers on-site every weekend. "My volunteer shift is always fun, but Justin made it even better. He's always smiling, welcoming and enthusiastic. If I had recycling question, he had the answer and more." After Justin's departure, we're excited to welcome Operations Assistant Sean Nolan as our new Facility Manager. Sean does a lot for the Dump, from the booth and behind the scenes, and it'll be great to have him at the helm! If you have any questions about this transition, don't hesitate to reach out. If you want to get involved at the Dump, we have lots of volunteer opportunities! Email Sarah Reeves, Volunteer Coordinator, at sarahdr@lopezsolidwaste.org.

"It really takes all of us, working together, to make this facility function as well as it does." The Lopez Dump is a community effort in every sense of the word: island residents own and operate the Dump, volunteer at the Dump, and directly benefit from its services and programs. And for many Lopezians, it's much more than waste management — it's also a hub for connection and camaraderie. Each person plays a part in making the Dump what it is. Two of the most impactful things we do are: We sort our recycling! When we recycle, we not only save money by paying less for our garbage, but we also reduce what we send to the landfill and help LSWDD offer the lowest garbage rates in the county. We volunteer! LSWDD volunteers have a significant and tangible impact. They: Help customers sort their recycling, fostering community connection and preventing contamination so that LSWDD staff can actually recycle many of our plastics, paper, and metal! Sort donations at TIOLI, which helps maintain this cherished island space and keeps reusable items like clothes, appliances, tools, and furniture out of the landfill. Disassemble appliances and other metal recycling, allowing the Dump to generate more revenue from recycled materials (and keep offering free services). This is the handiwork of the famous Recycle Dogs! To learn more and start volunteering at the Dump, email Sarah Reeves, LSWDD Volunteer Coordinator, at sarahr@lopezsolidwaste.org. Spotlight: Meet the Recycle Dogs "The Recycle Dogs deconstruct and organize scrap metal and appliances, breaking it down into smaller components worth much more than when it was first discarded," explains John Trench, LSWDD board member and dedicated Recycle Dog. The crew meets every other week and gets a lot done while having a lot of fun. "LSWDD could recycle metal items in bulk, but by separating out valuable components such as copper, zinc, brass, stainless steel, lead, and aluminum, the Recycle Dogs greatly increase the value of materials discarded. Last year, they helped the Dump generate 20 times the revenue of recycling metals in bulk!" Thank you, Recycle Dogs, for your commitment to our community! Video: Meet the Recycle Dogs

Got paint? Don't let unused paint clutter up your garage — or become a hazard! You can bring reusable paint to the Dump for recycling every Sunday. For FREE! Lopez Solid Waste (the Lopez Dump) is an official PaintCare drop-off facility, accepting up to ten gallons of latex and oil-based house paints, primers, and stains per customer, Sundays only. Paints have to be reusable — no dried paints will be accepted. Containers must: be 5-gallon or smaller. have their original labels. have secure lids that prevent leaks and spills. To learn more about the PaintCare program on Lopez, visit lopezsolidwaste.org/paint-care.

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.

The LSWDD Board has been working hard on producing a planning document to guide development and use of District resources to best meet the future needs of the Lopez community. The text of the document is listed below: Lopez Solid Waste Strategic Planning Outline Q4 2022 Mission of the LSWDD The Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District (LSWDD) provides a convenient local facility for solid waste collection with reuse and recycle options, operated in a fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible manner with a goal to educate and inspire the community to reduce waste. The Outline The LSWDD Strategic Planning Outline describes the current state of the utility and lays out a vision for the future. The outline is a living document that contemplates the challenges and opportunities the District may face over a five-year time horizon period, defines the actions required to prepare for these trends and events, and sets priorities based upon available resources. The outline development process is managed by the Strategic Planning Committee and is updated annually by the LWSDD Board. LWSDD Challenges and Opportunities Challenges 1) Increased demand for waste management services due to population growth, increased tourism, and residential and commercial development 2) Fiscal pressure from increased waste disposal fees, increased operating and transportation costs, inflation, and disruption of supply and waste management lines 3) Service demand spikes in the summer season 4) Burden and unpredictability of annual campaign to pass operating levy Opportunities 1) High level of community involvement and support for waste reduction 2) Large customer base and support for “the Dump”, which is seen as a community asset 3) Highly experienced and dedicated operational team and staff 4) San Juan County Solid Waste management support 5) Availability of state, county and local resources working to reduce waste 2027 LWSDD Vision An operation that: ● has expanded its footprint to include the former Public Works facility to the south ● is structured to ensure financial viability for the foreseeable future ● has added services of value or supports other organizations’ efforts to further reduce waste ● has reduced the waste generated per resident ● continues to be strongly supportive of and supported by the Lopez community 2022 Goals in Support of Vision 1) Fortify solid waste operations in service of community a) Complete annual review of emergency preparedness b) Complete baler shed expansion c) Purchase box truck d) Develop site plan for expansion in partnership with San Juan County and site consultant e) Create and execute plan for increasing volunteer hours to support operations 2) Strengthen fiscal health of the District a) Forecast 2023 expenses / revenues and long term capital requirements. b) Review plan for sustained fiscal management c) Research potential external funding sources/partnerships 3) Continue and expand environmentally and socially responsible operations a) Develop organics reduction initiative b) Initiate planning to reduce LSWDD carbon emissions c) Ensure equal opportunity access to TIOLI goods by all community members 4) Educate and inspire community to reduce waste a) Create and execute community education plan with topics toward waste reduction (refuse, reuse, repurpose, recycle) b) Identify metrics to display and construct on-site “scoreboard” for Lopez waste amounts c) Create and distribute educational articles regarding the value of LSWDD to Lopez d) Encourage volunteer participation and expand opportunities e) Investigate an update to the LSWDD website to expand and simplify access to community waste & recycling information f) Develop and strengthen partnerships with other Lopez organizations with similar goals to impact waste in the community 5) Reduce waste thru the following efforts a) Continue organics reduction and home composting initiative b) Coordinate with the Lopez School to decrease waste and increase school recycling rates c) Research viability of local glass crusher recycling options d) Join efforts to institute Washington State Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation

Your Help is Needed to Create Commercial Composting for Island Residents and Businesses! San Juan County is exploring how to best implement commercial composting for residents and businesses in the Islands, and we need your help! The County’s Solid Waste Program has created a survey to gauge community interest in such a program. The survey is available now through August 30 at https://bit.ly/3OTj5R4. Commercial composting is the large-scale decomposition of organic waste such as food and yard waste. A commercial composting facility in San Juan County will collect organic waste from restaurants, grocery stores, other businesses, and individual residents. It is designed to handle large amounts of waste and creates compost that can be used at farms, nurseries, local municipalities, or at individual residences. Commercial composting improves soil quality, reduces waste, and saves money. According to the EPA approximately 30% of landfill waste could be composted and turned into fertilizer that could be used to benefit the local community. “We want to hear from all residents on San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Shaw, and the outer islands to get input on their interest in participating in commercial composting and to help us ensure that an organics recycling program can be successful,” said Katie Fleming, Solid Waste Coordinator in San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship. For more information, contact Katie Fleming at katief@sanjuanco.com or 360-762-5821.