Agricultural Plastic Recycled

(Lopez Island farmers line up to unload hay covers during a special recycling event at the transfer station. --Photo courtesy of RE Sources)

(SJC Press Release) Volunteers from the WSU San Juan County Master Gardener program, with support from other interested citizens and San Juan County agencies, helped island residents and farmers to recycle 23,500 pounds (almost 12 tons!) of hay bale wrap, plastic baling twine, drip tape and nursery pots at three special collection events that began November 6. The plastics collected represent an equivalent volume of 6 adult male African elephants that were diverted from landfill disposal. “Avoided disposal costs” to the community were estimated to be $3,120.


Some containers were taken for re-use by gardeners and the rest of the material was shipped to Skagit River Recycling in Burlington to ultimately be re-manufactured into new plastic materials such as nursery containers, pallets, decking, pilings, fence posts, drain pipe, railroad ties, etc.

More than 80 people on Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Islands participated in the opportunity to drop off properly prepared materials for recycling. “We were overwhelmed by the response,” said Lisa Friend of RE Sources, a Bellingham-based non-profit agency that coordinated the recycling activities. “Fortunately, volunteers and County staff were able to rise to the occasion. They all did a terrific job of assisting our customers.”

Other organizers included Candace Jagel, Helen Venada, and Kris Bayas. Co-sponsors were ReSources, WSU Extension Agriculture Program and Master Gardeners Program, and San Juan County Solid Waste Division.

Future events are being planned for next spring. “We’re delighted to have had such a huge response from island recyclers,” Helen Venada said, “and recycling this very significant volume of ‘waste’ to be made into new products represents an energy savings of almost 50 barrels of crude oil. Recycling also provides a safe, legal alternative to burning or burial of such materials.”


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