A different kind of plastic is now accepted at the dump in Central Whidbey.

Last week, the Coupeville Solid Waste Complex began taking credit card payments, which took nearly two years to implement.

County commissioners directed public works staff to make the change in October 2017 after learning that the facility rounds fee totals up to the nearest 50 cents on every transaction to make it easier to give change. In response, the department changed the rounding policy to go up or down to the nearest 25 cents, according to Solid Waste Manager Joantha Guthrie.

The development of software that could process credit card payments took much longer. The idea was to create a system that doesn’t store or enter any payment information on the local computer, she said. Instead the information is processed in a secure cloud.

“It’s not as easy as putting a square on a cell phone,” Guthrie said.

The fee will be the same for cash and card transactions.

The Solid Waste Advisory Board recently completed a rate study and will be sending recommendations to the county by the beginning of next year, she said.

Guthrie said she’d been asked frequently if credits cards were accepted at the facility since she entered her position six years ago.

“The feedback I’m getting from attendants is that it’s very quick and easy,” Guthrie said. “I’m really excited about it.”