Curbside recycling services coming to South Whidbey residents

Residents can weigh in on their recycling preferences by taking a survey from Island Disposal.

Whidbey denizens can weigh in on their recycling preferences by taking a survey from Island Disposal, which is seeking to roll out a residential curbside recycling program for South Whidbey in 2024.

The waste management service company currently provides residential curbside recycling services to the town of Coupeville and to customers who reside within the various naval housing areas.

These services are closer to becoming a reality for South End customers, who are accustomed to gathering up all of their recyclables and transporting them to a collection facility.

“Residential recycling is a service that must be developed, approved and implemented through the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and we are currently conducting internal cost studies in preparation for presenting a proposal to the commission,” Island Disposal Site Manager Andrew Riggs said.

As part of the program, Island Disposal will collect mixed paper, cardboard, Plastic PET #1 & HDPE #2 bottles and jugs, aluminum and tin. The one exception is glass, which becomes a load contaminant when collected as part of a commingled recycle program.

“While glass is infinitely recyclable, it must remain in its own waste stream and should not be run through normal route collection vehicles that compact loads,” Riggs explained. “Most companies and municipalities that have collected glass in commingled/single-stream programs have been re-evaluating this and are changing their acceptance criteria.”

Island Disposal is currently considering picking up the curbside recycling every other week, although other frequency options might be offered. The cost of the service has not yet been determined. Any area currently covered by Island Disposal’s garbage pick-up services will also be eligible for the recycling program, which will require 96-gallon containers.

Visit surveymonkey.com/r/J8H2T37 to take Island Disposal’s recycling survey.