New Year’s resolution is to increase recycling 30 percent by end of 2012

Snohomish County employees have taken on the “Recycle More! Recycle Right!” challenge, an effort to reduce the county’s internal waste stream by 30 percent.

Snohomish County’s employee recycling program has been in place for many years, however, a recent assessment of the existing program showed room for improvement. Assessments showed a significant amount of paper, cans, bottles, and other recyclable materials being wasted in the trash instead of being recycled.

The county plans to achieve the 30-percent recycling goal through increased employee education and awareness about recycling, trainings for employees and janitorial staff, and through improved employee resources. The county also recently installed new recycling receptacles for heavily visited public areas at the County Campus, allowing bottles, cans and paper to be recycled. 

“Our internal recycling campaign is an important initiative because it helps conserve natural resources, reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, and contributes to green jobs in our region,” said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. “By increasing our recycling rate by 30 percent in day-to-day operations, we can divert more than 35 tons of materials from needlessly being land-filled.”

The recycling challenge is being led by the county’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, as well as its Solid Waste and Facilities Management divisions.

“Snohomish County has always been a leader in environmental stewardship, and our internal recycling challenge demonstrates our commitment to being part of the solution,” Reardon said.

In recent years, Washington state firms employed nearly 5,000 people in recycling-related green jobs, many of which are located in Snohomish County. 

For more information on Snohomish County’s efforts, contact Lisa Dulude at 425-388-3965 or lisa.dulude@snoco.org.