By Katie Fleming, Solid Waste Program Coordinator, San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship

San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is on a mission to get to a zero landfill-waste future. To help keep us on a positive track, I’m excited to announce that we are continuing our plastic film recycling program.

Launched last summer as a one-year pilot program, we became the fourth community in the state to partner with SC Johnson – a manufacturer of household consumer brands – to recycle plastic film. Our program was spurred by a successful plastic film collection program in the Town of Friday Harbor, which is also continuing. Thank you to Marketplace for giving us the space to offer the program.

An Engaged Community

The response was fantastic. Hundreds of residents visited us at Marketplace to pick up their “Plastic Film Only” recycling bag when the program started and have reliably come back to drop off their clean and dry plastic bags, plastic storage bags such as Ziploc® brand bags, plastic produce bags, plastic shipping envelopes, and other flexible plastic film. By the end of August 2024, we recycled 4.72 tons of plastic film, which is equivalent in weight to almost 5 cars!

I’d like to thank SC Johnson for their partnership – not only in Washington, but also for their larger efforts to increase plastic recycling and reduce plastic waste. Including San Juan Island’s program, SC Johnson has partnered with 10 communities around the country to increase plastic film recycling. In addition to their recycling efforts, SC Johnson’s Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson is a leader in advocating for federal plastic regulation with extended producer responsibility (EPR).

It was important for our solid waste team to be confident that the plastic film was being responsibly recycled to continue our efforts. In July, my colleagues and I visited Merlin Plastics in Delta, BC, to observe their plastic recycling process first-hand. We were pleased to see that the plastic film was being recycled into marketable products. It is reassuring to know that the hard work of our community and staff results in the successful recycling of materials.

What’s Next?

While plastic recycling does help reduce our community’s landfill waste, and we are appreciative of everyone who is participating in this program, recycling alone isn’t enough. We must also change our mindset around waste. Large-scale change requires policy and business innovation such as EPR, but that takes time. What can we do now? We can reduce plastic, refuse single-use products, and reuse what we have

Keep your eyes on the 2025 Washington state legislative session. A version of the Washington Recycling and Packaging (WRAP) Act is likely to come back once again. The WRAP Act is legislation aimed at reducing waste, improving recycling, and promoting the use of reusable packaging by setting standards for producers and encouraging sustainable practices. We are hopeful it will get reintroduced, passed, and that Washington will join a growing number of states with EPR legislation.

In the meantime, keep it up San Juan Islanders! Recycling plastic film is helping our community to reduce our landfill waste and the amount of plastic that ends up in the marine environment. You can also join our community on September 21 for the Fall Great Islands Clean-up (www.plasticfreesalishsea.org/events).

We are seeking volunteers to help us keep the plastic film recycling program at Marketplace running smoothly. Please contact me at katief@sanjuancountywa.gov if you’re interested in lending a hand.

For more inforamtion, contact Katie Fleming, Solid Waste Coordinator via email at katief@sanjuanco.com or by phone, 360-762-5821

About San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship:

San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is responsible for solid waste, marine resources, clean water, cultural resources, and climate and sustainability work. The department offices are located at 915 Spring Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship, visit www.sanjuanco.com/839/Environmental-Stewardship.