Hazardous waste roundups: What Lopez and Orcas residents need to know before drop-off day

May 23, 2025 1:30 am
Contributed photo.
Contributed photo.

Submitted by San Juan County.

San Juan County has two more spring Household Hazardous Waste roundup events in the coming month — vital opportunities to safely dispose of flammable, corrosive or poisonous materials. The Lopez Island event will take place on May 31, followed by the Orcas Island event on June 14. Both will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at each island’s solid waste facility.

To ensure the events run smoothly and safely, San Juan County is reminding participants to follow several guidelines. Households may bring up to 25 gallons of hazardous waste at no charge, and all materials must be in containers no larger than 5 gallons. Larger containers are difficult and unsafe for staff to manage on-site. Residents are also asked to separate household hazardous waste from garbage and ensure materials are easy to access in their vehicles. Please do not bury items under other loads, as this significantly slows down the process and creates risks for collection crews. In addition, for everyone’s safety, pets must remain at home.

“When HHW items are buried under trash or packed behind other materials, it slows down the line and puts staff at risk. A few simple steps—like placing items in a visible, reachable spot—can really improve the flow for everyone,” said Fleming.

If you have leftover paint, residents are encouraged to bring it to the transfer station on a different day for disposal with the year-round PaintCare program. Many types of paint are eligible for PaintCare, and bringing them outside of the HHW events allows the collection team to focus limited event capacity on harder-to-dispose materials.

Disposal costs for these events are covered by the San Juan County Solid Waste Program and the Washington Department of Ecology. For a full list of accepted materials and preparation tips, please visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/351/Hazardous-Waste.

Contact: Katie Fleming, solid waste coordinator, katief@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-762-5821.

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 1609 Beaverton Valley Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/839/Environmental-Stewardship.