by Libby Cook & Marta Nielson

What does everyone have a hand in creating? What will everyone in San Juan County need to make a decision about very, very soon?  Garbage!

There’s not one human – young or old, rich or poor- woman or man, full-time, part-time or tourist  –  who doesn’t generate garbage, yet we have been told by the County Council at recent town hall meetings held on every island  that our current system doesn’t “work” and that it loses thousands of dollars every month.

Actually, the current system of waste disposal, with both self-haul,  curbside pick up,  recycling and hazardous waste collection days does work. But it has not been fully funded in a way that supports a primary goal of waste reduction. Previously, larger quantities of garbage generated “tipping fees” that, in combination, with the excise tax charged to all users, met the cost.

This is not sustainable. In the past four years both a reduction in the volume of garbage generated on the islands and pulling funds needed for capital expenditure (equipment replacement) from operating expenses has literally “tipped the system in the garbage.”

With  the adoption of a fully funded model, one that is sustainable and focused on “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” and not just the  financially “cheapest” – it could even work better!

In the recently released Solid Waste Advisory Committee report,  we are again reminded that the “best system” includes both curbside and self- haul. In addition, keeping existing transfer stations, reuse centers  and other solid waste infrastructures is critical. To support waste reduction more avenues to reuse must be created. Chipping and/or composting of garden and landscape waste, glass crushing, recycling of left over building materials, cardboard recycling, separating metal for reuse – all are possibilities!  More taken out of the waste stream that is transported off island is a step in the right direction.

The main question is how to sustainably fund the current system to return to the policy of  reduce, reuse, recycle and at the same time utilize existing infrastructure and property.  The three “R’s” are consistent with the original goals of the state’s solid waste plan, the San Juan County comprehensive plan and the policies of the Solid Waste Disposal District.

Presently, self-haulers  and curb side customers  pay both an excise tax and “tipping fees.” However, the cost per unit of garbage charged to the commercial hauler, collecting curbside, is substantially less than that paid by individuals self-hauling their own waste.  We ask the council to revisit this inequity and increase the cost to the commercial hauler.

There is a third way to make a sustainable, fully funded model possible. A parcel tax levied on each property in the county, with a rate structure to be determined by the council, would not only fund a comprehensive solid waste system, but also provide funding to fully support reducing and reusing.

A collaborative approach would involve the county, non-profits (such as the Exchange and Take It or Leave It) and newly created private “waste entrepreneurs.”  This system, adaptable to each island’s specific needs, would successfully pull reusable items from the waste stream and reduce the amount of waste needing to be “long-hauled.” An excise tax, an increased  “cost per unit of garbage” for commercial haulers and a parcel tax will fund an economically sustainable solid waste program.  This is a “win-win” scenario.

Libby Cook and Marta Nielson live on Orcas Island.