San Juan County encourages the public to be careful and thoughtful when utilizing the plastic film recycling program. The first batch of plastic film since the recycling drop-off location at Marketplace was added in July was delivered to Lautenbach Recycling in Ferndale earlier this month. It was reported that there was a high percentage of crinkly, non-stretchy film in the load. These contaminants were found in collection bags from both the Town of Friday Harbor and Marketplace programs.
“Think pre-mixed salad bags, tortilla chip bags, and heavy-duty frozen food bags. These items may make it hard for some of the load to be recycled effectively,” said Katie Fleming, San Juan County’s Solid Waste Coordinator.
Additionally, Fleming clarified that the reusable blue plastic grocery bags distributed at Marketplace, Kings, and Roche Harbor are not compatible with the current recycling program due to their thickness. “We encourage community members to maximize the utility of these plastic bags through reuse and to consider bringing their own bags, as they are not easily recyclable,” Fleming added.