Current Alerts

  • Missed the 4 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events in 2025? Jefferson County residents can dispose of household hazardous waste at the Kitsap County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility all year round at no charge. Visit our Household Hazardous Waste page for more details.

Possible Changes to Recycling Program

Background

Jefferson County Public Works contracts with a private company to provide recycling services for East Jefferson County. This service is available to residents and visitors outside the City of Port Townsend. The contractor:

  • Collects recyclable materials from five drop-off sites
  • Processes them at the Transfer Station’s recycling center
  • Markets the materials and delivers them to buyers

Jefferson County is one of only 2 counties left in Washington that still asks customers to separate their recyclables and the last that we know of that offers unstaffed, 24/7 drop-off locations

Quilcene Recycle Bins

What’s the Problem?

Several challenges are making the current program unsustainable:

  • Since China stopped accepting recyclables from the US in 2017, prices for recyclable materials have dropped substantially.
  • Up to 30% of the materials we receive are contaminated with material that isn’t recyclable, which further reduces the value.
  • Only cardboard comes close to recovering the processing cost.
  • The state grant we rely on to help fund recycling is now half what it was 10 years ago.
  • People continue to leave trash at unstaffed drop-off sites—over 41 tons in 2024.

Funding for the recycling program comes from the fee charged for garbage disposal at the County’s transfer station and rural drop box in Quilcene. In 2024, this subsidy cost about $325,000, or roughly $14 of the current $187 per ton tipping fee.

To make things worse, long-term subsidies like these have created a distorted market- one of the reasons the regional market for recycled glass failed in late 2024- which ended glass collection in Jefferson County.

For all these reasons, it’s time to reconsider how we manage recycling in Jefferson County.

What’s the Recommended Fix?

Public Works has recommended a number or revisions to the recycling program to encourage a more efficient and less contaminated collection system like most counties in WA state have adopted and to reduce the pressure on the tipping fee to subsidize the program. These recommendations include:

  • Encouraging the use of the curbside collection service offered by Waste Connections
  •  Switching to a mixed material single roll cart service for curbside collection
  • Discontinuing the subsidy for the drop-off service
  • Closing the unstaffed drop-off areas in Port Hadlock, Kala Point, and Port Ludlow

For people who can’t access curbside pickup (due to location or road access), the County would offer two staffed drop-off sites; one behind the Port Townsend Transfer Station scales and one at the Quilcene Rural Drop Box Facility.  Use of these sites will would incur a minimum fee of $20 for up to 220 lbs. of recyclable materials and garbage at the Transfer Station and up to two 32 gallon cans plus recycling at the Quilcene Rural Drop Box.

When Would This Happen?

Public Works staff met with the Board of County Commissioners at two public meetings on July 21, 2025 and September 2, 2025 to continue discussions and seek direction.  The County Commissioners agreed with staff’s recommendation and gave direction to develop an Operating Agreement with Waste Connections for the management of the County-owned recycling center and a Level of Service Ordinance that would establish the curbside recycling options such as choices in bin sizes and collection frequency.

The County Commissioners will solicit public comment on the Level of Service Ordinance at a Public Hearing on November 3, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. Should the County Commissioners adopt the Ordinance the new system would start on April 1, 2026, when the current recycling services contract ends. 

More Information

Meeting Recordings  (Login & Password: public)

Reference Documents

Solid Waste Facility Replacement Planning Project

Your thoughts are important. We will use this website, along with in-person activities, to earnestly ask for your opinions on choices. As the planning proceeds, we will ask you for your thoughts on the Feedback. You will also be able to follow the work of the Solid Waste Facilities Task Force or SWFTF as it participates and contributes to the planning process.
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Facilities & Hours

Transfer Station

Garbage, Recycling, Yard Waste

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Quilcene
Drop Box

Household Garbage and Recycling. NO yard waste or construction materials (lumber, roofing, etc.)

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Compost Facility

Purchase Compost

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WHAT WE TAKE

We strive to provide our customers with as many disposal options as possible at the Transfer Station outside of Port Townsend or the Drop Box in Quilcene.  In fact, our service level is the same or better than King County and  Seattle.  The City of Port Townsend’s composting facility is located just past the tipping floor at the Transfer Station making yard debris disposal convenient as well.   Please click on the icons to the right to find out about your disposal options.

Garbage

Recycling

Hazardous Waste

Yard Waste/Compost

FAQ’s

Just about every type of material – from regular household garbage to construction debris to used oil and antifreeze to even creosote pilings – can be disposed of at the Transfer Station.  Click below for Frequently Asked Questions.

 

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About Us

Jefferson County Public Works manages the county-wide solid waste program. As required by the State, solid waste operations must be financially self-sustaining. The program is funded by tipping fees charged for disposal at sites in Port Townsend and Quilcene with a relatively small portion through grants from the Department of Ecology. Levels of service must be balanced with the goal of maintaining current tipping fees.

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