Current Alerts
- Recycling changes April 1, 2026 Scroll down to learn more about Jefferson County’s recycling changes beginning April 1! Join Jefferson County Solid Waste and Waste Connections representatives as they present on the upcoming recycling changes in Jefferson County! See dates below!
- Visit the Solid Waste Facility Replacement Planning Project page to learn why, when, and where the Transfer Station is moving.
- Transfer Station traffic camera is live! We’ve installed a video camera to live stream traffic flow at the Transfer Station scale house. Click the image for the live feed or go to https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1932/Solid-Waste-Camera
- 2026 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events Dates have been set! Visit our Household Hazardous Waste page for more details or check out the 2026 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Flyer.
Recycling Program Changing 4/1/2026
Who will this affect?
Unincorporated Jefferson County residents outside of Port Townsend city limits.
City of Port Townsend residents will not see a change in their mandatory garbage and recycling services.
Recycling Changes Presentations – In-Person
Join Jefferson County Solid Waste and Waste Connections representatives as they present on the upcoming recycling changes in Jefferson County!
Port Townsend: Thursday, March 19; 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm; Community Center, 620 Tyler Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Quilcene: Tuesday, March 24; 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm; Community Center front room, 294952 US-101, Quilcene, WA 98376
Chimacum: Thursday, April 2; 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm; Tri-Area Community Center dining room, 10 West Valley Road, Port Hadlock-Irondale, WA 98339
What Changes Will I See?
- We’re removing all un-staffed county recycling drop boxes:
- Kala Point, 20 Village Dr.
CLOSING Monday, March 23, 2026 - Port Hadlock, 202 Elkins Rd.
CLOSING Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - Port Ludlow, 20 Village Dr.
CLOSING Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - Recycling Sites Closing Dates Flyer
- Kala Point, 20 Village Dr.
- Fee-based recycling at Solid Waste facilities: Transfer Staiton recycling bins will move behind the scales and fees include both recycling and fees include both recycling and solid waste combined loads. We’re contracting with Olympic Waste Disposal to provide this recycling service.
- Consolidated recycling types: cans, plastic bottles and jugs, paper, and cardboard will be accepted in one bin. No more separating each type- except for glass which will continue to be on its own.
Check out the NEW reycle flyer starting April 1, 2026!
This flyer is ONLY for unincorporated Jefferson County residents.
If you live in the City of Port Townsend and have mandatory curbside service, this flyer is NOT for you. You will have your own recycle flyer coming soon!
Options for County Residents
Port Townsend residents’ mandatory pick-up service does not change.
Curbside Pick-Up Service
Waste Connections’ services are comparable to self-haul pricing. Get Recycling only, Garbage only, or both Recycling & Garbage service! Call (360) 385-6612 or visit their website https://www.wasteconnections.com/sequim to get a quote.
Low income rates are coming soon for unincorporated Jefferson County residents! (outside the City of Port Townsend) We don’t have an estimated arrival time yet, but they are working towards it. State and local government offices have to review and approve the change.
Self-Haul to Solid Waste Facilities
For people who can’t access curbside pickup (due to location or road access) or choose to self-haul their recycling and/or garbage. Low-income rates available.
- Transfer Station, Port Townsend —325 Landfill Road
- Unload recycling and garbage behind the scales
- $20 fee for up to 220 lbs of combined solid waste and recycling
- Quilcene Rural Drop Box Facility – 295312 Highway 101
- $20 fee for up to two 32-gallon cans of waste + all recycling
- Everyone entering the facililty must stop at the attendant shack
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
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
Solid Waste disposal fees should not subsidize recycling.
Jefferson County’s Solid Waste fees subsidize our recycling program by $326,000 each year! Every solid waste transaction at the Transfer Station and Quilcene Drop Box had a percentage that went towards the recycling program. In addition, we also depend on offsets from state grants and commodity sales.
Recycling always had a cost. At the start of the recycling program, the value of recyclables helped offset the costs of collection and processing. This helped keep the costs low. In the last decade, commodity values have plummeted while the costs of collection and processing continue to rise.
Why is the contamination rate so high in the drop boxes? Three reasons:
1) Some people are not paying attention to what is accepted, despite signs on the drop boxes, and flyers online and mailed in PUD bills.
2) Drop boxes seen as a “free” place to dump garbage—over 41 tons in 2024! Those added costs have been significant for the county.
3) Well-meaning “wish-cyclers” thinking if they put an unaccepted item in the bin, it will be recycled somewhere. Unfortunately, it is just garbage and contaminates the load.
The contamination level at the drop boxes is high and hasn’t dropped despite our best efforts to educate the community.
In 2020 we conducted contamination audits to determine the percentage of unrecyclable materials placed in our bins. The findings were a dismally high rate.
In response, we boosted our education outreach to include:
- Updated and revised recycling flyer to address contamination issues and misconceptions
- Updated and revised the web page including videos and helpful web links
- Revised drop box signs to highlight contamination
- Hosted seven in-person community presentations on recycling
- Posted samples of contamination on sandwich boards at all drop box locations
- Volunteers spoke with citizens at drop box locations (Volunteers received such negative reactions during this outreach that we determined not to do this again.)
- Conducted a county-wide survey to assess misconceptions and help re-design outreach actions
- Presentations on KPTZ
- Presentations to community groups
The two audits following this effort found no improvement.
2026 Changes
April 1, 2026: Current recycling services contract ends. New recycling program begins.
2025 Open Public Meetings
Meeting Recordings (Login & Password: public)
3/26/25 Joint SWAC & BOCC Special Meeting
4/29/25 Joint SWAC & BOCC Special Meeting
January, March, & April meetings for SWAC members, Commissioners, and public input.
7/21/2025 BoCC Regular Meeting
Proposal announced at this BOCC meeting
09/02/2025 BoCC Regular Meeting
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
– a Level of Service Ordinance that would establish the curbside recycling options such as choices in bin sizes and collection frequency
11/03/2025 BoCC Regular Meeting
BOCC solicited public comment on the Level of Service Ordinance at a Public Hearing and adopted the Ordinance.
Reference Documents
Solid Waste Facility Replacement Planning Project
Facilities & Hours
Transfer Station
Garbage, Recycling, Yard Waste
Quilcene
Drop Box
Household Garbage and Recycling. NO yard waste or construction materials (lumber, roofing, etc.)
Compost Facility
Purchase Compost
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.
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.