Tips on recycling right, retiring American flags, preventing Thanksgiving food waste, and more!





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Kitsap County Solid Waste Garbage and Recycling News




A cornucopia of waste reduction tips

Welcome to the November holiday edition of Recycling and Garbage News. In this newsletter, we share tips for recycling right, composting your pumpkin, retiring American flags, reducing Thanksgiving food waste, and more.

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What do I do with…?

Recycle with confidence this Thanksgiving with these helpful tips.

*Aluminum pie and food trays* belong in the garbage. Opt for reuseable casserole or pie dishes if making your own desserts and food.

*Plastic trays and clamshells *used for deli foods, deserts, fruits, and vegetables belong in the garbage. Use reuseable food trays and dishware if possible.

*Plastic cups, utensils, and plates* belong in the garbage. If you're hosting a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dinner, ask your guests to bring their own service ware and take-home containers to help you save time on dishes!

*Plastic tubs for whipped toppings (like Cool Whip) *belong in the recycling cart after a quick rinse. Place the lid in the garbage.

*Metal whipped cream cans *belong in the garbage once they’re empty.

*Pumpkin puree and cranberry sauce metal cans* belong in the recycling cart after a quick rinse. Place loose lids in the garbage.

*Cooking oil *must be solidified or absorbed before placing it in the garbage. We no longer collect used cooking oil for recycling at our facilities as of February 2024 [ [link removed] ]. Read below for more tips on handling leftover cooking oil.

Search our Waste Wizard [ [link removed] ] to find more answers on proper disposal and recycling.

Recycling, donation, or disposal question? Search your items using our Waste Wizard tool at Recycle.Kitsap.Gov [ [link removed] ]




Tips for your holidays





Borrow a Bin for friendsgiving. Photo of a portable recycling and garbage bin.
Borrow a Bin for your Friendsgiving feast

Help your friends and family recycle right by borrowing recycling and garbage bins from us. We provide the bins, signs, and bags. All you have to do is recycle your collected materials and dispose of your garbage. Make sure your recyclables are loose! 

Learn more at kcowa.us/borrowabin.

*Learn more* [ [link removed] ]



American flag retirement find a location near you
*American flag retirement*

Veterans Day [ [link removed] ], observed on November 11, serves as a reminder to thank and honor our community members who have served. It's also a good time to check your flag to ensure it's suitable to fly. When the U.S. flag is tattered, torn or faded, it’s ready for retirement.

There are several organizations that collect American flags for retirement as a service to our community.

*Search locations* [ [link removed] ]






Think twice before frying your turkey.
Cooking oil disposal

Think twice before frying your turkey this year! Unfortunately, cooking oil recycling is no longer available in Kitsap County [ [link removed] ]. We encourage you to cook your turkey using an alternative method.

Small amounts of cooking oil can be absorbed with paper towels, napkins, or flour before placing it in your garbage. Large amounts of cooking oil can be solidified with a cooking oil solidifier [ [link removed] ] or cat litter before placing it in your garbage. (Tip: Cooking oil solidifier must be used while the oil is warm.)

What to avoid:


* Don't pour cooking oil down the sink or drains, as it can clog pipes.
* It is illegal to dump oil, fats, and grease into the environment, water bodies, down storm drains or other outdoor drains. This pollution is harmful to fish and wildlife and can lead to penalties and costly cleanups.
* Oils, fat, and grease are not accepted in food and yard waste carts.

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Savor the season and reduce food waste

An estimated 305 million pounds [ [link removed] ] of food is wasted during Thanksgiving. And it’s not just food that’s wasted; it’s also the money spent to purchase it, and the resources used to grow and transport that food. Join us in reducing food waste this season with these tips.

Prevent food waste

*Plan ahead.* It's always a challenge to estimate how much food you need for your dinner party guests. Use Save the Food’s Guest-imator [ [link removed] ] to help you plan the amount of side dishes, main dishes, and desserts you need.

*Donate. *If you still have unopened cans of cranberry sauce, gravy, or other food items after the Thanksgiving holiday, considering donating them to a local food bank [ [link removed] ].

Repurpose your leftovers

*Use your scraps.* Scraps from vegetables like carrot tops, onion peels, and celery ends can be turned into vegetable broth [ [link removed] ].

*Get creative.* Sandwiches made from leftover turkey, rolls, and cranberry sauce are perfect for lunch. If you want something more creative, try:


* Leftover Pumpkin Pie and Turkey Curry - Save The Food [ [link removed] ]
* Turkey Bone and Stuffing Dumpling Soup - Save The Food [ [link removed] ]

From your plate to the food and yard waste cart

*Include the food.* Once your leftovers are past their prime, place them in your food and yard waste cart! Most Kitsap homes are eligible for food and yard waste service. Search our compost map [ [link removed] ] to check if your home is eligible.

*Compost kit giveaway*

Looking for a convenient way to store your food scraps in your kitchen? Sign our pledge to compost right [ [link removed] ] and receive a free compost toolkit, while supplies last! Toolkits include a kitchen pail, BPI-certified compostable bags, and other educational resources.

Person placing food scraps into the food and yard waste bin.
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Community events and resources

Waste reduction and recycling events

* *Pumpkin composting drop-off:* DTG Olympic Organics Bremerton location [ [link removed] ] is collecting pumpkins for composting on November 1, 2, and 4, 2024 during business hours. Pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns free of glitter and paint can be dropped off at their facility at 6068 State Highway 303 NE, Bremerton, WA 98311.
* *Kitsap Fix-it Fair in Kingston: *We're hosting a free community repair event November 2, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Kingston library. Visit our Fix-it Fairs webpage [ [link removed] ] for more details. 
* *Kitsap Fix-it Fair in Port Orchard:* Save the date! We're hosting a free community repair event on December 14, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Long Lake Park community building. Visit our Fix-it Fairs webpage [ [link removed] ] for more details. 
* *Mending meetup:* People’s Exchange [ [link removed] ] in Bremerton hosts a free mending meetup each month on the second Friday.
* *Fall clothing swap*: ReFashion Bainbridge Island [ [link removed] ] is hosting a fall clothing swap featuring minor mending repairs on November 17, 2024. Visit their webpage [ [link removed] ] for more details. 

Resources and creative ways to reduce waste

Learn more about preventing and reducing waste with these resources:


* "Don't Waste Your Turkey" [ [link removed] ] is a cookbook that offers fresh ideas for meals using every part of your turkey. It's the perfect read for after the Thanksgiving festivities. You can borrow this book at the Kitsap Regional Library.
* "Second Helpings" [ [link removed] ] is a cookbook that offers innovative recipes to transform your leftovers into something new! You can borrow this book at the Kitsap Regional Library.
* Americans will waste nearly 312 million pounds of food this Thanksgiving (refed.org) [ [link removed] ]
* Ecology fines 35 plastic producers $416,000 for not using enough recycled plastic (ecology.wa.gov) [ [link removed]. ]





Facility news and holiday hours

Veterans Day

All Kitsap County Recycling and Garbage Facilities [ [link removed] ] and Olympic View Transfer Station [ [link removed] ] are open on Veterans Day during regular hours. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility [ [link removed] ] is closed on Mondays.

Thanksgiving Day

All Kitsap County Recycling and Garbage Facilities [ [link removed] ] and Olympic View Transfer Station [ [link removed] ] are closed on Thanksgiving Day. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility [ [link removed] ] is closed Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday-Sunday). Visit our webpage [ [link removed] ] for facility hours, rates, and accepted items. 

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Contact information

Kitsap County Public Works, Solid Waste Division, 360.337.5777 or [email protected]
Kimberly Pleger, Public Works Communications Manager, 360.337.5777 or [email protected]







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