Tips and tricks to handle your waste correctly this Halloween.





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Kitsap County Solid Waste Recycling and Garbage News with pumpkin background




Oh my gourd, let's reduce waste!

Welcome to the Halloween edition of Recycling and Garbage News. In this newsletter, we share tips on handling seasonal hazardous waste, recipes for safer cleaning, and ways to keep your pumpkin out of the landfill after the celebration ends. 

What do I do with...?

*Fog machine liquids* contain hazardous chemicals and must be safely disposed of at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility [ [link removed] ].

*Spray-on hair color and paints (full or partially full) *must be safely disposed of at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility [ [link removed] ]. Empty aerosol cans are garbage.

*Candy wrappers *of all types and sizes belong in your garbage cart.

*String lights *can be recycled at scrap metal drop-off sites [ [link removed] ]. Keep string lights *out* of your curbside recycling cart, as they damage recycling machinery. 

*Jack-o-lanterns *without paint, glitter, glue, and wax can be placed in your curbside food and yard waste cart. You can also drop it off for free at DTG Olympic Organics in Bremerton and Kingston. More details below! Pumpkins decorated with paint, glitter, or glue should be placed in your garbage.

*Batteries *must be dropped off at battery-collection sites [ [link removed] ]. Help us keep our staff and facilities safe by keeping batteries *out *of your curbside recycling and garbage carts.

*Costumes and other textiles *can be reused, donated, or taken to a clothing recycling site. Consider participating in a costume swap hosted by a community organization or exchanging costumes with a friend.

Recycling, donation, or disposal questions? Search for your items using our Waste Wizard tool at Recycle.Kitsap.Gov




Pumpkin drop-off

Compost your pumpkins after Halloween! DTG Olympic Organics is accepting pumpkins for free composting from November 1 - 15, 2025, during business hours. DTG will have drop-off bins located outside their locations at:


* DTG Olympic Organics Bremerton [ [link removed] ], 6068 State HWY 303 NE., Bremerton, WA 98311
* DTG Olympic Organics Kingston [ [link removed] ], 7890 NE Ecology Rd., Kingston, WA 98346

*Pumpkins must be unpainted and free of glitter, glue, and wax. Please keep your pumpkin loose – no bagged pumpkins. *

Examples of pumpkins you can drop off - carved pumpkins and clean pumpkins are accepted. No glittered or painted pumpkins.
Why should you compost your pumpkin?

Each year, the United States produces more than 1.2 billion pounds of pumpkins during the fall season. Most of these pumpkins are grown for decorative purposes and a small portion are made into pies and puree (USDA [ [link removed] ]). 

Don't let the labor and resources used to produce your jack-o-lantern go to waste! Once your pumpkin has rotted, turn it into another valuable resource — compost. 






Borrow tools for noxious weed removal. kcowa.us/noxiousweeds.
Tackling noxious weeds

Fall is a great time to tackle weeds, and the Kitsap County Noxious Weed Control Program is here to help with its new tool lending program! The free year-round program loans weed wrenches, loppers, and other weed-removing tools. Plus: Free noxious weed disposal is ending soon! The final day to drop off weeds is Saturday, October 18, 2025! Visit the program website [ [link removed] ] for more information. 

Participant holding up a Fixed! sign next to two wooden lamps and a lightbulb.
Last repair event of 2025

Join us for the last Fix-it Fair of the year this Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Bremerton - Sylvan Way Library [ [link removed] ]. Come by from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with your broken household belongings, textiles, and holiday decor. All participants must check-in by 1:30 p.m. 

Visit our Fix-it Fair webpage [ [link removed] ] for more details. 



Kitsap County Litter Cleanup Program bags with a Jack-o-Lantern face on it.
Put litter in its place

Want to help keep our streets clean and litter-free? Join our Adopt a Spot [ [link removed] ] volunteer litter program! We provide participating volunteers with cleanup supplies and free litter disposal.

We welcome individuals, households, and organizations to join this community effort. Join Adopt a Spot today [ [link removed] ]!

Everyday Kitsap Magazine
Coming to your mailbox soon!

Be on the lookout for this year's Everyday Kitsap magazine, which gives an inside look at how your Public Works Department works behind the scenes and out in the community. 

This upcoming issue is packed with useful info and local stories, such as how repair events help keep belongings out of the landfill, the hidden benefits of stormwater parks, and so much more! 






Reduce your exposure to toxics

Safer swaps for everyday cleaning products

Many products in our homes contain toxic chemicals with or without our knowledge. These products often carry warning labels such as "danger," "warning," "poison," or "caution."

As these products are used, they can break down and release chemicals into our home, where they often build up in the air we breathe and settle around our homes in the form of dust.

You can reduce your exposure to these chemicals by making your own cleaners. The ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find, plus you'll help protect your community and the environment by reducing sources of toxic chemicals.

Safer cleaning recipes

*More cleaning recipes* [ [link removed] ]






Facility news and updates

North Kitsap Household Hazardous Waste Facility coming soon!

North Kitsap Household Hazardous Waste Facility

Construction is progressing on our second Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, located near the intersection of Bond Road NE (SR307) and NE Gunderson Road.

The facility will accept a wide range of household hazardous products, such as paints, pesticides, automotive fluids, and cleaners — items that should never be placed in the trash, recycling, or poured down the drain.

The facility will also offer disposal appointments to businesses generating small amounts of hazardous waste. We expect the facility will open in 2026.

Until then, residents can visit our South Kitsap Household Hazardous Waste Facility near the Bremerton Airport. Learn more on our Household Hazardous Waste webpage [ [link removed] ]. 







Community events and resources

Waste reduction, recycling, and other events

* *Kitsap Fix-it Fair in East Bremerton [ [link removed] ]*: We're hosting a free community repair event with Kitsap Regional Library on October 11, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sylvan Way library branch.
* *Kitsap Halloween Bash [ [link removed] ]*: Find us at the trunk-or-treat event on October 25, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. At this free community event, we'll share our fall recycling guide and information on curbside composting.
* *People's Exchange Costume Swap [ [link removed] ]*: People's Exchange in Bremerton is hosting a free costume swap on October 25, 2025, from 5 to 9 p.m. Bring a costume to swap, donate, or take!





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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