Posts Archive

NEWS

Baler Project on Track!

Design and engineering are just about complete for our new Baler Building; we plan on having a permit application package ready to go to San...

Free Glass Tote Program A Success

Spearheaded by our board president Jim Duffield, and thanks to a generous grant from the Can’dAid Foundation, The Exchange was able to purchase 300 plastic...

FREE Paint Recycling

ORS is a FREE recycling center for all latex and oil-based paint and stains!! Washington’s new paint stewardship law requires the paint manufacturing industry to...

Another Step Toward Zero Waste

Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) moved closer to its mission of "creating a zero waste community..." on November 3rd. About 40 invited guests--donors, contractors, public servants,...

The Exchange is 40 Years Old!

It's hard to believe it's been four decades, but on Friday September 24th, The Exchange will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with special deals in...

Exciting Legislation in Congress

In March 2021 HR2238 (House) and S984 (Senate) the “Break Free From Plastic Act” was introduced and sent to committee. The bill would ban some...

Adopt-a-Road Program Launching

As a result of concerned Orcas residents about the increasing amounts of litter on our roadside, the Orcas Adopt-a-Road program is about to launch! This...

New Glass Crusher is on its Way

A brand-new glass crusher will soon be on the road to Orcas from the Andela factory in upstate New York. These pictures show our crusher...

5 Days Per Week Sales Going Well

Hello Island Community… As you may have heard the Exchange has returned to 5 sales days per week as part of our Phase 3 Covid...

Update: Plastic Bag Ban

Jan 1 Update: Governor Inslee has delayed the implementation of the plastic bag ban citing supply chain issues affecting retailers' ability to procure the alternative...

New Glass Crusher on The Way

Thanks to your support over the last year, we have placed a $57,000 down payment on a new glass crushing system from Andela Products Company,...

Exchange Loses Outlet for Excess Clothing

The Exchange has always received A LOT of clothes. A lot of bedding. Towels. Bags and shoes. Textiles. Way more than we could ever sell...

The Loft Gallery at The Exchange

We always get the occasional really special item at The Exchange. We also often get calls to assist when a family is leaving the island,...

New Exchange “Locals Only” Online Store!

Ever since we re-opened the The Exchange in 2017, we have been experimenting with online sales. We started out with a small online store on...

Exchange in The Seattle Times!

Thanks to Orcas art teacher Brook Meinhardt and her “Art Kit” project for kids stuck at home (and parents running out of ideas) The Exchange...

ORS/The Exchange Announces New Board President

Orcas Recycling Services (ORS)/The Exchange has elected Jim "Duff" Duffield as its new president of the board of directors. Duff replaces Tim Blanchard, who has...

Earth Day Events Postponed; Celebrate Anyway!

Unfortunately due to Corona Virus concerns, ORS must postpone our many plans for celebrating Earth Day this April. That includes planning meetings, Trasion Fashion workshops,...

Help Us Fix Recycling On Orcas

The political and ecological challenges we face today can be overwhelming. The problems are vast, spanning the globe. We all know that we need to...

New Exchange Sweatshirts Available

Grab a sweatshirt with the new logo! Drop by The Exchange and purchase a sweatshirt with the new logo designed by contest winner, Ginna Magee!...

Help Us Upgrade Island Recycling!

Help ORS build an up-graded recycling facility on Orcas. The recycling system in America is currently broken. And while we can’t fix the Country, we...

Fall Great Islands Clean Up 2019

It was another successful Great Islands Clean Up! On September 28th (National Public Lands Day), all islands gathered from 10am - 2pm and cleaned up...

Using 3D Printing for Plastic Reuse

The Orcas Food Co-op, the Funhouse and The Exchange are teaming up to start an exciting plastic recycling project. A generous local donor purchased the...

Trashion Fashion at Earth Day Festival

Join us for the TRASHION FASHION SHOW during the EARTH DAY FESTIVAL Sunday, April 21 at The Orcas Center | 5:30p This is where...

Hazardous Waste Roundup June 23rd

The annual County-wide hazardous waste collection event is scheduled for Sunday, June 23rd. The event is free to all Orcas households. Businesses must register in...

Exchange Online Store Launches

For months we have been discussing how to launch an online store that would first take into consideration our local community. And now we have...

Solstice Parade Costumes Designed at Exchange Workshop

We love doing things that support reuse in the community so we were happy to host a Solstice Parade Costume Workshop here at The Exchange....

Exchange at The Grange a Success

The Exchange was hopping on Memorial Day weekend as vendors and visitors gathered for this year's Exchange at The Grange SWAP Meet. Thanks to generous...

Traffic Pattern at The Exchange

Please pay careful attention to signs and direction arrows when entering and leaving ORS/The Exchange. Our traffic pattern is mandated by San Juan County, and helps...

Exchange Reservation System

Reservations for drop-off are only required for large loads. Thanks to everyone’s help (and a little bit of technology) we’ve made it through the “Tsunami”....

The Exchange Introduces Management Team

Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) is pleased to introduce a stellar management team for the new Exchange reuse center. Jeff Ludwig has accepted the position of...

Fundraising Goal Met for Re-Opening The Exchange

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Orcas community, Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) has met its fundraising goals for re-opening The Exchange reuse facility. Fundraising...

Exchange T-Shirts Available at the Transfer Station

Limited edition "I Helped Rebuild The Exchange" t-shirts are available at the Orcas Island Transfer Station during normal business hours (Thursday through Monday, 10am to 4pm)....

Orcas Food Co-op Raises Funds to Help Rebuild The Exchange

On April 20th, The Exchange was the beneficiary of the Orcas Food Co-op's 3% Thursdays Community Shopping Days. We are please to announce that $206...

Phoenix Rising Community Swap

On Sunday, February 26, Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) held a community Swap Meet at the Orcas Island Odd Fellows Hall. The “Phoenix Rising” Swap Meet was...

Fall Great Islands Clean-Up Recap

On Saturday, October 29th, the first-ever fall Great Islands Clean-Up was held. 33 amazing volunteers on Orcas Island braved the rain and wind to collect 620+...

Awesome Exchange Swap Meet!

What an awesome Swap Meet on Sunday, September 11th! It was HUGE! There were over 40 vendors and hundreds of visitors. Thanks to the Orcas Island...

ORS Team Travels to Manzanita, Oregon

In mid-July, Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) representatives travelled to Manzanita, on the Oregon coast, to visit CARTM (Community Action Recycling Team of Manzanita), a pioneering...

Annex Interior Funded Thanks to OICF Donors

On June 2nd, ORS was awarded a grant of $7,838 to outfit the “Exchange Annex” a multi-purpose workshop, meeting room and classroom in the soon-to-be-rebuilt...

A Better Way to Get Your Milk!

Did you know the Orcas Food Co-op offers fresh, local organic milk in reusable containers? Every Tuesday organic milk from grass-fed cows is delivered directly to...

Fluorescents Recycle FREE!

Since January 2015 The Exchange has been accepting all fluorescent tubes and CFLs (the curly bulbs) for proper recycling at no charge! This is really great, because...

Bring Us Your Cans!

Aluminum cans are free! Bring 'em in separately, and there's no charge. You will help us start testing a proto-type source-separated recycling program, and any...

Recycle Many Electronics FREE!

Recycling many electronics at ORS is FREE! In 2014 ORS became a member of the state E-cycle program and can accept TVs, CPUs, laptops and...

Master Plan

The development of a Facility Master Plan for the Orcas Island Transfer Station was part of the contract when Orcas Recycling Services took over the...

INSPIRATION

Great Minds Think Alike

We were excited to learn that we are not the only place in the state that is crushing and reusing glass—so is Lake Chelan! The...

Have You Seen the Exchange Gallery?

Over the past year or two, we have had some amazing artworks and collectables donated to us by some our most supportive Orcas residents. We...

Zero Waste Mulch Available

True zero waste in practice! We have been taking the green waste you bring us, and grinding it up into mulch to re-use on the...

A “Good” Clothing Option

The Exchange continues to have some limitations on accepting clothing donations and we understand this, in turn, effects our customers’ ability to buy preowned clothing...

Conscious Cards & Wrapping Paper

Not surprising, we’re seeing a lot of non-recyclable wrapping materials being put in the recycling after the holidays. At first glance, it seems like all gift...

Another Successful GICU

This year during the annual Fall 2021 Great Islands Clean Up, It Takes a Village to Clean an Island, Orcas volunteers removed 600 pounds of...

Catching up with Historical Garbage

Since the first Great Islands Clean-up in 2014, we have been tracking the number of volunteers, miles we’ve cleaned up, and pounds of garbage picked...

Spring Material and Tool Recycling

The arrival of spring means warmer weather, spring cleaning, as well as home, yard, and garden projects. If you’re doing any kind of building you’ve...

Lotioncrafter Offers Up FREE Barrels

Lotioncrafter LLC, is a local, raw cosmetic materials distributor. We receive a lot of materials in 55-gallon drums, both plastic and metal, every month. Our...

A Heartfelt Thanks to Our Volunteers

Our docents have done a super job this year working at the “Z-wall” to help customers understand how to correctly separate cardboard for recycling. Our customers get it...

Great Islands Clean-up Spring 2021 Results

Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in this year's Spring 2021 Great Islands Clean-up! Almost 5,500 pounds of litter was picked up and properly disposed of...

Cleaning up Litter Around the Island

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 5th annual fall Great Islands Clean-up! For the first time the event spanned a full week, and was...

Reuse of the Highest Order

One day in the fall, before the new Exchange opened, an incredible item showed up at the dump: a 1963 Rowe Ami JAL 200 jukebox—full...

Consider The Exchange When Making Life Changes

Transitions in life can be difficult. Whether it’s a move, a death in the family, or a need to downsize, there are times when you...

ORS Responds To Racial Injustice

“It is ORS policy that all decisions involving any aspect of the employment relationship will be made without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion,...

Sew4ZeroWaste Helps Coordinate Orcas Mask Makers

Sew4ZeroWaste is a sewing and recycling craft workshop run by Asifa Pasin, a Board Member at ORS/The Exchange. The group has recently pivoted their focus...

Islanders Keep Great Islands Clean-Up Alive!

The Great Islands Clean-Up (“GICU”) has been a County-wide celebration for the last seven years. Participants band together and scour the islands to pick up...

The Compost Pile Explained

There is a difference between soil creation and a moldering heap. Composting is a process that works to speed up the natural decay of organic...

Compost Inspiration

Greetings Composters! April's sunny skies have a lot of us out in the gardens...and hopefully working on composting. In this month’s column we are sharing...

VERMI-what???

A little hardship grew to big changes in Cuba in 1991. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the people of Cuba lost 80% of...

Great Islands Clean Up becomes Month-long Individual Effort

The Spring Great Islands Clean Up has been cancelled, but you can still do your part. In honor of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary this April,...

The Exchange Supports Art for Kids At Home

If you have OISD kids at home between the ages of 5 and 18, Art for Orcas Kids (AOK) is offering free weekly age appropriate...

Recognition by Zero Waste Washington

Orcas Island Recycling Services/The Exchange was recently recognized by Zero Waste Washington with a number of other zero waste movements across Washington State. Author Mariel...

First Community Compost Task Force Recap

The first meeting of the Community Compost Task Force was well attended with 15 people. Our next meeting is set for Monday, March 16th, 6-7:30...

A (not so short) History of Compost

Prehistoric farmers discovered that manure from their domesticated animals - mixed with straw and other brush and crop residues - would gradually change into a...

Community Scaled Composting

Greetings All! This column is in support of ORS’s new endeavor into “Community Scaled” composting. To kick it off, three composting workshops were held around...

Keeping Waste Local: Need a Garbage Can?

ORS was recently approached by Lotioncrafter, one of our awesome local companies, about what to do with the excess 55 gallon steel drums they have...

Great Islands Clean Up Spring 2019

The Great Islands Clean-Up Saturday, April 20 | Great Island Clean-up at the Village Green in Eastsound from 10a-2p Bags, grabbers, safety vests and latex...

Awesome “Talking Trash” Community Forum!

On November 3rd more than 30 committed folks joined ORS/The Exchange in a community forum to visualize the future of the solid waste management here on...

WATCH: How The Orcas Exchange Became a Zero Waste Model

Watch the story of how a rag-tag island swap meet turned into a model non-profit, zero-waste reuse and recycling facility.

My Exchange Story: Mount Baker Farm

When Ruth, Cheryl and Barb bought the Mount Baker Farm property on Orcas Island, they were determined to offer a unique experience for islanders and...

Creativity Shines at Trashion Fashion Show

This year's "Trashion Fashion" show was so much fun! The creativity from all you local artists and designers was inspiring. Thanks to all who participated...

Volunteers Make the Difference at The Exchange

When Orcas Recycling Services took control of the new Exchange building, it was just a shell: a big metal building on a concrete slab. There...

It’s Time for Paint Recycling in Washington State!

Nine states, including California and Oregon, now have paint recycling programs in place. Washington needs to be next. Paintcare, a non-profit paint recycling program, was...

Doe Bay Resort’s Goals for Zero-Waste Practices

Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) is interested in how local area businesses handle waste management. We have started an ongoing series where we interview establishments on...

The Can Crusher: Recycle Camp at Burning Man

Each year Recycle Camp at Burning Man recycles 4 forty yard containers of crushed aluminum cans. All of the proceeds go to the local school...

50k Pounds of Hazardous Waste Collected

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Day was June 25, 2016 at the Orcas Transfer Station. Many community members gathered their hazardous materials and brought a...

Island Hoppin’ Brewery: A Model for Small Business Reuse Practices

It can be challenging to have minimal environmental impact and create a great product from scratch on an island, but the folks at Island Hoppin’...

Orcas Community Comes Thru for Island Clean Up

Orcas Island is once again a litter-free zone! Thanks so much to all 102 volunteers who came out Saturday, April 23rd, the day after Earth...

Thanks Orcas Middle School!

Big thanks to Laura Tidwell, Phil Carter and the entire 7th and 8th grade classes at Orcas Middle School for coming out to the ORS/Exchange...

Why Compost?

When waste is sent to landfill, air cannot get to the organic waste. As the waste breaks down, it creates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas...

Double Your Donation!

Matching gifts provide you with an easy way to potentially double, if not triple, your original donation! Did you know many companies offer a matching...

Reuse Tip: Free Mobility Assistance Equipment

Next time you find yourself or someone you love in need of mobility assistance equipment, you can call upon the kind folks at the Orcas...

ORS Welcomes CARTM to Orcas!

Recently the board of directors of Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange spent the weekend with board members of CARTM, their counterparts from Manzanita, Oregon. CARTM is...

Orcas Island is a Ton More Beautiful

The annual Great Islands Clean-Up was a great success! Orcas Islanders picked up more than one ton of litter in just a few hours and...

Orcas 8th Graders Dissect Our Recycling…

...and it doesn't look very good. Take a look at this video featuring Laura Tidwell's 8th grade science class as they tear open random bags...

The Story Of Stuff

...and that's PER PERSON folks...check out this terrific video about what's really happening with garbage. This covers the whole system, but also is dead-on when...

CARTM! Where it is happening now!

We are inspired by CARTM, the reuse and transfer station in our favorite Oregon coastal town, Manzanita. They are doing what we intend to do on...

We Hate Styrofoam

Few materials designed by humans are as lame as Styrofoam. They use gallons of fossil fuel to make, are not recyclable, and don't breakdown. AND there...

Hit The Beach!

Hmmm... We have lots of beach and wave action and glass is the heaviest recyclable we need to haul off island at greatest cost... Sea...

KNOWLEDGE

Plastic Recycling Explained

Changes are likely coming soon to the type of plastics that will be recyclable in San Juan County. In the past we’ve accepted most plastics...

Glass Recycling: What to Know

We recently announced that as of November 1, 2021 ORS/The Exchange will begin accepting separated glass recycling! Here's what you need to know about separating...

Smart Glass Separation

Here is some basic guidance for glass recycling! What goes into your glass tote: Bottles/jars/jugs--empty, clean, and ideally no labels or caps or corks-- labels...

Rental Property Waste

The road to a zero-waste community is not easy - especially on an island! To achieve zero waste, materials must either be returned safely to...

Drop Off Your Xmas Tree for Free!

Drop off your dried-out Christmas tree at the transfer station for no charge. We'll add it to our green waste compost pile. Just make sure it...

Recycle Aluminum & Cardboard

Watch this informative video about recycling aluminum and cardboard brought to you by ORS/The Exchange and the Orcas Island High School Environmental Club.

One More Resolution?

This is an easy one to keep--and it does not cost you anything. If you use Amazon, whether occasionally or a lot (we're not judging!),...

Where does our e-waste go?

We were asked recently where the electronics recycling for Orcas goes, so we decided to go check it out. Turns out it goes to a...

What is Zero Waste?

Our mission at Orcas Recycling Services / The Exchange is to build a zero waste community through service, education and stewardship of Orcas Island’s waste...

Drink Out of Aluminum!

No other container can match the energy savings and value that aluminum brings to recycling. Not only is the packaging incredibly sustainable, but it also...

The Realities of Plastic Recycling

Recycling plastic can be a bit confusing. What is, and is not, acceptable can change from month-to-month - and the change can be dramatic depending...

Recycling Tip: No Plastic Film

This summer, you may meet one of our Recycling Docents at the Orcas Transfer Station when you drop off your recycling. Docents are there to...

Be Mindful of Holiday Packaging

It's that time of year again when you order stuff online (yes, most of us do it) and we get inundated with retailer packaging materials...

Don’t Waste The Good Stuff!

What’s wrong with this picture? Look at all of those valuable aluminum cans in the garbage! With a little forethought, the person who threw these...

Put Cardboard in its Place

When you pull up to the recycling area at ORS you may already know that the dedicated cardboard container is the one on the far...

What Contaminates a Load of Mixed Recycling?

Last month we focused on how plastic bags, sheets, packing pillows, and other items can mess up the sophisticated machinery where our loads of co-mingled...

Recycling Tip: The Scoop On Recycling Plastic Film

For more than a year ORS has been encouraging folks to put all plastic film (plastic bags, plastic wraps, bubble wraps, air pillows, etc) in...

The Value of Docents at the Transfer Station

Our docents are back on duty at the Z-wall where you drop off your recyclable materials. We started this program in 2019 to explain our...

Recycling Tip

July Recycling Tip: Take your recycling efforts up a notch and separate your aluminum cans! For years, we've been collecting mixed recycling, including aluminum cans...

The Docents Are Back!

Last summer ORS began a recycling docent program that put volunteer recycling experts out on the "Z-Wall" at the Orcas Transfer Station. It was a...

Recycling is Not Enough–Reuse!

If you're looking for ways to keep education flowing through your household during the stay-at-home orders, check out this video and discussion guide from Alex...

Orcas Residents Supporting Health Care Workers

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is causing shortages of personal-protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers and hospice caregivers on Orcas Island. Some island residents have...

What’s Wrong with this Photo?

A photo taken earlier this month at the recycling wall area raises this question: A. Is it mixed, co-mingled recycling dumped on top of separated...

Step-by-Step to Recycling Plastics

The NPR recently published a helpful infographic on the in’s and out’s of plastic recycling. If you were not already aware, plastic recycling can be...

Replace Plastic Wrap with Beeswax Wrap!

Board Member, Asifa Pasin has ran multiple successful Beeswax Wrap classes. This Workshop focuses on making your own reusable items from Beeswax! Replace all those...

ORS Separating Cardboard

Orcas Recycling Services has taken a major step in how we recycle and has been running a pilot program for separating cardboard from other recyclables....

Recycle 2.0: Cardboard

Beginning in May, Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange will introduce a new recycling program, focusing on cardboard. One of the large 40-yard containers at the “Z-wall”...

Where Does All the Food Waste Go?

Late last year when the nation-wide recycling crisis consumed the news, we decided to push forward on our Recycle 2.0 program, hoping it would advance...

Film Inspires Plastic Free Living

On March 7th the Seaview Theater in Eastsound was packed for a screening of the beautifully-made but disturbing film “A Plastic Ocean”. Hosted by the Orcas...

Solving the Plastic Packaging Problem

Recycle 2.0 was launched with the purpose of continuing education on the current worldwide recycling challenges. Plastics are a big part of that issue. As...

Sorting Through the Plastic Numbers

We've been discussing plastics a lot lately. And for good reason. But have you ever been confused by those numbers listed on plastics? 1, 2,...

The Last Straw

Here’s what you should know if you enter a restaurant in the San Juan Islands and see signage for, “The Last Straw”: “The Last Straw”...

3,200 Pounds of Clothing and Textiles Recycled in One Haul!

The Exchange accepts all clothing, bedding, and textiles in clean and useable condition. The accepted clothing and textiles are first made available to the Orcas...

China Could Block Plastics & Paper from U.S. Recyclers

The recycling industry is in turmoil. China, the world’s largest market for recyclable materials, has announced it will dramatically reduce the amount of mixed paper...

Secure Your Truck Load for Safer and Cleaner Roads

More than 12 million pounds of litter comes from vehicles each year in Washington State. Litter falling from vehicles is responsible for more than 400...

Another Big Hazardous Waste Roundup!

On June 24th, more than 150 cars and trucks loaded with household toxic material showed up at the Orcas Transfer Station, where it was safely...

The Kitchen Continues to Raise the Bar for Restaurant Waste Management

Periodically we like to focus on a local business and how they handle their waste stream. One of the best on Orcas is The Kitchen,...

Non-Recyclable Item of the Month: Paper Cups

Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day or equivalent to 146 billion cups of coffee per year, making the United States the leading...

Plastic Bag Ban in San Juan County

In October 2016 the San Juan County Council unanimously approved an ordinance banning the use of single-use plastic shopping bags. A significant source of litter, plastic bags...

Non-Recyclable Item of the Month: Textiles

Although textiles aren’t recyclable in our co-mingled recycling at ORS, they should not be thrown in the trash. A staggering 95% of textiles like clothes,...

Support The Exchange When Shopping Amazon

"AmazonSmile" is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite 501(c)3 charitable organization every time you shop on Amazon.com, at no cost...

Recycle These Items for Free at ORS

ORS accepts a number of items at no charge to the community. Programs like this help to keep toxic materials like lead, mercury, heavy metals, and...

Non-Recyclable Item of the Month: Shredded Paper

We've been accepting it for years, but unfortunately the days of recycling shredded office paper appear to be over. Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) around the Country...

Hard-To-Recycle Item of the Month: Caps & Lids

While most plastic lids and caps are technically recyclable, their small size is a problem for sorting facilities. Like loose plastic bags, shredded paper and...

Non-Recyclable Item of the Month: TetraPak

You’ve seen ‘em, you use ‘em, everyone does. These are the rectangular cartons that hold soups and soup stock. They are also commonly used for...

Non-Recyclable Item of the Month: Air-Filled Packaging

Bubble wrap, air pillow, inflatable packaging, bubble roll, bubble tubing… this product goes by many names, but the bottom line is the same: none of...

Exchange FAQ–Your Questions Answered!

Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange FAQ June 2019 What is The Exchange? In 1981, a group of community activists created Orcas Island’s legendary reuse...

Non-Recyclable Item of the Month: FOOD

Non-recyclable items frequently end up in the recycling bin, causing a slew of problems. In this regular feature, we will focus each time on something that...

Recycling: Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?

Most of us believe that recycling is our civic and environmental duty. And certainly, as the system is designed now, it is. But if you dig...

The Glass Problem

We have talked in the past about the problem with glass in the recycling stream. The problem is no one wants it. It is a commodity with...

No More Plastic Bags…

Attention Orcas Recyclers: No More OPAQUE Plastic Bags! Please bring recyclables loose, in clear bags, or in recyclable containers like a cardboard box, or brown...

Why We Gotta Recycle Batteries

ORS/The Exchange is excited to be accepting batteries of all kinds for proper disposal. Vehicle batteries are free, all others are $2.00 per pound. Here...

Dos and Don’ts of Recycling

It is no simple task to nail down the fine details of what is and what is not recyclable. Recycling is driven by an aftermarket...

Do you know where your landfill is?

It’s in the south east corner of Washington, near the town of Roosevelt. It's about 7,000 feet from the Columbia River. Across the river in...