Orcas Island ExchangeMeeting of the Minds
Please join Orcas Senior Center and Jim “Duff” Duffield (Board President), along with Pete Moe (Executive Director) from the “Exchange” Orcas Recycling Service to learn about the history of The Exchange and Orcas Recycling Services (ORS),…
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 on may be OK, and the aluminum rim on the neck…
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 the store, free hot dogs and lemonade, and gift certificate giveaways….
It Takes a Village to Clean an Island
It Takes a Village to Clean an Island, celebrates the history of the Great Islands Clean-up and the efforts of those who have participated over the years. The beginnings of The Great Islands Clean-up come from…
I Need a Name
I’m BIG, I’m blue, I’m steel, and I eat glass and spit out sand-like particles. What I don’t have is a name, and I need your help to get one. Orcas Recycling Services will go public…
The Glass Crusher Is On The Way!
Andela, the company in upstate New York that is making our glass crusher, let us know that the new system is ready to go, and will arrive in mid-August. Work has begun on the site, with…
#1 and #2 Plastic Pros and Cons
Changes may be coming soon to the type of plastics that will be recyclable on Orcas. In the past we’ve accepted Plastics 1-7 but soon we may only be accepting 1 and 2. Here’s a little…
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 a re-use cycle on Orcas (ie The Exchange, Buy Sell Trade,…
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 up per mile on Orcas. As you can see from the…
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 island! The result is a clean, fine mulch – the best…
