Orcas Island ExchangeExchange Annex Workshops have begun!
On June 30th The Exchange had the first of what will certainly be many, many workshops. Board members and volunteer extraordinaire held her her first “Sewing For Zero Waste” event. Participants talked about ideas for projects…
Round-Up for Real Recycling!
Help ORS build a recycling facility on Orcas. The recycling system in America is currently broken. And while we can’t fix the Country, we do have a solution for Orcas. Next time you come to the…
Zero Waste Mulch is Back for Spring
For a couple of years now we have been accepting clean green yard-waste material at a significant discount. We just did our second major grind, and now we have over 200 yards of totally local composted mulch for sale! What…
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 advance. You can do that here. We will be accepting gasoline…
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 equipment needed to grind up plant-based plastics (PLA), heat it, and…
Workshops at The Exchange
When ORS was planning the new Exchange, we committed to using the building for workshops, classes, and events that served our mission of Zero Waste. We have now started this exciting component of our mission –…
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 as a by-product of their business. They are beautiful barrels, brand-new,…
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 a solution! We recently launched The Exchange Online Store where unique…
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 tourists, alike. They did this by creating 58 campsites that sit…
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.
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