Council Signs Transfer Station Contract With Orcas Recycling

From Stan Matthews
County Interim Information Services Manager

The San Juan Council unanimously approved a contract with Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) to provide solid waste and recycling handling services at the Orcas Island Transfer Station. ORS and San Juan County Public Works expect that ORS will begin operations in September.

ORS will take over all solid waste operations at the transfer station and provide services to both individual self-haulers and the franchise hauler, San Juan Sanitation. The contract is for a period of five years and can be extended by the County in five year increments for up to twenty years. ORS is initially offering lower disposal rates, so self-haulers on Orcas should see an immediate decrease in their costs.

ORS will be making improvements to the facility both in the near and long term. Immediate improvements include installing new signage, minor traffic improvements and a new tarping station for the transfer trailers. ORS is also planning on eventually building a re-use facility on the site and first expects to complete a site master plan. ORS has not yet proposed a schedule for construction of the re-use facility.

Those with questions regarding ORS and its new operations may contact Pete Moe at petemoe@gmail.com or 360-298-2600.