Consignment Treasures/CT Recycling (CT),[ in Friday Harbor], has been operating for 7 years as a private not for profit business, and it has provided over $130,000 to local charities and citizens. In the last few years, CT has taken a lead in community recycling activities, and in 2010 it recycled approximately 73 tons of materials. CT is located on approximately 5 acres of land at 6739 Roche Harbor Road, San Juan Island, and it currently has 3 Conditional Use Permits (CUPs). One of the CUPs is for a Recycling Processing Center.
2012 has included making some changes in the business of CT. CT has applied for formal 501(c)(3) Charitable status, and it will be increasing its recycling center processing and pick up service activities.
Due to the election results in 2011, the San Juan County Council has directed the County Public Works Department to relinquish its control of the solid waste program that it was operating. While the County is moving in a direction that will continue to promote co-mingled recycling, CT wants to promote and provide for opportunities for community separated recycling. As a result, CT is creating a membership recycling center for our community. CT is also working toward coordinating activities with The Exchange on Orcas Island, and Take it or Leave It on Lopez Island. Many islanders will want to support and participate in a plan that will create local jobs, that allows for income to be made by processing and selling recyclable commodities, and that will increase Excise tax revenue for the County.
As CT establishes a strong recycling base, it plans to seek markets for recyclables that one can only dream of now. Currently, CT Recycling is processing e-recycling, aluminum cans, metals, clothes, plastics, cardboard, white goods and Freon removal. Separate, reduce, re-use, recycle, and rejoice!
To achieve recycling goals, CT has realigned its mission to fit the continuing needs of our community. CT will need financial donations and professional services to seek grants, to promote recycling education, and to purchase additional equipment.
If you have an interest in supporting separated recycling, establishing a community recycling program, being on CT’s Citizens Recycling Advisory Committee, grant writing, and/or joining the Board of CT, please attend a meeting on March 8th, 2012, at 7:00pm, at the San Juan Grange Hall. Please RSVP by calling and leaving your name and contact information at: Consignment Treasures, 370-5562, or 378-6473.
Using CT will provide new jobs for our community, help the environment by using boots on the ground conservation activities, diminish landfill glut, and its services will save the community tax dollars and will increase Excise tax revenue for the County through its sales and services to the community.
Please join us at our March 8th, meeting,
Frank M. Penwell
San Juan Island
The handwriting is on the wall: we, as a County, in order to survive, physically & financially, must act as one body, taking advantages of the group opportunities that come along, such as this above. Bob Gamble’s article about Co. government is another. The idea of combining our newspapers is yet another idea whose time has come.
Can this be done on Orcas?