SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. June 13, 2025 – San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is celebrating an environmental milestone with the passage of Washington’s new Recycling Reform Act, signed into law this spring by Governor Bob Ferguson. The new law will reduce packaging waste, expand access to curbside recycling, and ensure that materials placed in recycling bins are actually recycled. Crucial for rural and island communities like ours, it shifts more responsibility for managing packaging waste from taxpayers to the companies that produce it.
Local students played an important role in the bill’s success. With support from the County's Solid Waste Program Coordinator Katie Fleming and partners at Friends of the San Juans,
members of the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club traveled to Olympia earlier this year to meet with legislators and share their firsthand experiences. Their voices helped highlight the real-world challenges of recycling in rural areas and contributed to meaningful policy change. San Juan County is proud to support these efforts and looks forward to continued improvements in waste reduction and recycling access across our islands.
For more information: https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/news/student-advocacy-pays-off-recycling-reform-act-signed-into-law-san-juan-island-eco-club-students-and-friends-of-the-san-juans-celebrate-a-major-policy-victory-in-olympia/
Contact: Katie Fleming, Solid Waste Program Coordinator, katief@sanjuancountywa.gov, 260-762-5821
About San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship
San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is responsible for solid waste, marine resources, clean water, cultural resources, and climate and sustainability work. The department offices are located at 1609 Beaverton Valley Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/839/Environmental-Stewardship.
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