Data Table
Explanation
Thurston County Solid Waste is responsible for receiving, processing, and safely disposing of the county's solid waste.
The total amount of garbage disposed of in Thurston County has increased each year since 2012. In 2021, Thurston County produced approximately 225,200 tons of solid waste, or roughly 1,510 pounds of trash per county resident. The amount of trash per resident has also increased each year since 2012.
When disposed, this garbage is transferred to the Waste and Recovery Center, a state-of-the-art transfer station that opened in May 2000. The transfer station accommodates up to 600 tons of waste per day. Garbage from the Waste and Recovery Center is loaded onto trucks, hauled to Centralia, and then placed on rail cars to be transported by train to the Roosevelt Regional Landfill in Klickitat County. The Waste and Recovery Center replaces a landfill which operated on the site between 1972 and 2000.
Since 2007, recycling totals have fluctuated between about 44,500 and 56,300 tons per year. In 2021, roughly 374 pounds were recycled per county resident.
Source
Thurston County Solid Waste
Sustainable Thurston Report CardThe Sustainable Thurston Report Card tracks how well the Thurston Region is doing at reducing landfill waste. The goal includes targets for having no net increase in waste based on 2010 figures:
- 15% reduction in per capita landfill waste by 2020
- 32% reduction in per capita landfill waste by 2035