King County Executive Girmay Zahilay led the opening celebration for a state-of-the-art recycling and transfer station that makes it safer and more convenient for South King County residents to recycle and dispose of hazardous waste, contributing to cleaner, safer, healthier communities while improving the natural environment.
The new South County Recycling and Transfer Station – mostly powered by renewable energy and the first facility of its kind to earn Salmon-Safe certification – offers recycling services for appliances, glass, metal, plastic, wood, cardboard, paper, and yard waste, none of which are offered at the neighboring Algona Transfer Station built in the 1960s. The larger station also offers permanent hazardous waste disposal to residents and businesses in Algona, Auburn, and Federal Way, expanding on services currently offered by the Auburn 91TVmobile.
King County’s Solid 91TV Division conducted rigorous public outreach during the design phase to make sure the 84,000-square-foot facility is a community asset that offers a positive customer experience. The modern design minimizes odor, sound, and traffic impacts, restores a nearby tributary with native vegetation, and features underground tanks that protect the neighboring community from stormwater pollution during heavy rainfall.
“I am proud of this new station, and proud of the people who helped create it,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “Through our collective efforts, we can provide convenient recycling and disposal services in South King County, and we will do it with an energy-efficient facility that is designed and built to offer excellent customer service, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the natural environment. At King County, we’re not just building more — we’re building better, advancing multiple objectives that create creating more sustainable, resilient, and equitable communities.”
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Author: Stephanie Guzman-Barrera, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Field Notes