Various trash items.
Let’s stop the plastic maddness!
Join WSU Waste Wise to learn how you can waste less and conserve more!
WSU Extension > Island County > Natural Resources > Waste Wise

Waste Wise

Program Contact: Sarah Bergquist, Waste Wise Program Coordinator
360-639-6062 • sarah.bergquist@wsu.edu

WSU Waste Wise of Island County

Waste is about more than what goes to the landfill. It is about resource consumption, waste of work time, habitat loss, carbon footprint, environmental inequity, public health, pollution, and more.

WSU Waste Wise of Camano and Whidbey Islands is an education outreach program supported by staff and volunteers who share with others throughout the greater community what they learn in training. 

We teach practical waste diversion skills like composting and vermiculture, how to recycle correctly, and safe ways to handle household hazardous waste. Our programs highlight simple, effective ways to reduce and reuse so we can all live more lightly on the planet.

Waste Wise works at schools, fairs, information booths, businesses, and other settings. This work is important because:

Waste Wise volunteer helping someone learn recycling rules
Waste Wise volunteer helping someone learn new recycling sorting rules. Always make sure they are empty, clean, and dry!
  • Our global and local trash production continues to climb – 71% over the last 20 years! (Population growth was only 31%)
  • Organic waste (food and yard waste) in our landfills is estimated to be nearly 23% and contributes to climate change by creating methane gas
  • Plastic packaging & products are 40+% of the landfill content that can not be recycled
  • We have no active landfill in Island County and transport out of the county is costly
  • Our drinking water comes from one sole source underground aquifer
  • We live in a beautiful place and want to keep it that way!

Island County is made up of islands. Most of our drinking water comes from groundwater. To protect our drinking water, Island County closed its Coupeville landfill in 1992 and converted it to a transfer station. All solid waste is transported out-of-county – in fact, to the Roosevelt Regional Landfill in south central Washington.

On Camano and Whidbey Islands, trash is collected at five transfer points called drop-box facilities, located at Camano Hill Road, Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Freeland and Bayview. It is then trucked to a railhead on the mainland, where it is loaded aboard trains and transported to Roosevelt Regional Landfill in Southeast Washington, for disposal. This is expensive, resource intensive and carbon-intensive. The most important path to lowering our waste footprint is to consume less and re-use more.

Waste Wise is a program with Washington State University Extension, Island County and supported by Island County Solid Waste. You will find us at the WSU Extension Office in the Coupeville (staffed Monday – Friday). We are located at 406 N. Main Street and on Camano Island at the Multipurpose Building at 141 NE Camano Drive (by appointment).

For additional information, please contact us:

Sarah Bergquist, Waste Wise Program Educator and Coordinator- County Wide

  • Phone: 360-639-6062
  • Email: sarah.bergquist@wsu.edu
  • Fax: 360-678-6680
  • WSU Extension – Island County – 406 N. Main, Coupeville, WA 98239

Heather Vitiaz, Camano Island Waste Wise, Climate Stewards, and Shore Stewards Program Coordinator

  • Phone: 360-639-4608 (office) 206-334-5467 (mobile)
  • Email: heather.vitiaz@wsu.edu
  • WSU Extension – Island County, 141 NE Camano Drive, Camano, WA (by appointment)

Waste Wise Volunteers: Visit the Waste Wise Volunteers Page for up-to-date volunteer opportunities.

Get involved!

Sustainability and Waste Wise Training Page

Upcoming Events on Camano

Camano 101: Living on an Island – Free Community Resource Fair

Camano 101 flyer with Camano beach background featuring blue water, gray sand, green trees on the right and driftwood on the lower right. Round image in the center shows two people planting a tree. Flyer gives date, time, and location. plus bullet points of what to expect. QR code links to website and logos at the bottom are Snohomish Conservation District, Camano Center, Sound Water Stewards, Red Cougar head and Island County text.

Come learn how to make your own worm bin – an easy fruit/veggie compost option for your home!

WSU Eco Book Group Monday, September 14th

The book for July/August is Hope Matters. The group will be gathering at a private residence for the 8/10 meet-up. Regular group meetings resume 9/14 with a focus on Sustainability – exact book TBA

3rd Annual Camano Homestead Fair set for Saturday, May 22nd 2027

Flyer with soft green patterned backdrop. Circle photo of a chicken. Text includes Sno-Isle Library logo bottom right and "Join Us" "Camano Island Homesteading Fair on bottom left.

Plastic Plant Pot Exchange Spring 2027 – Date TBD

Waste Wise Training

WSU Camano Waste Wise Training Begins October 7th

WSU Waste Wise Camano Training will be taking place one afternoon/evening a month starting in October and going through June. Everyone 14+ are welcome to join anytime throughout the year. Contact Heather.Vitiaz@wsu.edu to learn more!
Cord and Light Drive
Going Zero Waste

Composting

25 to 40% of material in landfills is organic waste, yet nearly everyone can compost.
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Sustainability Speakers Series
  • Household Hazardous Waste Residents in Island County can dispose of household hazardous waste for free at county transfer facilities on Whidbey and Camano Islands. For a list of locations, hours and what is accepted […]
  • About Waste Wise Volunteers Waste Wise Volunteers come from all walks of life and share the conviction that we must care for these beautiful islands to protect our quality of life.
  • Island County Waste Curbside recycling, self-sorting, and proper disposal of household hazardous waste…