Frequently Asked Questions

• City of Oak Harbor residents call the City of Oak Harbor at 360-279-4530
• If you live elsewhere on Whidbey Island, call Island Disposal at 360-678-5701 or 360-321-1331
• Camano Island residents should call Waste Management at 1-800-592-9995

• City of Oak Harbor residents call the City of Oak Harbor at 360-279-4530
• Town of Coupeville residents call Island Disposal at 360-678-5701
• Camano Island residents call Waste Management at 1-800-592-9995
• If you live elsewhere on Whidbey Island recycling pickup service is currently not available

You can haul wastes and recyclables to any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities. You may also self-haul recyclables to DTG Recycle in Freeland.

Don't throw it in the trash. You can bring your old oil-based paint, oil, antifreeze and other household hazardous waste to any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities. There is no charge for household hazardous wastes.

You can recycle latex paints and stains at the Coupeville Transfer Station or see Washington PaintCare for additional drop off locations.

Island County’s Moderate-Risk Waste Collection Facility is open to businesses by appointment, call 360-678-8215 for information.

CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which means that improper disposal of spent bulbs can lead to health and environmental risks. Don’t throw used CFLs in the trash or break them; save them in a safe place (keep the original packaging!) until you can take them to any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities.

See Island County's medications and sharps disposal page.

Furniture in good condition can be donated or sold for reuse.  If the furniture is in poor condition, it may be disposed of at the Coupeville Transfer Station and the Camano Transfer Station. 

No. Burning garbage is illegal and can be dangerous. Breathing smoke from burning garbage can cause or worsen asthma, bronchitis and emphysema and damage children's lungs. Burning plastic releases many cancer causing agents into the air that you or your neighbors breathe. For information about outdoor burning see the Northwest Clean Air Agency’s website.  

Yard waste is accepted at the Coupeville Transfer Station. Yard waste includes grass clippings, brush, leaves and branches. Yard waste does not include sod, dirt, gravel, rocks, plastics, wood, lumber or garbage; these items are accepted as garbage, construction or depending upon size hard-to-handle wastes. Visit the Yard & Garden Waste page for more information.

Construction debris is accepted at the Coupeville Transfer Station and the Camano Transfer Station. 

Technically, all plastics can be recycled. All plastics are not recycled because there is no economically feasible market for most of them. In Island County, we accept CLEAN #1 and #2 bottles, jugs and jars with caps or lids removed. All other plastic should be reused or go in the garbage (reusing an item saves 20 times as much energy as recycling it).

Lids can be made of different plastic resins than containers. Also, their small size makes them hard to compact in bales and they can cause damage to baling equipment.

Packing peanuts can be recycled at DTG Recycle in Freeland, taken to mailing centers, or disposed of as garbage at any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities.

Call 360-240-5592 or 360-679-7387, weekdays, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.