An Introduction, A Progress Report, and a Thank You!

Every year during the holiday season we send a fundraising letter to the community. We are usually working on a specific project; but this year we decided to do something different. We want to take a step back and re-introduce ourselves to the community. Many of you know us well, but some may not. We also want to show you what your support has accomplished over the past decade or so, and tell you about the exciting things that are still to come.

A few things you might not know:

  • We are one of the ONLY 501(c)3 non-profit recycling centers with a ‘zero-waste’ mission in the Country.
  • Since we took over the transfer station in 2013 we have diverted thousands of tons of material from the landfill into beneficial reuse or recycling.
  • The Exchange is kind of famous. We are, at least in the world of garbage and recycling. But it didn’t begin that way…

We started in the early 80s as a collection of sheds and tents in the woods that sprouted up organically at the Transfer Station. It was a very different time on Orcas, when usable secondhand items were essential to island living.

Managed by a collection of volunteers, the Exchange kept the good stuff out of the waste stream. Items were dropped off, picked up, exchanged in the parking lot, often with no cash involved.

We’ve grown a lot since then–we had to. In 2012 the Exchange faced eviction. What did we do? We won the contract to operate the Transfer Station, thus saving our bacon.

Shortly thereafter the Exchange burned to the ground. What did we do? We got together with our community and built a new one. We have been moving forward ever since with GREAT success.

A Progress Report

  • We Took Over the Transfer Station: As mentioned above, negotiations to take over management of the Orcas Transfer Station from San Juan County began in 2012, and were completed in 2013.
  • We Opened the New Exchange: After the fire, we opened a brand-new Exchange in 2017. Since then, The Exchange has diverted hundreds of tons of material away from the landfill and back into the community.
  • We Introduced Several New Recycling Programs: Besides all the standard stuff, we now recycle tires, batteries, paint, fluorescent lights, electronics, hazardous waste, cooking oil, appliances, yard waste, and more.
  • We Installed a Glass Crusher: Since November 2021 we have crushed more than 262 tons of glass into a useful building material, instead of shipping it back to the mainland at significant cost in money and carbon. Now we can provide FREE glass recycling to the whole island.
  • We Completed Our Baler Facility: Our latest accomplishment is our new Baler Facility. It allows us to bale aluminum, cardboard, mixed paper and plastics. By shipping baled materials we drastically increase the amount of material that actually gets recycled, and significantly decrease our carbon footprint. Now we offer FREE cardboard and aluminum recycling to everyone!
  • We Installed the 4th Largest Solar Array in San Juan County: Currently The Exchange uses about 44,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power per year. By putting solar panels on both The Exchange and our Baler Building we generate more than 94,000 kWh. It’s a critical part of the island’s energy infrastructure, and underscores our commitment to renewable energy.

To those of you who have been supporting us all along–thanks. Look what you have accomplished. To those of you who are new, we hope our work so far will inspire you to join us on this zero-waste, zero-carbon adventure. PLEASE follow up if you are interested in what we are doing. We always need new ideas, energy, and volunteers. If you can donate to our cause, thanks! Happy Holidays!

What’s Next? COMPOSTING!

The biggest thing we can do now to further our zero-waste, zero-carbon mission is to start removing organic material (mostly food waste) from the garbage stream, stop shipping it 400 miles away to a landfill, and instead make it into clean, beautiful compost for use on the island. It’s complicated, and expensive, but it’s also the right thing to do. Who would be crazy enough to ship potential soil off an island?

Finally, a Thank you.

To those of you who have been supporting us all along—thanks. Look what you have accomplished. To those of you who are new, thanks for reading this. We hope it will inspire you to join us on this zero-waste, zero-carbon adventure. PLEASE follow up if you are interested in what we are doing. We always need new ideas, energy, and volunteers. If you can donate to our cause, thanks!