For Woodinville residents, this unprecedented time is an opportunity to come together in support of each other and our community’s essential service providers.
Your Waste Management drivers are delighted to see thank you notes and children waving from windows as they collect on regular schedules. Your WM team also appreciates your care when it comes to setting out your recycling, food and yard waste, and garbage. Here are some important tips straight from the frontline workers who are proud to serve Woodinville.
Keep recycling right
Despite COVID-19, recycling is still being collected in Woodinville, processed and turned into new materials. Things like cardboard and paper can have a second life as toilet paper, food packaging, or other essential supplies. To ensure all materials are fit for remanufacturing, empty all bottles and cans and place them loose in your cart. Remember, no plastic bags in the recycling!
Check your recycling guide for a complete list of accepted materials at wmnorthwest.com. Items such as gloves, masks, and disposable wipes are NOT recyclable.
Bulky waste? Store it for later
Waste Management has temporarily suspended bulky waste collection so all available resources may be dedicated to regular curbside collection. Please do not place bulky items at the curb at this time. Collecting bulky items such as mattresses, furniture, appliances, building materials, scrap metal, and wood scraps requires multiple employees and additional resources. If possible, we recommend storing these items until further notice. You can also check the King County website to see if your nearest transfer station is open and if there are restrictions due to COVID-19. To check for WM service updates, go to wmnorthwest.com and click on Service Alerts.
Take care when setting out your cart
Another way to show your support is to make sure all garbage, recycling and compost material fits inside the cart with the lid closed. Overloaded carts can spill when the truck picks them up, causing a mess for the driver to clean up by hand. For items that won’t fit in the cart, find set out instructions at wmnorthwest.com by clicking on Service Alerts.
Finally, we need your help during the pandemic to make sure your Waste Management carts are “placed and spaced” properly. This is especially helpful now because people are working from home. Many streets are lined with parked cars, which can easily block carts.
Please place carts in the street, against the curb with the lid opening facing the street. Place each cart at least three feet away from other carts, mailboxes, cars, trees, etc.
These simple steps help your frontline team keep Woodinville clean, safe and recycling right. Also know that your WM team is diligently following social distancing protocols, regularly disinfecting surfaces and using the required personal protective equipment because we’re in this together. Thank you and be well.
Hannah Scholes is now leading Waste Management’s COVID-19 digital outreach to help businesses and the Woodinville community position for recovery. Send your questions to [email protected].
