Clark County Green Neighbors

A three-photo banner depicting the proper curbside placement of motor oil and antifreeze, the Green Neighbors logo and leftover food in reusable containers.

The Green Neighbors program empowers residents with education, resources and practical tools to manage solid waste responsibly and make sustainable choices that support a cleaner, healthier community. 

Pumpkin composting

Say BOO to landfills - let's make spooky season sustainable! 

A green We Compost cart filled with orange pumpkins.

Give your Halloween pumpkins a second life. Instead of throwing them in the garbage and sending them to the landfill, compost them to reduce food waste and nourish the earth. 

Here are some easy ways to compost pumpkins in Clark County: 

  • Free drop-off: We Compost Community Hubs are available to all Clark County residents. These hubs offer a free, easy way for the community to compost all food waste (not just pumpkins). Find a hub location near you: ClarkWeCompost.org 
  • Curbside compost: In Clark County (except Camas and Washougal), pumpkins are accepted in Waste Connections of Washington Yard Debris and Organics carts.  
  • Backyard compost: If you have a home compost system, chop up pumpkins into smaller pieces and place them into your compost pile or worm bin. If you want to learn how to compost, check out free workshops and virtual resources with the Composter Recycler program.   

Remember to prep pumpkins for compost – this means that all candles, wax, glitter, paint and decorations should be removed. Tip for painted pumpkins: try washing off paint or peeling off with a vegetable peeler. 

Food waste prevention

The average household could save up to $3,000 each year by preventing food waste!  

Over one-third of all food that is produced is wasted (USDA Economic Research Service report). 

Cash in the trash graphic: a woman throwing food into the garbage. Graphic states “by throwing away less food, your family of 4 could save up to $56 per week.. What could you buy with money saved from wasting less food? Graphics include a car at a gas pump, a fit person at the gym and a family at the movies.
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Environmental effects of wasted food

Food waste in landfills creates methane gas, a major contributor to climate change. Methane is a potent heat-trapping greenhouse gas. Methane has over 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. 

When food is wasted, so are resources. Wasted food accounts for enough water and energy to supply more than 50 million homes.  

Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste graphic "What resources go into a year of food loss and waste in the U.S.?". Image of pollution with the caption "greenhouse gas emissions' of more than 42 coal-fired power plants." Image of a home with the caption "enough water and energy to supply more than 50 million homes." Image of a fertilizer bag with the caption "the amount of fertilizer used in the U.S. to grow all plant-based foods for U.S. human consumption." Image of the state of California and New York w

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  • Shop mindfully and waste minimally.
  • Love leftovers, cut waste, save time and money.
    • Store leftovers in air-tight containers in the fridge or freezer. Learn how to freeze food with an air-tight seal without a vacuum sealer.
    • Use the recipe search generator to learn how to combine custom ingredients to create flavorful and memorable meals.  
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A graphic of the inside of a fridge with a carton of milk and a basket of strawberries that have cartoon like faces. Text: Prevent food waste. Save money and reduce climate change pictured within a yellow star. Food Waste Prevention week logo. Text: tune into Clark County's original podcast: Food Waste Pod-Vention

Green Neighbors produced a five-episode podcast as part of Food Waste Prevention Week 2024.  

Watch the podcast on YouTube: 

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Graphic featuring orange text: food waste prevention week.

Food Waste Prevention Week is an international sustainability campaign. Green Neighbors has joined the movement and is taking action to prevent food waste in the first place. The campaign seeks to reframe the way we think about our food. Food Waste Prevention Week aims to amplify sustainable food waste prevention tricks and reduce the amount of organic material sent to the landfill. 

Local work is driven forward by the statewide Organics Management Law, HB 2301 . In line with this new law, the Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management aims to reduce edible food waste by 50%.  

Sign up for the Green Neighbors newsletter to learn more about upcoming plans to celebrate Food Waste Prevention Week in Clark County. 

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Food rescue, recovery and donation 

The issues arising from food waste go beyond disposal. Food waste has significant environmental, economic and social costs. To address these issues, Washington’s Organic Management Laws have established a statewide goal to reduce landfilled edible food waste by 50% by 2030. 

Food rescue and recovery efforts get food to people who need it, instead of letting it go to waste. By donating surplus food or sharing excess produce, you can support neighbors experiencing food insecurity and strengthen local food systems.  

Residents and businesses can use the Clark County Food Finder and the Department of Ecology Food Rescue Map to connect with local hunger relief organizations. These interactive tools make it easy to locate nearby food banks, meal programs and donation partners, helping surplus food reach people who need it most. 

Share your harvest with Urban Abundance 

Do you have fruit trees that produce more than you can pick? Consider partnering with Urban Abundance, a local nonprofit dedicated to collecting surplus fruit and distributing it within the community. Urban Abundance works with volunteers and property owners to harvest excess fruit, reduce waste and increase access to fresh, healthy food—while building a more sustainable and resilient local food system.   

Holiday waste disposal

The holiday season can produce a lot of waste. The United States creates 5.8 million tons more waste in December than in other months of the year.  

There are simple ways to simplify the holiday season and prevent waste in the first place! Check out the guide below to learn helpful tips and tricks to make the holiday season sustainable.  

Previous video on properly managing holiday waste:

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The best way to make the holidays eco-friendlier is to prevent waste in the first place! 

Party waste prevention  

  • Consider swapping disposable dishes and dining utensils for reusables. Click here to check out the Waste Connections Lending Library. Using the library, reusable dishware is available for free to check out for gatherings within Clark County.
  • Have simple, clearly marked recycling, garbage and food waste containers at your holiday party. Containers are available to check out from the Waste Connections Lending Library. 

Eco-friendly gifts

  • Send holiday electronic cards instead of paper greeting cards. Or, get artsy and craft one-of-a-kind cards from materials found in your recycle cart. A simple coat of paint can transform a cereal box into a handmade holiday card!
  • Shop at thrift stores for unique gifts and holiday decorations.
  • Gift baked goods or homemade crafts.
  • Give non-material gifts, like concert tickets, park passes, classes and experiences.
  • Wrap gifts in reusable bags or use newspaper or brown paper bags instead of wrapping paper.

Holiday food waste prevention 

  • Use an online tool like the Guest-imator to determine how much food is needed for holiday dinner plans. Ask for RSVP’s so you know how many guests to expect. 
  • Use the recipe search generator to learn how to combine custom ingredients to create flavorful and memorable meals.
  • Encourage guests to bring containers and send them home with leftovers.
  • Use leftovers to create new culinary combinations. Use mashed potatoes to make shepherd's pie. Adopt cranberry sauce as a festive topping for oatmeal. Boil bones to create nutrient-rich bone broth for winter soups and stews.
  • Freeze leftovers in air-tight containers to preserve the holiday flavors for months.
  • Learn more about holiday food waste prevention. 

Compost food scraps 

  • Composting food scraps prevents bad odors and messes in kitchen garbage, returns beneficial nutrients to the soil and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Compost drop off: All residents can drop off food waste for free at a We Compost Community Hub location. Find locations on the We Compost Community Hubs website.
  • Compost at the curb: Waste Connections customers in the cities of Vancouver and Ridgefield who have curbside organics service can put all food scraps in their organics cart. 
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Look up items and learn more about proper disposal on the RecycleRight app. The tool is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, or online at RecyclingA-Z.com.  

Find information about specialty recycling opportunities using the A-Z Directory or the RecycleRight app, for these items. 

If not using specialty recycling for these items, place these items in your curbside garbage:  

  • String lights
  • Air pillows, bubble wrap, plastic bags
  • Block foam  

If not saved for reuse, place these items in your curbside garbage:  

  • Shiny gift wrap
  • Gift bags with embedded plastic materials like glitter
  • Tissue paper
  • Ribbon  

Plain wrapping paper without glitter, foil or other non-paper decorations can be placed in the curbside recycle cart.  

Reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill—recycle your natural tree to be chipped into mulch! 

Sustainable Christmas tree disposal graphic. Text includes: remove all decorations including lights, tinsel, wire and ornaments. No artificial or flocked trees. Disposal options: Yard debris or Organics cart: cut tree into sections up to 5 feet and place in or next to your cart. There is a fee if the tree is in addition to your full cart. Scouting America pick up: check if pickup is available in your neighborhood at scouttreerecycling.com. Self haul: drop off for a fee. Search locations on the RecycleRight

 

Contact information

Solid Waste and Recycling Division
564.397.7352 
Email

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Request a presentation

Presentations are available at no cost to neighborhood associations, homeowners' associations and community organizations operating within Clark County. 

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RecycleRight tool

Logo for the RecycleRight app showing a blue recycling cart with black lid and wheels. Background is blue with a gray swirl at the bottom.

Download the RecycleRight app (available on Apple and Android devices): 

  • View collection schedule.
  • Sign up for reminders and service alerts.
  • Look up donation, recycle and disposal options with the Recycling A-Z directory.