2nd Quarter (May) 2025 Enewsletter

What a legislative session, last call for farm products, laundry practices ... and more

Zero Waste Washington drives policy change for a healthy and waste-free world. We envision a just, equitable, and sustainable future where we all produce, consume, and reuse responsibly.

We need you!

Zero Waste Washington’s commitment to tackle the toughest waste, recycling, plastics, toxic chemicals and consumption issues is stronger than ever. Together with all of our members and partners, we work tirelessly to drive policy change for a healthy and waste-free world. You can help us reach our goals in 2025 and beyond!

As you know, GiveBIG is our region’s largest online giving event celebrating community and our collective generosity. Zero Waste Washington’s work is more important than ever, and we ask that you show your support by scheduling a donation now!

Click this link to schedule your GiveBIG gift

Thank you for your gift.

By Nayeli Campos, Community Outreach and Policy Coordinator

Do you know a local farmer? It’s not too late for them to apply for our farm waste pilot programs. Zero Waste Washington is wrapping up the application window for our Free Reusable CSA/Delivery Box Trial and 50% Cost-Share Program for Winstrip Trays. These projects are aimed at reducing waste on farms across King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties, and we still have a few remaining items available for interested farmers.

Here’s a quick breakdown of our two projects accepting applications:

Reusable CSA & Delivery Box Trial (Free!)

We’re offering a limited number of reusable CSA and delivery boxes to farms looking to move away from single use waxed cardboard. These boxes are designed for hundreds of uses, saving money and reducing waste.

Apply here by May 5, 5 pm: CSA/Delivery Box Trial Application

Durable Nursery Tray Cost-Share (50% Off!)

Farms can receive up to 40 high-quality Winstrip nursery trays at half the cost, paying just $4.25 per tray! These long-lasting trays are sturdier than single-use ones and help cut down on plastic waste in the long run.

Apply here by May 5, 5 pm: 50% Cost Share for Winstrip Nursery Trays Application

Apply by Monday, May 5 to reserve your materials! Quantities are limited and applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Nursery tray and pot recycling drop-off event

We’ll be hosting a free nursery tray and pot recycling drop-off event at the end of May. Farmers will be able to bring all their old trays and pots for recycling.

To participate, pots and trays must be free of large amounts of organic materials or debris. We will accept black or other color plastic pots made from #5 PP, #2 HDPE, and #6 HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) plastics. The pots and trays must show these numbers or plastic types to be accepted. Unfortunately, we cannot accept non-plastic trays and pots (metal, wood, ceramic), plastic #1, #3, and #4, and mixed materials (plastics combined with other materials).

Details on locations and dates coming soon!

If you’re a farmer (or know one) who wants to save money and cut down on waste, now’s the time to act.

If you have any questions or would like more information about these pilot projects, please don’t hesitate to contact Nayeli at nayeli@zerowastewashington.org.

By Andrea Ramirez, Sustainability Analyst

Over the past 3 months, we have been working with a youth cohort as part of our alliance with the Duwamish River Community Coalition and Latino Northwest Communications. The youth interns worked on a project focused on understanding current laundry products and consumer behaviors associated with laundry. The aim was to determine what products and practices will help decrease environmental impacts, such as toxic chemicals and microfibers in wastewater.

Detergent impacts

The use of harsh detergents and laundry routinely can contribute to excessive use of water, energy consumption and fabric degradation. Laundry detergents can have negative impacts on wildlife and the environment, depending on the composition. In addition, we can be exposed to harmful chemicals contained in the formulations that can cause allergies, and skin irritations. There are better choices that reduce environmental impacts.

Youth interviewing community members about their laundry habits

Learning about laundry habits

As part of the data collection, the interns recorded their family’s laundry practices at home, followed by behavioral interviews with friends, family and neighbors. Information was gathered about the amount of detergent used, laundry frequency by item, type of detergent preferred, water temperature, and more. All these results were used to inform subsequent messaging development and community outreach activities in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. The interns created fact sheets and conducted nearly 100 surveys within the community, identifying which messages were most influential in motivating people to change their habits.

Raising awareness about laundry detergents

Martha, Mario and Miguel from Latino Northwest Communications provided education about music and video recording. Every single step in the process was explained and shown to the students, including handling and set up of equipment, hands-on experience, and direct practice. The interns created three videos: an educational video, a public service announcement and a music video. Youth developed scripts and music lyrics based on background research and information they collected.

Georgetown community council

To wrap up the internship, the students presented their project, findings and recommendations at the April Georgetown community council meeting. The audience was enthralled by the intern’s work and shared their interests in learning about best laundry detergents and laundry practices.

10 things you can do to reduce impacts when doing your laundry

• Lower the amount of detergent you use per load. One to two tablespoons is all you need (not the full scoop indicated by the manufacturer).
• Use cold water since most detergents are designed to work effectively at low temperatures and your fabrics will be protected and last longer.
• Make sure to do full loads without overloading.
• Choose eco-friendly and plant-based detergents that contain safer ingredients for you and the environment.
• Avoid synthetic fragrances and dyes in your laundry products that might expose you and your family to harmful chemicals.
• Look for certified products such as the safer choice label.
• Avoid fabric degradation by washing items less frequently.
• Consider spot cleaning. If your clothes have a stain, just treat that area instead of doing a full laundering.
• Use wool dryer balls instead of fragranced dryer sheets. They speed up drying time!
• Consider choosing a high efficiency washing machine which is designed to use less water and energy while cleaning your clothes efficiently.

Big thank you to King County WTD for their support of this project through a Waterworks grant!

If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Andrea at Andrea@zerowastewashington.org

Every summer, Zero Waste Washington offers tours to local facilities – recycling, landfill, compost and more.  As we plan our summer schedule, we’d like to know if you want to take a tour with us! What interests you?

Please fill out this form, so we can invite you on the tour that will fulfill your curiosity.

Look forward to seeing you this summer!

This summer, we are launching a new project to research and assess the status of C&D waste (aka construction and demolition waste) in Washington. According to EPA, over 30% of the load to our landfills is C&D. And much of this material can be re-purposed, re-used and recycled.

If you would like to be interviewed or know of any initiatives, especially business opportunities or successes in Washington, please contact Nayeli at nayeli@zerowastewashington.org.

We will be sharing out the results of our project, as it develops.