January 2025

Sustainable Resources Highlights

The Sustainable Resources division had many highlights throughout 2024! Check out the graphic below to see what our team was up to in the last year. Read more in our Annual Report.

What's your Sustainability New Year's Resolution?

The beginning of the year is a great opportunity to start fresh, set intentions and try something new. Keep reading to get some local inspiration and share your Earth-saving resolution with us for a chance to win a prize!

Get involved in your community to connect with others and learn about local issues.
Join us on January 16 at the Parkland Community Center to watch the Cultivating Co-Design for Thriving Climate-Resilient Communities webinar hosted by Front & Centered and Clime Time. Let us know you’re coming!
Re-think your commute. Join the trip calendar and find others to share your commute with.
Reduce food waste by requesting a free meal planner.
Recycle your aluminum cans! Get back to basics on recycling and never let an aluminum can go to the landfill.
Explore home energy efficiency and renewable energy options. Attend our upcoming virtual classes below to learn more.
Make your own all-purpose green cleaner.
Get outside more! Use the Outdoor Learning Map to learn about and take 3-D tours of our local parks!

Pick your own and share with us in this survey and be entered to win a book. Your resolution may be featured in a future newsletter.

Share Your Resolution!

No, Pierce County’s organics program is only for food and yard waste, not paper products like oily pizza boxes and dirty paper plates. Our composting system makes high-quality compost very quicky so we do not accept anything that will not break down in 50 days, which is why these items are excluded and should go into your garbage.

Super recycler's tip: the top of a pizza box is usually clean cardboard and can be torn off and put in the recycling bin! Please dispose of the bottom of a greasy pizza box in the garbage.

Do you have a recycling question? Send it to us at PCRECYCLE@PierceCountyWa.gov. We’ll send you a direct response and your question may appear in a future newsletter!

Launching a new Emergency Ride Home Program

If you are a sustainable commuter, you will always have a guaranteed way home.

Our Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program provides anyone who sustainably commutes to a worksite in Pierce County with vouchers to take a taxi home in case of an emergency.

What counts as a sustainable commute? Walking, biking, riding transit (bus, train, light rail), or riding in a carpool or vanpool.

To participate in the program, sign up through the Ride Together Pierce trip calendar. Once opted in, you will receive three ERH credits to use each calendar year. This can be a Lyft or Uber code, or a reimbursement form you can submit your receipt to.