From the Office of Resilience and Climate Action and Solid Waste Divisions | | Waste Less Food, Save More Ca$h | | |
Pierce County and the City of Tacoma’s Solid Waste Divisions are teaming up this summer to help residents cut food waste and keep more money in their pockets.
Did you know nearly 1/3 of all food is wasted on its way from food to fork? That's like tossing one out of every three bags of groceries in the trash.
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From May through Food Waste Prevention Week (September 28 - October 4), look for County and City staff at local events sharing practical tips including:
- Meal planning
- Smart shopping
- Proper food storage
Residents who commit to trying 1-2 food waste reduction habits can even enter a raffle to win a prize!
The campaign kicks off on Saturday, May 2 at the Puyallup Farmers Market and the South Sound Sustainability Expo. Look for us at community events throughout the summer and learn more tips on how to reduce food waste at PierceCountyWa.gov/FoodWaste.
Share your food saving commitment with friends and family to amplify the message that wasting less food saves more cash!
| | A Roadmap to Clean Energy and Cost Savings | | Washington just launched its Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), a roadmap to cut emissions, lower costs and build a more sustainable energy future. State leaders gathered at the Pierce County Environmental Services Building at Chambers Bay to mark the milestone and outline the path forward. | | Local leaders at the CCAP launch in Pierce County. | | The plan isn't just about net-zero emissions by 2050. It's an economic strategy. It could save nearly $17 billion by 2050 while creating jobs and expanding clean energy across the state. Read the plan and take action: WA CCAP Report. | | Plant-Powered Plates at Heartwood Haven | | |
The benefits of plant-based eating are bountiful: improved health, safer environments, and happier animals.
Join us for a brief cooking demo, interactive discussion, and tour with Heartwood Haven, a local non-profit that “fights against the disastrous effects of animal cruelty through rescue, education, and sanctuary to promote a more compassionate world for animals and humans.”
May 16, 1-3 p.m.
Heartwood Haven in Roy
We hope to see you there!
| | Tilly, resident at Heartwood Haven. Photo credit: Heartwood Haven | | Let Bike Month Commence, Start Rolling! | | |
Ready, set, roll! Bike Month is officially here. Get rewarded for riding your bike to destinations like the grocery store, coffee shop, work, park—everywhere. Riding your bike is one of the best ways you can enjoy nature, socialize, get exercise and reduce your travel expenses.
Prizes for logging bike trips on the trip calendar this May include:
- $50 gift cards to a local bike shop
- $20 gift codes
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Team pizza party for top bike teams
| | | Login or sign up on the trip calendar to enter the prize drawing, plan your bike route, find a local bike buddy to join you on your ride, or create a bike team. | | Flex Your Trivia Knowledge at Transit Trivia | | |
June is Ride Transit Month in Washington! Celebrate with Ride Together Pierce, Pierce Transit and Tacoma On the Go at our fifth annual in-person trivia event. Individuals or teams (up to 6 players) will answer transit related questions featuring historical facts, transit in pop culture and local transit knowledge. This is a celebration of public transit and its significance in our lives, communities, and broader culture.
Transit Trivia will take place on Tuesday, June 9, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Mikey's Public House and Frog Pub (former location of Zeek’s) in downtown Tacoma.
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This event is free to participate, and the event and location are family friendly.
Registration is strongly encouraged!
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Thank you for helping keep food waste out of our landfill! We have a couple of tips to help minimize the yuck factor both inside and outside of your home.
We recommend using a kitchen collection pail with a lid and emptying it frequently. After emptying it, make sure to rinse it out and plan to thoroughly clean it or run it through your dishwasher once a month or so.
While we do not want bags labeled “compostable” because they will not break down fast enough in our system, you can line your collection pail with a thin layer of paper—like a single paper towel or a small sheet of newspaper. This very small amount of paper can be easily processed in our system.
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When putting food waste in your cart with yard waste, layer the food scraps with yard debris. Stockpiling leaves in the fall ensures you always have some additional material to mix in.
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Food and yard waste is collected every two weeks in Pierce County. If you don’t want your food waste sitting outside that long we recommend freezing your scraps and dumping them into your cart right before your collection day.
Occasionally rinsing out your cart with a hose after it’s been emptied, letting it dry in the sun, and then sprinkling with baking soda also helps reduce potential odors.
| | Do you have a recycling question? Email us at PCRECYCLE@PierceCountyWa.gov. We’ll send you a direct response and your question may appear in a future newsletter! | | New learning opportunities are headed your way this May as part of the Earth Matters Series. Learn more and register. | | | |
Hot Composting and Tumblers
May 14, 6-8 p.m.
WSU Master Gardeners Victoria Room/Demonstration Garden in Puyallup
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Hot Composting and Tumblers
May 16, 1-3 p.m.
Sehmel Homestead Park Pavilion in Gig Harbor
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Worm Composting
May 19, 6-7:30 p.m.
The Farm at Franklin Pierce Schools in Midland and Zoom
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Explore & Restore
May 30, 10 a.m.–Noon
Orangegate Park in Tacoma (Summit-Waller)
| | May Edible Gardens Workshops | | |
Explore the basics of successful vegetable gardening with our free Edible Gardens Workshop Series. Workshops are taught by educators from Pierce County and Harvest Pierce County.
In May, our offerings include:
- Growing Food Indoors - May 2
- Garden Planning for Fall & Winter - May 9
Hybrid and in-person classes are offered through October. View the schedule and register. Help us spread the word with our flyer.
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Read with us:
Watch with us:
Do with us:
- Visit our Solid Waste staff at the Puyallup Farmers Market to get your recycling and food/yard waste collection questions answered! May 2, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Pioneer Park.
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Paper shredding events:
- Discovery Elementary School: May 2, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Ford Middle School: May 9, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Puyallup Elks Lodge: May 16, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
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Homestead and Emergency Fair May 3, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Fruitland Grange
- WSU Master Gardener offerings:
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Veggie Gardening with Ease: May 7, 5:30-7 p.m. at Milton/Edgewood Library
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More Trees, Please!: May 9, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at South Tacoma Library
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Room to Resist: Defensible Zones and Wildfire Safety: May 9, 10–11 a.m. in Gig Harbor
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Right Plant, Right Place: May 9, 2-3:30 p.m. at University Place Library
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Rooted in the PNW: Embracing Native Plants in your Garden: May 16, 10 a.m.–11 a.m. in Puyallup
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Living With a Volcano in Your Backyard: May 7, 4–5 p.m. at Fife Library
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Biochar Kiln Demo & Workshop: May 9, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. in Buckley
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Creative Reuse Crafting - Darning with Tacoma Remakery: May 12, 5-6:30 p.m. at Sumner Library
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Women’s Impact on Tacoma: Past, Present, and Future: Tacoma On the Go – May 13, 6-7 p.m. in downtown Tacoma
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Septic Tank Maintenance Webinar May 13, 6-7pm
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Plants As Medicine: May 16, 12–1 p.m. at Anderson Island Library
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Youth Climate Festival: May 17, 1-5 p.m. at UW-Tacoma William Philip Hall
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Attracting Native Bees to Your Garden Oasis: May 27, 5–6 p.m. at Tillicum Library
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WE-Bike rebate: there are many participating retailers in Pierce County
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Beyond the Bin Community Reuse Event held weekly on Fridays, from April through September 2026 at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center.
Civic Engagement Opportunities:
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