Home » Programs » Rethink Waste Project » Rethink » On Vacation

Rethink

On Vacation

Hello and welcome to Central Oregon! We’re glad you’re here. We love where we live and we hope you do to, so we want to share with you the top ways you can help us keep this place so wonderful. Below we highlight tips for wasting less while you’re on vacation.

Will you help us while you’re here?

Read below for ways you can reduce your waste in Deschutes County!

Bring Your Own!

Paper cups and other single-use disposables aren’t recyclable here or in many other communities. BYO to-go kit! Take inspiration from these kiddos at their summer camp with reusable water bottles.

Won’t use it? Refuse it!

Say no thanks to unneeded single-use extras like condiments, bags, drink lids, napkins, and silverware.

Recycle Right: don't be a wishful recycler.

Recycling might be different here than where you’re from. Did you know the chasing arrow symbol doesn’t mean recyclable? Find out how we do it: Recycle like a local.

Recycling! It’s done differently everywhere. Click below on the material type to learn about what is accepted here in Deschutes County.

Plastics

A few tips:

Keep your recyclables clean, dry, and loose (not bagged)
The chasing arrows symbol does NOT MEAN something is recyclable
Containers should be 6oz or larger

Yes! Put it in the comingled cart:

Bottles (shampoo, soda, mouth smaller than body)
Tubs (yogurt, cottage cheese)
Jugs (laundry soap, milk jugs, containers with a handle)
Nursery planter pots (4″ in diameter or larger)
Plastic buckets up to 5 gallons

No! Please put these in the trash:

Clamshells
Take out containers
Cups (all sizes, all colors — red solo cups, small water cups)
Lids or caps of any kind
Plastic wrap, bubble wrap, film, ziplocks, bread bags — take this stuff back to participating grocery stores (also, keep your recyclables loose — don’t bag them)
Blister packaging or nearly any other kind of plastic packaging
Styrofoam/polystyrene of any kind
Any other kind of plastic (ex: tarps, tennis racket strings, nylons or plastic clothing, hangers)

Not sure? Keep it out!

Paper

A few tips:

Keep your recyclables clean, dry, and loose (not bagged)
The chasing arrows symbol does NOT MEAN something is recyclable
Multi-layered packaging or paper is not recyclable in Deschutes County

Yes! Put it in the comingled cart:

Printer paper
Junk mail
Paperboard (not lined)
Cardboard (not lined or waxed)

No! Please put these in the trash:

Coffee cups
Photographs
Receipts
Any paper designed to hold wet items like: Coffee cups, Ice cream tubs, Frozen food packaging, Cartons, Tetrapaks (stock, soup, almond milk containers)
Did I say coffee cups?

Not sure? Keep it out!

Metal

A few tips:

Keep your recyclables clean, dry, and loose (not bagged)
The chasing arrows symbol does NOT MEAN something is recyclable
Containers should be 6oz or larger

Yes! Put it in the comingled cart:

Aluminum cans and bottles such as:
- Tuna cans
- Soda and beer cans
- Metal beer bottles
- Soup cans

What about metal lids?

Q: Can I recycle metal lids in my curbside cart?

A: Yes! But they need to be put securely inside another can. Tip– use pliers to bend the can closed so when you turn it upside down, the lids don’t fall out. For cans, you can also keep the lid attached by not going all the way around with the can opener.

No!

Scrap metal recycling can be dropped off at Schnitzer Steel or Knott Landfill’s Deschutes Recycling
Electrical cords

Not sure? Keep it out!

CHOOSE REUSE -- BYO is not just for delicious Central Oregon beer.

Central Oregon tap water is delicious. BYO water bottle.
Headed out to eat? BYO to-go container for leftovers.
Oregon has banned plastic bags as of January 2020: BYO reusable bag.

WASTE LESS FOOD: don't throw away 1/4 of your budget like the average person!

Ask if your lodging has composting options — if they don’t, let them know it’s important to you.
Consider splitting an entree to reduce food waste. An estimated 40% of food ends up in the landfill.
Buy in bulk! There are lots of options in Bend and you can get just the amount you need.

ADVOCATE

Speak up at your accommodations if you see how it could be done better!

Why does rethinking waste matter?

Reducing waste is a social, environmental, and financial issue:

Our local Knott landfill is projected to be full by 2029. If we can reduce the waste going to the landfill by producing less waste but recycling right and composting our organics, we can do our best to prolong its life. That way, we can put off having to site and build a new landfill which will be very costly.
Food waste and other organic material break down into methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. By wasting less food, we can reduce the amount of methane that gets released into our Central Oregon air. Read more about wasting less food here.
A lot of waste is plastic packaging. Plants that make plastic are most often built in fence line communities: that is, low-income communities and communities of color. The pollution that happens in production, manufacturing, and disposal of that plastic disproportionately impacts those communities. It’s also a health and wellness issue for anyone who uses it, especially related to food and water intake. You can read more about the issue of plastic here.