Submitted by Community Treasures

Community Treasures will now focus on thrift shop sales. Staff will charge 20 cents a pound for unusable items and recycling items that islanders don’t take to the San Juan Transfer Station on Sutton Road.

This change is due to:

1) The continued downturn in the recycling market.

2) Lautenbach Industries’ decision to start specified separated recycling. As a 501(c)3, Community Treasures staff does not want to compete against or duplicate services provided by a local business. Also, many Community Treasures recycling activities were sustained as a community service through funds earned from thrift shop sales.

3) The county has not changed Community Treasures’ land use designation and the county has not designated it as an Essential Public Facility site, so its future as a reuse facility is still in question.

Community Treasures will continue thrift shop sales and encouraging San Juan Islanders to take recycling and unmarketable furniture to the transfer station. This will be cheaper than taking them to Community Treasures.

Staff will spend the next eight months focusing on upgrading its thrift shop activities and waiting to see if the county changes Community Treasures land-use designation so its reuse activities can become permanent and conforming. Community Treasures new policies and services are listed below, as of Oct. 30, 2017.

Policies:

· Items donated to Community Treasures are available free to service organizations, formal nonprofit organizations, and properly identified individuals in need.

· We give out tax-deductible receipts, and accept items for free that are in excellent condition or less than 10 years old. Otherwise, disposal of older items is subject to the fees below.

· Requests for us to haul, pick up or deliver items will be at the rate of $45 an hour for a truck and driver. If additional labor is needed, the rate will increase by $35 an hour per extra person. There is a minimum fee for a pickup or delivery of $45.

Our Fees and Services:

Items accepted for free:

Free: Precious metals, lead-acid batteries, furniture that is in excellent condition, aluminum cans, roofing, downspouts, rims, extrusions, other items that are in good, clean, marketable condition

Items charged:

$60 each for older, or any non-working, Freon filled items: refrigerators, air conditioners

$20 each for washers, dryers, dishwashers, trash compactors

$10 each for propane tanks and car tires

$5 a gallon for unmarketable or old paint (newer, standard color paints are free)

20 cents a pound for non-sellable windows

20 cents a pound for worn out furniture

15 cents a pound for steel or tin

20 cents a pound for old carpet

20 cents a pound for toilets, porcelain sinks

20 cents a pound for hauling away leftover items of garage sales that we are overstocked on

20 cents a pound plus labor fees to haul away large items to recycle or dispose of on the mainland

25 cents a pound for unsorted recyclables