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Thurston County, Washington

County Closed

Thurston County offices are closed Monday, February 17 in observance of Presidents Day. County offices will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18.

The content on the Thurston County website is currently provided in English. We are providing the “Translation” for approximately 10 languages. The goal of the translation is to provide visitors with limited English proficiency to access information on the website in other languages. The translations do not translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. The translations are made through an automated process, which may not result in accurate or precise translations, particularly of technical and legal terminology.

Public Works

3 women wearing hats and standing behind an outreach booth with a tablecloth that reads "Thurston County Public Works Solid Waste Division"


We offer people living in Thurston County a variety of ways to learn about garbage, recycling, and composting. We use presentations, tabling demonstrations, Question & Answer events, videos, and social media to help Thurston County reduce waste and recycle properly.

2025 Events

Spring Fix-It Fair!

A man and woman work together to fix an electric kettle with tools.

 

Date: Wednesday, April 16
When: 2:30pm-6:30pm
Where: Lacey MakerSpace at St. Martin's University 
Zaverl Hall, Building 5 Baran Drive Southeast, Lacey, WA 98503

Join us for our second community repair event at the Lacey MakerSpace! Volunteers will help repair clothing, lamps, housewares, jewelry, small appliances, and bicycles—for free!

For more information, or to sign up to attend or volunteer, visit ThurstonSolidWaste.org/FixIt

Earth Day 2025

A person in a garbage truck.

 

Date: Saturday, April 19
When: 1pm-4pm
Where: Woodland Creek Community Park
6729 Pacific Ave SE, Lacey, WA 98503

Celebrate Earth Day with a fun, family-friendly event focused on recycling and waste reduction! Enjoy interactive activities including LeMay’s Touch-a-Truck experience, where kids and adults alike will enjoy climbing aboard and learning how these vehicles help keep our community clean and green.

This event is in collaboration with Intercity Transit, The City of Lacey, and LeMay Pacific Disposal.

Free Compost Giveaway Event 2025

People shoveling compost.

 

Date: Saturday, May 3
When: 11am-2pm
Where: Hawks Prairie Park & Ride
2548 Hogum Bay Rd NE, Olympia, 98516

Thurston County residents are invited to pick up a free ½ yard of bulk compost, generously donated by Brady Trucking, as a celebration of International Compost Awareness Week (May 4-10). 

Please bring a shovel and gloves, and be prepared to load your own material. Compost is first come, first served while supplies last. Limit: 1/2 cubic yard (20 x 5-gallon buckets).

Compost offered at this event started as food and yard waste from residents and businesses in Thurston County. It was then processed into a finished compost product by Brady Trucking in Shelton, WA.

Need to contact us? Call (360) 867-2491 or email thurstonsolidwaste@co.thurston.wa.us​  

Presentations

We offer presentations for Thurston County based organizations, civic groups, neighborhood associations, classrooms, and other groups of 10 or more. Topics include: 

  • local recycling and garbage systems 
  • recycling 101
  • food and yard waste recycling
  • waste less food
  • low waste holidays

Contact us to request a presentation. We ask that you contact us at least three weeks prior to your desired presentation date.

 

A flyer with a variety of dates for recycling education presentations happening in 2025.
Thurston County is partnering with LeMay Pacific Disposal and The City of Yelm to offer every-other-month presentations to help residents and businesses reduce their landfill waste.
 
Description:
Recycling 101:
Join us to learn the basics of recycling! Thurston County's recycling & waste reduction specialists will break down how your waste flows through the county, how recycling markets work, and bust common misconceptions. Don't miss this chance to boost your recycling knowledge and contribute to a more sustainable Thurston County!
 

Can This be Recycled?:
This audience-driven session is all about answering your recycling questions. We invite you to bring in items you’re unsure about and get expert advice on which waste stream they belong to. It’s a fun, hands-on way to learn how to recycle more effectively and reduce waste in our community!

 
Time:
Presentations are generally the last Wednesday of every other month from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
 
Dates & Locations:
February 26: Recycling 101 - LeMay Pacific Disposal, 2904 Hogum Bay Rd NE, Lacey 
April 30: Can This Be Recycled? - Kenneydell Park Lodge, 6745 Fairview Rd SW, Olympia
June 25: Recycling 101 - Yelm Community Center, 301 2nd St SE, Yelm
August 27: Can This Be Recycled? - LeMay Pacific Disposal, 2904 Hogum Bay Rd NE, Lacey 
October 29: Recycling 101 - Virtual
November 19: Can This Be Recycled? - Virtual 
 

Registration is strongly encouraged as the space is limited to 30 participants. Light refreshments will be provided.

Recycling Matters Series Registration

Community Events

Our staff attend several community tabling events each year, ready to answer questions and share information about garbage, recycling, and food and yard waste recycling. 

If you are organizing an event and looking for an educational vendor, please contact us.

Event Date Location Time More Info
LOTT WET Science Center - Saturday Workshop Saturday, January 25 LOTT WET Science Center 10am-4pm See here
Billy Frank Jr. Celebration Wednesday, March 19 Timberline High School 5pm-7:30pm Coming Soon
Fix-It Fair  Wednesday, April 16 Lacey MakerSpace 2:30pm-6:30pm See here
Thurston County Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 19 Woodland Creek Community Park 1pm-4pm See below 
Free Compost Giveaway Saturday, May 3 Hawks Prairie Park & Ride 11am-2pm See below
Thurston County Fair

Thursday, July 31 - Sunday, August 3 

Exact date of attendance TBD

Thurston County Fairgrounds Exact time of attendance TBD See here
Eco Fair & Art Festival August - exact date TBD Good Shepherd Lutheran Church TBD See here
Nisqually Watershed Festival  Saturday, September 27 Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge TBD See here
Thurston County Harvest Festival Saturday, October 4 South Union Grange TBD See here