Clark County Green Neighbors encourages residents to reduce their food waste by participating in the 2022 WasteBusters Challenge: food waste prevention edition!

Food waste has increasing environmental impacts on a local, national, and international stage. In 2018, the Washington Department of Ecology recorded 479,428 tons of wasted edible food, an increase of almost 100,000 tons from 2015.

The 21-day WasteBusters Challenge is March 1-21 and participants can join as individuals or as a team. Participants can reduce their environmental impact by committing to one of three… Read More

The Clark County Council is seeking applicants to fill a volunteer position on the Solid Waste Advisory Commission.

The open position is for a representative who lives in North Clark County.

The term for position begins immediately and ends Sept. 30, 2024. 

Commission members act as representatives of their regions or stakeholder groups and advise the county council on solid waste issues, such as recycling, garbage collection, landfills, transfer stations and waste-reduction programs. Members also, at times, participate in solid waste-related projects and… Read More

COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise in Clark County with more than 6,000 new cases reported in the last week. COVID-19 testing is in high demand and wait times for appointments and results may be several days. People should not go to emergency departments for testing if they do not need emergency medical care.

Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms and cannot access testing or is waiting for a test appointment should stay home and away from others unless they need to seek medical care. People who test positive using an at-home COVID-19 test do not need to confirm the result by getting… Read More

Clark County’s Master Composter Recycler program is offering a free training for people interested in becoming program volunteers. Anyone interested in composting and recycling, and who wants to become a sustainability ambassador should consider becoming a Master Composter Recycler volunteer.

The free training provides volunteers with the tools and knowledge to build a hot compost pile, tend a worm bin, clean with green cleaners and reduce waste. Volunteers are asked to share what they learn by completing community service hours in exchange for the training. Volunteers represent… Read More

Clark County’s Green Business program will hold a free virtual Morning Blend networking event 8:30-9:30 am Thursday, Jan. 13 via Zoom.

Morning Blend is an opportunity to network, discuss green business efforts in the workplace, and learn about solutions for reducing our impact on the environment.

The event will feature a presentation by representatives of Clark Public Utilities. Matt Babbitts, energy resources program manager, and Bart Hansen, key account manager, will cover the Solar Net Metering Program, Green Lights Program, Electric Vehicle Program, and the Clean Energy… Read More

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Solid Waste and Environmental Outreach encourages residents to see trash in a new way by attending a free art gallery showing in January.

Waste Connections of Washington and Clark County Public Health present the “Trash to Treasure Artist in Residence” art exhibit. The exhibit features sculptures created by Recycled Arts Festival artist Bill Leigh from unwanted objects discarded at local transfer stations. Each piece of artwork consists of at least 75% recycled materials and will be available for purchase during the gallery showing in January.

After the holiday festivities wind down, Clark County Public Health urges residents to recycle their Christmas trees, rather than tossing them in the trash.

From Thanksgiving to the New Year, holiday waste accounts for an additional 20 to 25 percent increase in trash, including Christmas trees. The National Christmas Tree Association estimates 25 to 30 million live Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year. Clark County is among the top counties in Washington for cut trees.

Before trees are recycled, all lights, tinsel, wire, ornaments and stands must be removed.… Read More

The omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in two Clark County cases, one of whom is linked to outbreaks among wrestling teams.

The omicron variant was first detected in Washington state earlier this month. As of Wednesday, the state Department of Health had identified more than a dozen cases of the variant, including at least three cases associated with wrestling outbreaks occurring across the state. The Department of Health notified Clark County Public Health of the local omicron cases this weekend.

Molecular and antigen COVID-19 tests detect infections of the SARS… Read More

The Clark County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed the identity of a woman whose body was discovered 17 years ago.

The Medical Examiner’s Office recently identified Donna Lee Swindell as the unidentified person found in Hazel Dell on Nov. 6, 2004. Swindell was 57 years old at the time of her death. The cause and manner of her death are undetermined.

Randon Walker was a homicide detective with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office when Swindell’s body was discovered. Walker worked the case as a detective, but lost hope that the woman would be identified after exhausting… Read More

Clark County Solid Waste and Environmental Outreach encourages people to take steps to reduce waste as they celebrate the holidays.

Household waste in the U.S. and Clark County typically increases 20% to 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Trash cans fill up with holiday food waste, shopping bags, bows and ribbons, packaging, and wrapping paper that contribute an additional 1 million tons a week to our country’s landfills. But by taking a few simple steps to reduce, reuse and recycle, the holiday season can be a little greener.

The holidays may look different this… Read More