Columbia County in northwestern Oregon is a rural county with a population of 53,000. The area is known for its beautiful hiking trails, fishable creeks and rivers, and hidden treasures such as island camping. Residents and businesses frequently use the Columbia County Transfer Station in St. Helens to drop off a range of items for free such as electronics, batteries, glass, plastics, metals, and paper products as well as it is a one-stop shop for all residential and commercially generated trash.
The county solid waste coordinator realized an opportunity to amplify the community’s waste diversion efforts. Through an extensive research and planning process in 2024-2025 the county partnered with Waste Connections, dba Hudson Garbage., the contracted transfer station operator, to develop the Reuse Program.
The Reuse Specialist hired by Hudson Garbage identifies and recovers new or like-new items from the tip floor, tests the items to ensure they are in functional and sellable condition, and stores them in three 20-foot containers prior to distributing them to local nonprofits. The items range from construction supplies and tools, recreation and sporting gear, kids’ toys, clothing, home décor, furniture, art and craft materials, and other reusable items. The Reuse Specialist tracks all the items, material weights, and which community partner received which items.
Since launching in fall 2025, the program has diverted 60,000 pounds of material to community partners including Habitat for Humanity, Top-Notch Thrift Store, the Scappoose Senior Center, the city of St. Helens Parks and Recreation, schools, libraries and other local nonprofit organizations.
“I really love the Reuse Program and my role in it,” said Lori Baker, Reuse Specialist. “I get to help divert usable items from the landfill and get them to terrific local nonprofits like the senior center’s Top-Notch Thrift Store and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which helps support their missions and our community. I also get to interact with customers and provide recycling support.”
Tatum Flowers, Columbia County Solid Waste Coordinator, said the results show how effective the program is. “A program like this is rare, and with continued support from Hudson Garbage and the Reuse Specialist, we’ve already seen a huge impact,” Flowers said.
In addition to creating another life for useable products, the Reuse Program reduces greenhouse gas emissions, conserves resources, and generates revenue for local nonprofits to sustain senior meal programs and housing for community members. It saves the county money on landfill tipping fees and extends the life of the landfill making this program a win-win for the county, community and the environment.
The Solid Waste division plans to continue working with community partners and the transfer station operator to expand reuse opportunities and reduce the amount of material entering the landfill.