South Whidbey business owners can now skip a trip to the recycling center and take advantage of a new program that provides curbside recycling services.

A few months ago, Island Disposal began offering this option to commercial customers for the first time. For a rate of $29.50 per month, the company’s trucks will service one 96-gallon container every other week.

The commingle program accepts a variety of items that have been cleaned, such as cardboard, mixed waste paper (newspaper or office paper), aluminum, tin, #1 and #2 plastic beverage and food containers. The material is sorted at a facility in Tacoma by a combination of machines, computers and individuals into the appropriate commodity streams.

If customers are unsure about the recyclable status of an item, they can always consult a recycle wizard available online at islanddisposalinc.com.

“We want to make it easy as possible to divert legitimate recyclable product from the garbage waste stream,” said Island Disposal Site Manager Andrew Riggs.

Previously, Island Disposal only offered a commercial recycling program for cardboard and mixed waste paper with the exception of the town of Coupeville, which has had curbside recycling for a while.

Riggs said the biggest challenge so far has been finding a suitable location for the new cans to go. In downtown Langley, for example, the city blocks are tight and it can be difficult for trucks to maneuver around. Although Island Disposal began introducing automated trucks last year to service routes, the company is utilizing manual rear-loaded trucks for the commercial recycling customers.

So far, just under 100 customers have signed up for the new program.

“We do anticipate that there will be more need or interest as the busier time of the year rolls around,” Riggs said.

Interested commercial customers can contact Island Disposal customer service at customerservice2144@wcnx.org or 360-678-5701 to learn more about the new recycling program.

Although this new program is only for businesses, exciting changes may be ahead for residents.

“This is the first step in a measured roll out to expand recycling services on the island,” Riggs said. “The goal is to begin a residential curbside program end of 2023, beginning of 2024.”