There are a number of places within the Grand Coulee area where people can recycle or dispose of items.

The idea of recycling has often come up at the Regional Board of Mayors, but not acted on because some of the towns involved don’t want to participate because of the expense.

Under Grant County’s recycling directory, the following local places will take certain items for either recycling or disposal:

Coulee Hardware in Grand Coulee will take rechargeable batteries (Nickel Metal Hydride (NI-MH), Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead (Ph).

The store is also a drop-off place for cell phones and cell phone batteries.

Coulee Recycling (near the transfer station) accepts aluminum cans, non-ferrous metal (doesn’t contain iron) and steel.

The Delano Regional Transfer Station accepts cardboard, used motor oil, metal, and metal appliances.

The Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center, on Grand Coulee’s Main Street, accepts aluminum cans, cell phones, clothing and small household items, printer cartridges, eyeglasses, and hearing aids.

Harvest Foods in Coulee Dam accepts aluminum cans (outside collection site for the senior center).

Grand Coulee’s police department, inside its lobby, takes old medicine (prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs).

Les Schwab Tire Center accepts automotive batteries.

Safeway in Grand Coulee takes plastic grocery bags and has an outdoor collection site for aluminum cans for the senior center.

Grant County officials point out that waste reduction saves disposal costs and landfill space at the Ephrata landfill.

Officials recommend:

Choose items with the least amount of packaging or buy in bulk.

Remove your name from junk mail lists by mailing or faxing the address label back to the company asking that your name be removed.

Leave your grass clippings on your lawn instead of bagging them.

Donate unwanted items to Goodwill, or a local thrift shop, or have a garage sale to get rid of them.

Cut back on your magazine subscriptions or share them with others.