Washington County details outreach, app and recycling programs; app logged over 100,000 recycling searches in 2025
June 19, 2026 | Washington County, Oregon
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Kate Tesray, Washington County’s education and outreach supervisor, presented a summary of the Solid Waste and Recycling Division’s 2025 programs, budget and performance data to the advisory committee.
Tesray said the division’s 2025–26 education and outreach budget is $1,876,945, roughly 73% for personnel and 27% for materials and supplies, funded through Metro grants and franchise fees. The division provides countywide education (excluding the city of Beaverton) and supports municipalities through intergovernmental agreements.
Digital engagement was a highlight: Tesray reported 104,768 unique searches for recycling questions in 2025, 705,831 schedule views, 27,397 addresses set with reminders, 83,245 first-time visitors to calendar tools and 59,533 mobile app installs to date. "We reach people at home through printed and digital educational materials... and the app is available in several languages," she said.
Key program areas Tesray reviewed included multifamily outreach (analysis of more than 200 properties, 141 letters to properties not meeting regional service standards and 55 site visits), the Green Business Leaders business-assistance program (assisted 641 businesses and recorded 1,403 interactions), and food-waste diversion—staff reported 5,049 tons of commercial food waste collected and composted in 2025. Repair fairs, a tire-collection partnership with Les Schwab that recycled 3,150 tires in a month-long event and a school-supply reuse project (over 8,000 pounds collected and 191 educator visits) were cited as successful community-facing activities.
Committee members asked about common recycling contaminants (styrofoam, plastic film, batteries), multimedia and app capabilities, and the availability of regional drop-off depots; Tesray and other staff described operational limits, data-collection constraints and plans to explore short-form video and contamination-reduction campaigns.
Tesray said staff will continue prioritizing multifamily contamination reduction and building capacity for media outreach as new team members onboard.
Tesray said the division’s 2025–26 education and outreach budget is $1,876,945, roughly 73% for personnel and 27% for materials and supplies, funded through Metro grants and franchise fees. The division provides countywide education (excluding the city of Beaverton) and supports municipalities through intergovernmental agreements.
Digital engagement was a highlight: Tesray reported 104,768 unique searches for recycling questions in 2025, 705,831 schedule views, 27,397 addresses set with reminders, 83,245 first-time visitors to calendar tools and 59,533 mobile app installs to date. "We reach people at home through printed and digital educational materials... and the app is available in several languages," she said.
Key program areas Tesray reviewed included multifamily outreach (analysis of more than 200 properties, 141 letters to properties not meeting regional service standards and 55 site visits), the Green Business Leaders business-assistance program (assisted 641 businesses and recorded 1,403 interactions), and food-waste diversion—staff reported 5,049 tons of commercial food waste collected and composted in 2025. Repair fairs, a tire-collection partnership with Les Schwab that recycled 3,150 tires in a month-long event and a school-supply reuse project (over 8,000 pounds collected and 191 educator visits) were cited as successful community-facing activities.
Committee members asked about common recycling contaminants (styrofoam, plastic film, batteries), multimedia and app capabilities, and the availability of regional drop-off depots; Tesray and other staff described operational limits, data-collection constraints and plans to explore short-form video and contamination-reduction campaigns.
Tesray said staff will continue prioritizing multifamily contamination reduction and building capacity for media outreach as new team members onboard.
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