PlanetCon: A Free Recycling, Reuse and Sustainability Fair

Next Event: January 14, 2023
Join our email list at the above link to keep updated, or follow the Facebook page for Westside Planet Alliance

When: January 14, 2023 11am - 2pm
Where: PCC Rock Creek campus at 17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, OR 97229, parking lot E and building 9.
This event has an outdoor drop-off as well as an indoor location.
Download our PlanetCon checklist to prepare for the event (TBD).

Event Details

Quick Links

PlanetCon checklist (TBD) to help you prepare
Shop the really, really, free table - Drop-off and/or pickup items with a winter holiday decor theme.
Get something fixed with Repair Fair
Donate usable items - Bicycles, eyeglasses, hearing aids, warm winter clothing and hygiene items
Drop-off items for recycling and proper disposal

Batteries, CFL's, medications, and sharps (collected by Metro)
Computers, Electronics and other small corded items
Selected plastics. Read collection event details carefully.
Redeemable Cans and Bottles

What We Won't Take
Visit information tables
Have fun!
Learn More

**** Check back before the event for any last-minute additions! ****

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Shop the really, really free table
Bring in your clean and usable winter holiday decor. Then browse the tables to find items you can use!

Please limit to what you can carry in with your arms in one trip from the car. No over-sized or heavy items.
It is not necessary to bring something in order to take something home.
There is no limit to what you can take.

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Get Something Fixed with Repair Fair
Bring your broken household items for free repair. Acceptable items include bikes, electronics, small furniture, lamps, small appliances like blenders or coffee makers, jewelry, and clothing. Registration is required using the Item Registration button below. Limited to two items per person.

Repair Fair Item Registration

Back to Links

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Drop off items for recycling or proper disposal
Recycle #1 PET/PETE Plastic
Look for the resin code PETE or PET #1 and separate them into two categories:

Clear plastic (no colors or opaque plastic) clamshells, trays, cups, egg cartons, salad and pastry boxes and take-out containers.
Bottles and tubs marked with #1, PET or PETE that are smaller than 6oz. This includes small bottles/tubs of any color, including prescription bottles and hotel sized shampoo containers.

Items must be clean and dry with no food residue.
Labels are OK.

Clear #1 PETE examples

Colored #1 small PETE bottles

Recycle #5 PP Plastic
Look for resin code #5 or PP. Accepted items include cups, trays, lids, tofu containers, planter pots, storage bins, DVD cases (with paper/plastic film removed), prescription medication bottles, small toiletry bottles and other items stamped with #5 PP.

Items must be clean and dry with no food residue.
Labels are OK.

example #5 containers

Electronics, small appliances, string lights and printer ink cartridges
Computer Drive Connection will be accepting the following items

Any small appliance with a cord.
Desktop and laptop computers
Flat panel monitors and televisions. No CRTs
Printers/Typewriters
CD Roms/Modems/Networking Devices
Circuit Boards/Circuit Board Components
Wire, cables and charging cords
Keyboards, mice, power supplies, headphones
Telephone Equipment/ Cell Phones
Audio and video equipment
Inkjet and Toner Cartridges
String lights (holiday, garden lights) with a cord

NO items that contain coolant/refrigerant (refrigerators, freezers, A/C units) . NO cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions or monitors.

Batteries
Please sort your batteries into the following groups:
1) alkaline (AAA thru D, 9-volt)
2) button/coin cell
3) rechargeable batteries
NO car or other lead-acid batteries

Medical sharps
Medical sharps including needles, syringes, lancets, and epi pens. These must be contained in an approved sharps containers.

Free sharps containers will also be given out.

Medications
Its OK to bring meds in a plastic baggie and bring their containers separately for recycling if #1 or #5.

Do not flush unused medications down the drain.

CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs) - No tubes or broken bulbs

Redeemable Cans and Bottles
Support the Westside Planet Alliance (WPA) by bringing your deposit/redeemable bottles and cans to PlanetCon. The WPA, a non-profit organization, is raising funds through the BottleDrop program to cover the costs of coordinating community events like PlanetCon.

An alternative way to support our efforts is to make a small, optional donation to our Paypal account using a credit card.

Back to links

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children's and adult bicycles

Donate Usable Items

Donate bicycles from children's to adult sizes. Washco Bikes, a non-profit in Hillsboro, will be accepting bikes and bike parts in any condition for donation and recycling. They also will take bike accessories including lights, pumps, gear, and bike racks. TBD: A bike technician will also be on hand to make bike repairs on your personal bike if needed.

hearing aids and eyeglasses

Donate used eyeglasses and hearing aids - Accepted items includes prescription eyeglasses of any size, readers, sunglasses, clip on sunglasses, fit-overs, safety goggles and swim goggles. Frames must be intact with no breakage but It is OK to have scratched lenses. If a screw is missing but the lens/lenses are there, keep parts together. Also collected are hearing aids, hearing aid batteries and other hearing aid accessories. These items will be collected by the Lions Club to be given to people in need worldwide.

Donate clean warm clothing and hygiene items - Washington County Housing Services will collect the following for people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity:

Warm coats, gloves/mittens, socks, blankets. Good condition items only please.
Unopened hygiene products of any sort including hotel/travel toiletries/hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc.)

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What We Won't Take
We cannot take any items that are not on the above list - Check with the Washington County What to Recycle and Where online tool which shows where to recycle items the closest to your address.

No plastic bags will be accepted. These can to taken to many local stores including Safeway/Albertsons, Fred Meyers, Winco, and New Seasons.
No styrofoam or #6 plastics will be accepted. These can be taken to Agilyx in Tigard.
No #2, #3, #4, #7 plastics and no plastics missing the #1 or #5 code. Find opportunities to recycle other rigid plastics by visiting the James Recycling website.
NO torn or dirty clothing. Clothing in good condition is accepted at several non-profits including Goodwill and The Assistance League of Greater Portland.
Please be prepared to haul away items you bring that can't be accepted

Back to Links

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Information Tables
Learn more about important topics to boost your knowledge!

Reduce, Reuse and Repair tips
Preventing and reducing wasted food with Eat Smart, Waste Less
Recycling at home
Reducing your use of single-use items
Learn how to make your own Green Cleaners to reduce toxics in the home
Master Recycler program trains citizens on recycling and sustainable practices
350 Washington County, a local chapter of 350.org, an international organization dedicated to fighting climate change
and more!!

Back to Quick Links

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Have Fun!
This is a volunteer-driven event and we would really like for you to enjoy yourself.

PlanetCon poster (English) - 8.5X11 inch size (TBD)
PlanetCon poster (Spanish) - 8.5x11 inch size (TBD)

This FREE event is brought to you by the Westside Planet Alliance with the support of PCC Rock Creek, Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling, and Metro.

Questions? Contact Us

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Learn more about helping the Earth

REDUCE

Reduce your consumption of nature's resources as much as possible. For example, reduce car trips by biking, taking public transportation or consolidating trips. Take shorter showers. Lower the heat and put on a sweater. Replace your lawn with low-water-use native plants. Buy products with minimum packaging. Cook at home more often and reduce fast-food and take-out which uses disposable items. Buy food in bulk and bring your own containers if possible. Don't buy items you don't need-take photos for a souvenir instead. Make your own cleaners instead of expensive cleaners with chemicals. Give gifts of experiences not just more "stuff".
REFUSE unnecessary items including plastic straws, free junky items at events, paper napkins, and extra single servings of condiments (ketchup, hot sauce).

REUSE

Buy reusable products. Begin with a reusable water bottle and drink cup instead of buying beverages in single-use, disposable cups. Take reusable bags to the grocery store, including produce bags. Rent or borrow tools and items that you won't use frequently. The local libraries are wonderful sources of everything from books to movies, games, appliances, music, and more. Buy used items at thrift stores and garage sales instead of buying new. Participate in swap events. Use cloth napkins, towels, and tissues at home to replace paper products.
REPAIR items that break: Metro area Repair/Fixit Fairs help fix broken items at no charge. Youtube has many "how-to-fix" videos. Learn how to mend your own clothes.

RECYCLE

When items aren't reusable, try to recycle them. Glass, clean paper products, metal cans and plastic tubs, jugs and bottles can be put in curbside containers at single-family residences. What can't be recycled curbside can often be recycled at other places. Far West Recycling takes everything from cooking oil to electronics. Use a worm or compost bin to turn food scraps into rich, natural fertilizer for your garden.