In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the next PlanetCon event has been tentatively set for June 2021.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in April 2020, Team PlanetCon was created to participate in an online competition: the Drawdown EcoChallenge. Although the EcoChallenge has ended, you can still join our team to participate in future challenges and to learn about existing climate change solutions. Watch our video on how to get started. |
PlanetCon: A Recycling, Reuse and Sustainability Fair
Join us in June 2021 for a free community recycle and swap event in Hillsboro, Oregon.
WHO: Washington County residents with items to recycle, repair and swap. No businesses please.
When: June 2021 11am - 2pm -TENTATIVE DATE, pending corona virus mitigation
Where: TBD
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag to take home some free items from our Swap. You do not need to bring something to take something.
Donate: This event is free, but we are taking donations of personal products, eyeglasses, and bicycles for those in need. We would also appreciate small cash donations to help us pay for event expenses. No checks please.
Prepare: To get ready for this awesome event, review the checklist below (not yet available). You can also view the YouTube videos which cover more details with the plastic recycling.
WHO: Washington County residents with items to recycle, repair and swap. No businesses please.
When: June 2021 11am - 2pm -TENTATIVE DATE, pending corona virus mitigation
Where: TBD
BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag to take home some free items from our Swap. You do not need to bring something to take something.
Donate: This event is free, but we are taking donations of personal products, eyeglasses, and bicycles for those in need. We would also appreciate small cash donations to help us pay for event expenses. No checks please.
Prepare: To get ready for this awesome event, review the checklist below (not yet available). You can also view the YouTube videos which cover more details with the plastic recycling.
Event Details
Quick Links
Back Closet Swap
Repair Fair
Recycle
- Polystyrene Foam (Styrofoam)
- Rigid Plastics: Plastic Caps, Lids, Containers, Beverage Handles, Outdoor Furniture, Nursery Plant Pots and Trays
- Computers and Electronics
- Automobile Tires
- Candles and Candle Wax
What We Won't Take
Information Tables and Talks
Have Fun!
Learn More
_Back Closet Swap Swap your clean and usable items from the following categories: School supplies: used or new pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, ring binders, erasers. Please remove used pages from notebooks and recycle them. All items must still be usable. Puzzles and board games - Ensure usable condition. A few missing puzzle pieces is fine. Games such as rubix cubes and similar are fine. No electronic games will be accepted. Selected arts and craft supplies - See list below: o Jewelry making / beading supplies - beads, stones, wires/cords, tools, etc o Sewing notions/accessories - elastic, thread, buttons, zippers, binding, ribbon, measuring tape, etc. o Scrapbooking and other paper-related art supplies - decorative papers, cardstock, construction paper, stickers, albums, associated tools like scissors, glue, stickers, embellishments, stencils, etc. o Drawing and artist painting supplies - pens, pencils, markers, erasers, blending tools, templates, drawing paper, ink, paint, etc. o Rubber stamps and stamp pads. o Cookie cutters and/or clay tools o Unopened craft kits (like ones made by Klutz, etc. you find at JoAnn or Michael's) o Needlework supplies for embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, canvas work: threads, linen/Aida fabric/canvas, hoops & q-snaps, charts, ribbons
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Repair Fair
Bring your broken household or personal items for free repair. Acceptable items include small appliances like blenders or coffee makers, jewelry, bikes or torn clothing. Please do not bring items requiring fuel. Please register your item to be repaired. Limit to two items per person.
- Did you know? Repair Fairs are FREE events where volunteers with “fixing” skills help others fix broken items. You may have also heard them called fix-it clinics or Repair Cafes. They are held roughly monthly in Washington County. Signup for the repair fair e-news to keep updated on upcoming events.
_![]() Recycle Recycle Polystyrene Foam (often called Styrofoam®) - Look for resin code #6. This includes block foam, packing foam, foam clamshells, foam coolers, egg cartons, coffee cups and foam meat trays of any color.
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Rigid Plastics: Plastic caps, lids, Containers, Beverage Handles, Outdoor Furniture, Nursery Plant Pots and Trays
Rigid plastic must be CLEAN, DRY, SORTED, and FREE OF LABELS, FOIL and METAL
We will accept the following rigid plastic:
Rigid plastic must be CLEAN, DRY, SORTED, and FREE OF LABELS, FOIL and METAL
We will accept the following rigid plastic:
- Threaded plastic caps from bottles, jugs, and jars. There should be no food residue or mold and remove any paper/metal inserts from inside the cap if possible. It is not necessary to have a resin code on the threaded plastic caps. Examples: plastic caps from household containers such as detergent jugs, food bottles and jars, milk jugs, drink containers, shampoo and medicine bottles.
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Examples of #2, #4, #5, #6 plastic that will be accepted at PlanetCon: Lids, cups, trays, beverage handles, take out and other containers that are not accepted in home mixed recycling bins.
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Computers & Electronics - Drop off unused and non-functioning electronics from the list below - at no charge. Any small appliance with a cord. Desktop Computers Laptops/Hard Disk Drives/Floppy Disk Drives Flat panel monitors and televisions. No CRTs Printers/Typewriters CD Roms/Modems/Networking Devices Circuit Boards/Circuit Board Components Wire headphones and charging cords Keyboards/Mice/Power Supplies Test Equipment/Point of Sale Equipment Aluminum Sheet/Cast or Unclean Telephone Equipment/ Cell Phones Radios/VCRs/Projectors Inkjet and Toner Cartridges String lights (holiday, garden lights) with a cord Please do NOT bring any items with refrigerant (refrigerators, freezers, A/C units) or any cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions and monitors. Instead, contact Computer Drive Connection for drop-off as charges may apply.
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![]() Tire Collection - Drop off worn out automobile tires. Tires may be either on or off the rim.
Requirements:
Did you know? There are several locations in Portland to recycle your tires for economical rates. This includes RB Recycling and Tire Recycling and Disposal. |
Many thanks to Metro and Washington County for providing funding to support the tire recycling at PlanetCon!
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Candles and candle wax - Drop off unused or used candles and candle wax in the Swap area. It is fine if they are in glass containers. Anyone can take them for reuse or recycling. What doesn't get taken at the end of the event will be given to boutique recycling efforts.
_ Donate 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 personal products including shampoo, liquid soap, lotion, lip balm (chapstick), aerosol deodorant, baby wipes, travel tissue packs, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, menstrual products, adult diapers and socks & underwear for all ages. All personal products must be newly purchased, however used bras, towels and reading glasses are also accepted. The Severe Weather Shelter Network in Washington County distributes personal products. Donate bicycles from children's to adult sizes. It is OK if they need repair or are missing parts. They will be collected by Washco Bikes in Hillsboro, a local nonprofit that repairs bikes and runs an Adopt A Bike program. |
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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 toys, NO dirty plastics, NO plastics with adhesive labels.
- No plastic bags will be accepted. These can to taken to many local stores including Safeway/Albertsons, Fred Meyers, Winco, and New Seasons.
- No batteries will be accepted. These can be taken to Metro Hazardous Waste locations , Batteries plus Bulbs or Interstate Batteries for a small fee.
- NO torn or dirty clothing. Clothing in good condition is accepted at several non-profits including Goodwill and Salvation Army.
- Please be prepared to haul away items you bring that can't be accepted
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Have Fun!
- Purchase a delicious lunch from a food vendor.
- Enjoy music from a local musician
- Did you know? A vegetarian diet is better for the environment than a meat-based one. Listening to music provides many health benefits.
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Information Tables and Talks Learn more about important topics to boost your knowledge! We will be hosting Power Talks on sustainable topics to enhance your superpowers. Details TBD Learn more about Electric Vehicles! (EVs) Volunteers will bring their electric vehicles to show in the parking lot and to answer questions. Information tables will be available on many sustainable living topics:
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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 that have 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. 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, 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 Fairs help fix broken items at no charge. |
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. |