King County has opened a new South County Recycling and Transfer Station in Algona, expanding recycling and hazardous waste disposal services for residents and businesses in the region.

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay led an opening celebration on Thursday, Aug. 27 for the 84,000-square-foot facility, which county officials said is designed to provide safer and more convenient waste services while protecting water quality and improving the natural environment in Algona, Auburn and Federal Way.

The new station offers recycling for appliances, glass, metal, plastic, wood, cardboard, paper and yard waste. Those services are not available at the neighboring Algona Transfer Station, which was built in the 1960s, according to King County.

“I am proud of this new station, and proud of the people who helped create it,” Zahilay said. “Through our collective efforts, we can provide convenient recycling and disposal services in South King County, and we will do it with an energy-efficient facility that is designed and built to offer excellent customer service, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the natural environment.”

The facility also includes permanent hazardous waste disposal for residents and businesses in Algona, Auburn and Federal Way, expanding on services currently provided by the Auburn Wastemobile.

King County’s Solid Waste Division said it conducted extensive public outreach during the design phase to make sure the station would serve as a community asset. The facility includes separate disposal areas for commercial haulers and public self-haul customers.

County officials said the modern design is intended to reduce odors, noise and traffic impacts. Features include an enclosed structure to control airflow, misters to suppress dust and odors, sound barrier walls, sound-absorbing landscaping, additional driving lanes and compacting equipment to move vehicles through the site more quickly.

The station also includes environmental features tied to King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan. Solar panels cover 74% of the rooftop, the largest array at any King County facility, and are expected to provide more than half the energy needed to operate the station.

The building also uses skylights and solar tubes for natural light, while rooftop rainwater will be collected in cisterns totaling 20,000 gallons and used for rinsing floors and other tasks.

King County said the project diverted 2.5 million pounds of construction and demolition materials from landfills to recycling centers. The station was certified by Salmon-Safe Puget Sound for habitat restoration and water quality improvements and is on track to earn Energy Petal certification through the Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge.

The project also includes permanent public artwork created in partnership with 4Culture and regional artists Tyson Simmons, Keith Stevenson and Sam Obrovac of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe’s Culture Division, as well as Evan Blackwell, a faculty member at The Evergreen State College. The artworks focus on the White River watershed, Muckleshoot knowledge and traditions, and the labor behind the facility.

“This new station helps us achieve our division’s goals to recover nearly 70% of the material currently being sent to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill,” said Rebecca Singer, director of the Solid Waste Division. “The residents in South King County want to make sustainable choices, and by offering modern recycling and yard waste service, we’re providing convenient ways for them to keep more resources out of the landfill.”

The South County Recycling and Transfer Station is part of King County’s broader effort to replace older transfer stations with energy-efficient facilities that offer expanded services and support Re+, the county’s initiative to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions.