Columbia County
1601 Railroad Avenue
St Helens, OR 97051
Phone: 503-397-9811
Hours: Monday-Saturday
8:00am to 5:00pm
Transfer Station Rates - July 1, 2024
Payments accepted:
COD, Cash, Check, American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Closed on these Holidays:
New Year's Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Early Closures on these Holidays:
8:00am to 1:00pm
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Christmas Eve
- New Year's Eve
Columbia County Transfer Station & Recycling Center
If you don't need a roll-off container but still have a need for extra garbage and recycling disposal, we invite you to drop your additional waste at the Columbia County Transfer Station and Recycling Center for a small fee.
Transfer Station Rates - July 1, 2024
The Columbia County Transfer Station & Recycling Center accepts scrap metal, heavy corrugated cardboard, household waste, appliances, and yard waste. All asbestos free construction debris is collected as solid waste.
Also watch for Special Household Hazardous Events to safely dispose of these items.
Recycle Computers, TV’s, Paint, Motor Oil & More at the Columbia County Transfer Station
1601 Railroad Ave, St Helens
Open Monday – Saturday 8am - 5pm
Accepted for FREE
The following items are accepted for recycling at no charge, place in designated bins:
Commingled Recyclables Bin – same items as your curbside cart
- Cartons: milk and juice
- Newspaper
- Paper: brown paper bags, magazines and catalogs, scrap paper, cereal boxes, junk mail
- Plastic Jugs, Bottles & Tubs: no styrofoam, take out containers, or bags
- Metal: aluminum, steel, tin cans
Cardboard Bin
- All corrugated cardboard – flattened
Glass Bin
- Only bottles and jars - NO WINDOW GLASS, dishware, cookware, porcelain or ceramics
Metal Bin
- Scrap Metal
- Appliances Metal dishwashers, water heaters, clothes dryers, clothes washers, stoves only.
- Appliances with refrigerant will be charged a fee for refrigerant recycling, see scale house.
Electronics Recycling Area
- Computers, monitors, printers, TV’s – place into designated boxes
Motor Oil Bin
- By the electronics recycling area - leave container on the shelf by the oil bin
Cooking Oil Bin
- By the electronics recycling area – pour cooking oil into bin
Architectural Paint
- Go across scales, alert scale house staff, drive to paint recycling area. Staff will unload.
- Interior and exterior architectural paint: For more information on acceptable paint products:
paintcare.org/products.
Free Paint Recycling Program
- Deck coatings, floor paints
- Interior and exterior architectural paint: latex, acrylic, waster-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel (including textured coating)
- Field and lawn paints
- Metal coatings, rust preventatives
- Primers, sealers, under-coaters
- Shellacs, lacquers, varnishes, urethanes (single component)
- Stains
- Waterproofing concrete/masonry/wood sealers and repellants (not tar or bitumen-based)
How To Recycle Properly
- Print out this handy, colorful recycling guide and post it near your bins for easy reference.
Accepted for a Fee
The following items are accepted for recycling for a fee during normal operations:
- Antifreeze
- Fluorescent Tubes
- Appliances with Refrigerant - Refrigerators, Freezers, A/C units
- Car Batteries
- Tires
FREE DISPOSAL of Medical Sharps in sealed OSHA approved container. BRING containers to the SCALE HOUSE. Containers must be sealed.
Consider participating in the sharps exchange container program:
https://www.columbiacountyor.gov/departments/SolidWaste/medical-waste-and-sharps
Sharps Container Exchange Program
"Sharps” is a medical term for devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin. These can include hypodermic needles, fingersticks, and "pen" injectors.
In Oregon, it is illegal to throw sharps in the trash. Doing so can expose garbage haulers and other disposal workers to possible injury or disease. Sharps containers are readily available at the Columbia County Transfer Station and several pharmacies throughout the county.
Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District
280 SE Third Street, Clatskanie
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8am-4pm
Columbia River Fire & Rescue - Rainier Station
211 West 2nd Street, Rainier
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm
Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire Protection District
12525 Highway 202, Mist
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8am-5pm
Scappoose Rural Fire District
52751 Columbia River Highway, Scappoose
Hours: Monday - Tursday, 8:30am-4:30pm
Vernonia Rual Fire Protection District
555 East bridge Street, Vernonia
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9am-3:30pm
(Original Site) Columbia County Transfer Station
1601 Railroad Ave; St. Helens
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 8am-5pm
Not Accepted
The Columbia County transfer station does NOT accept:
- Radioactive Materials
- Vehicles
- Asbestos
Special Events for Hazardous Waste Collection
Click here for the HHW Schedule
Acceptable Items
- Aerosol cans
- Art and hobby chemicals
- Auto and marine paint
- Batteries, Rechargable
- Caulking compounds, epoxies, glues or adhesives
- Colorants and tints
- Craft paints
- Deck cleaners
- Explosives
- Fire extinguishers
- Fireworks
- Fluorescent ballasts & lamps
- Flurescent bulbs separated from ballast
- Household cleaners & disinfectants
- Industrial maintenance coatings
- Marine paints
- Mercury or anything containing mercury
- Motor oil, antifreeze and auto liquids
- OEM and industrial surface coatings, paints & finishes
- Paint additives
- Paint spray cans, auto & marine paint, tar
- Paint thinners, mineral spirits or solvents
- Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, poisons
- Propane tanks or bottles
- Resins
- Roof patch or repair
- Small arms ammunition
- Tar or bitumen-basen products
- Thinners and solvents
- Two-component coatings
Non-Acceptable Items
- Any material containing asbestos
- Bio-Medical waste
- Dead animals
- Radioactive Materials
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Disposal
Items such as household hazardous liquids may be taken to the Columbia County Transfer Station during the HHW collection events. Please visit this link to schedule your drop off accordingly.
MEDICAL SHARPS DISPOSAL
Sharps (also known as hypodermic needles) must be put in a state certified red “bio hazard” container. (NOTE: NO OTHER CONTAINER WILL BE ACCEPTED). Sharps drop off is free at the scale house Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Columbia County Transfer Station.
Be a Good Neighbor!
Report illegally dumped garbage by contacting the Columbia County DumpStoppers program. DumpStoppers works in coordination with Columbia County's Code Enforcement and Community Justice Division to clean up illegal dumpsites throughout the county.
Disposal of Medication
If you have unwanted prescription/over-the-counter medications, take advantage of the FREE medication disposal. Visit med-project.org/locations/Oregon for more information.
Asbestos Information
Learn about asbestos in household waste, how to remove it, and where to bring it.