South County Recycling & Transfer Station
Sustainable design and integrated public art connect the facility to the White River watershed, Indigenous cultural knowledge, and the people who built it.
The South County Recycling & Transfer Station (SCRTS), located in Algona, WA, replaces the former Algona Transfer Station and serves communities in and around Algona, Auburn, Federal Way, and Pacific.
Operated by King County Solid Waste Division, the facility provides residential and commercial recycling, garbage disposal, yard waste collection, and hazardous waste services. The project was designed to increase capacity, improve customer experience, and support the county’s long-term environmental goals.
SCRTS was developed using the Living Building Challenge framework and incorporates solar energy, environmentally responsible materials, natural daylighting, native plantings, tributary restoration, habitat enhancements, and rainwater capture. These features reflect King County’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure and environmental stewardship.
As part of the project, 4Culture commissioned integrated public artworks that root the facility in local ecology, the White River watershed, Indigenous cultural knowledge, and the labor of the people who built it.
