Our Mission

Creating a Zero Waste Community

CARTM is on a mission — leading our community to zero waste. To accomplish this, we operate a a unique one-stop Recycling Center, Re-Use Store, and the Manzanita Transfer Station for solid waste (trash). We encourage the creative re-use of materials; we actively divert materials from the waste stream; and we encourage people to re-think what is ‘waste’ each time an item is discarded. We reduce, re-use, and recycle solid waste otherwise destined for the landfill.

We all love what we do at CARTM and believe in our mission. Our customers and community love to visit and utilize CARTM’s services and everyone wants to see this vital organization thrive. We know we’re providing an inspiring service, as visitors regularly ask us how they can have a CARTM in their community. In order to fulfill our challenging mission, we remind ourselves everyday that our first and best job is to support our community’s efforts to recognize and recover value in otherwise discarded materials and to inspire creative re-use of those materials.

“Never doubt that a small band of committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead

Thanks to the concerted efforts of committed citizens, CARTM envisions a community that takes action to reduce waste, takes responsibility for the waste it generates, and recovers value from all materials that pass through our waste-shed. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be the first zero waste community in Oregon?