2015 Outstanding Philanthropic Small Business

WRRA 2007 Sustainable Business of the Year Winner

(360) 734-3490 | info@ssc-inc.com | Contact Us

Company Information
History
Sponsorships
Business Memberships
Bicycle Friendly
Running on Biodiesel Fuel
EnviroStars
Whatcom Smart Trips
Green Power
Toward Zero Waste

Company Information

Locally-owned and family-operated, Sanitary Service Company, Inc. (SSC) is Whatcom County's largest full-service recycling and waste collection company.

As fellow neighbors, we care about our community and take pride in supporting the areas we service by participating in local events. SSC is a proud business member of our local chambers and Sustainable Connections where we are a Toward Zero Waste Pioneer. We are a bicycle-friendly business, running our fleet on biodiesel or compressed natural gas (CNG). SSC participates in EnviroStars (Tier 3 Champion), Whatcom Smart Trips, and PSE Green Power (100%) programs and are a Whatcom Watershed Pledge participant and Whatcom County Waste-Wise Business. We strive to reduce our waste, reuse and recycle where we can. We regularly use products made from recycled materials and continue to find ways to incorporate other recycled products into our daily operations.

We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful area, but we all share in the responsibility to protect and preserve its health and beauty. At SSC, we take this responsibility seriously and are proud of our many years of service to this community. Working together, we can ensure a clean and healthy environment - today and for the future.

History

In 1929, Sanitary Service Company opened for business in Bellingham with five employees and 500 customers. Today, we employ more than 90 people and serve over 50,000 commercial and residential customers in Bellingham, Ferndale, Birch Bay, Blaine and the majority of unincorporated Whatcom County.

Garbage collection circa 1930's. Gus Razore (L) and Jaquin (R) and (ret.) Fire House horses "Patrick and Max"

Sanitary Service Company, Inc. was co-founded by Agostino "Gus" Razore. Mr. Razore was born in 1895 in Sant'Olcese, Italy, a small mountain village just outside Genoa in Northern Italy. Mr. Razore emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 16, entering through Ellis Island, New York, before traveling cross country by train to Seattle. He eventually settled in Bellingham and worked for several years in the truck gardens before starting SSC.

In 1929, Mr. Razore and two other local businessmen, Josie Razore (no relation) and Mario Torre established City Sanitary Service Company, Bellingham's first garbage collection company. City Sanitary Service Company, now Sanitary Service Company, Inc., originally collected garbage from local residents and businesses by horse and wagon.

Gus Razore died in 1978 at the age of 83. He is well-remembered for his contributions to the community. In 1997, the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association (WRRA), the state trade association for garbage and recycling haulers, honored Mr. Razore for his contributions to the solid waste and recycling handling industry. SSC continued as a family-run business, being operated by Mr. Razore's two sons, Joe and Paul, as well as employing other Razore family members. After retiring from SSC, Joe went on to open Joe and Cora’s U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm with his wife Cora, before passing away in 2008. Paul Razore continues as company President.

Old City Sanitary

One of Gus Razore's favorite industry stories: Before trucks were available, horses were used to pull wagons to collect garbage. Often, retired "fire hall" horses were used. These horses were trained to respond to the fire bell, pulling the water wagons to fight fires. Even though they were retired from firefighting duty, every time a fire bell would ring, these horses would leave the garbage route and head straight toward the fire hall. - Joe Razore

missionstatement

Community Involvement & Sponsorships

Alzheimer Society of Washington - Miles for Memories 5K Walk/Run

Alan Lindquist Jr – Mini Sprint Race Car

American Red Cross (Mt. Baker Chapter) - Real Heroes

Animals as Natural Therapy (ANT)

Mini Van

April Brews Day - Max Higbee Center Benefit

Association of Washington Business (AWB)

Business Week Scholarship
Holiday Kids’ Tree Project
2013 Policy Summit - Sponsor
2014 Legislative Summit - Gold Level Sponsor

Baker's Breakfast Cookie Triathlon

Bellingham Athletic Club – Relay for Life Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Bellingham Bay Marathon

Bellingham Bike Event

Bellingham Central Business District Litter Collection

Bellingham Farmers Market

Bellingham Festival of Music - Benefit Auction

Bellingham Kids Fest

Bellingham Merchant's Softball

Bellingham Police Department - Don't Drink and Drive / Safety Pledge Event

Bellingham Sailing Foundation

Bellingham Scottish Highland Games

Bellingham SeaFeast

Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Industry Annual Awards Dinner - Green Award Sponsor
Blossomtime Parade
Jr Ski-to-Sea
It All Ends in Fairhaven Festival

Bellingham Public Schools

Classified Employee of the Year Award - Sponsor
Fairhaven Middle School - Winter Wobble Food & Clothing Drive
Gordon Carter Environmental Education Site (3rd Grade Field Trip)
Greater Bellingham Middle School Challenge Event
Hungry Minds Breakfast Fundraiser
Lowell Elementary School Coat Drive
Wade King Elementary – Earth Day

Bellingham Traverse

Better Business Bureau (BBB) - Secure Your ID Shred Day

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington

Bike to Work & School Day

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce

Discovery Days
July 5^th Cleanup

Blaine High School – Battle of the Border Wrestling Tournament

Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County

Annual Breakfast
Basketball Team Sponsorship

Building Industry Association of Whatcom County (BIAWC)

Built Green Committee

Burkwood Farm Schooling Show Series

Cascade Radio Group/Industrial Credit Union Food Drive

Chuckanut Bay Rugby & Polo Fields

Chuckanut Century

Our Treehouse - Sponsor
Whatcom Hospice - Sponsor

City of Bellingham

Depot Market Square
See & Be Seen - Bicycle Education Campaign
We Scoop at Home - Pet Waste Pilot Project

City of Ferndale

Star Park

Corinthian Yacht Club

Bellingham Bay Leukemia Cup Regatta

Courtenay McFadden – Cyclocross Racer

Deming Logging Show

Deming Road Neighborhood – Earth Day Litter Cleanup

Department of Defense - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County (DVSAS)

Hands for Hope Gala
Victory Over Violence Luncheon
Race for the End of Domestic Violence 5K/10K (DVSAS/Womencare Shelter)

Downtown Bellingham Partnership

Bite of Bellingham
Downtown Sounds (Alley Concerts)
Main Street Program

Eagleridge Elementary PTO

East 542 Music Fest

Everson Summer Festival

Fairhaven Girls Night Out

Fairhaven Runners & Walkers - Fairhaven Waterfront 15K

Ferndale Dollars for Scholars

Ferndale Downtown Association – Annual Cleanup

Fun with the Fuzz 5K - Behind the Badge Foundation

Giving Back to the Grays

Greater Bellingham Running Club (GBRC)

Chuckanut Footrace
Padden Mudfest

Haggen Food

Annual Coat Drive
Family Fourth of July
Haggen to Haggen 5K Fun Run & Walk
Pet Food Drive

Hoop Jam

Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County

Jazz Festival at Bellwether

Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis - Arthritis Foundation

Keeping K-9's in Kevlar

Keller Williams - RED Day (Renew, Energize, Donate)

Ken Meyer Criterium - Ken Meyer Memorial Foundation for Cancer Cure

Kulshan Community Land Trust

Madrona Street Home - 100th Home

Livestrong Ride to Conquer Cancer

Lummi Stommish Water Festival

Lummi Youth Programs

Lydia Place - Annual Mother-of-all-Garage-Sales

Makayla's Street Jam 3-on-3 Childhood Cancer Benefit

Mount Baker Bicycle Club

Mount Baker Hill Climb

Ride 542
Festival 542

Mount Baker Imaging - Mammogram Party

Mount Baker Theater - Artists Circle

MS Walk

Mt. Baker Invitational

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) - 2015 Legislative Summit

Nooksack Appreciation Days

Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA)

Northwest Tandem Rally

Nooksack Tribe Mother's Day & Canoe Races

Northwest Washington Farm-to-Table Trade Meeting

Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

Wild Things Dinner & Auction

Old Settlers Days - Ferndale

Operation Doing More

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center

Cancer Outreach Center - Prostate Screening
Emergency Department Renovation
Foundation – Care, Share, Inspire Gala
Foundation - Circle of Care Annual Gala
Foundation – Heart to Soles

Port of Bellingham

Bellwether Arts Market
Bellwether Jazz Festival
National Trails Day / Airport Trail event

Project Santa Claus

Procession of the Species Parade

Redden Marine Opening Day

Relay for Life - American Cancer Society (Bellingham & WWU)

Re Sources for Sustainable Communities

Environmental Heroes Award Dinner - Sponsor
Sustainable Living Center - Contributor

Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic – Benefits Burned Children Recovery Foundation

Sehome Boys Lacrosse

Ski-to-Sea

Opening Reception
Appreciation Dinner

Sudden Valley Annual Kids Fishing Derby

Sustainable Connections

Green Building & Smart Growth - Gold Sponsor
Whatcom County Farm Tour
Member Networking Breakfast

The Bike Shop

The Hub "Pedal Project"

The Human Race

The Upfront Theatre

Tour de Whatcom

Teamsters Touch-A-Truck

Twilight Girl Scout Camp

Wade King Elementary – Earth Day Event

Washington Foundation for the Environment

Washington Higher Education 2014 Sustainability Conference

Washington Highway Users Federation – 2020 Interim Briefing

Washington Law Enforcement Memorial

Washington State Criterium Championship

Washington State Environmental Health Association

Washington State Police Canine Association - Retired Police Dog Medical Fund

Washington Refuse and Recycling Association (WRRA)

Scholarship Program

Washington State Recycling Association (WSRA)

Washington Recycles Every Day - Whatcom County tour
Annual Conference Ice Cream Social

We Snip

Western Washington University

Huxley Student Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA)
Office of Sustainability - Off-Campus Partner
President's Club - Lifetime Member
Cycling Team (see team profile and links below)
Financial Aid Scholarship Program
Palliative Care Institute - Conference
Cycling Team Omnium, North Shore Road Race and Time Trial
Nursing Scholarship

Western Wildlife Outreach - Grizzly Bear Outreach Project

Whatcom Community College - Annual Waste Audit

Whatcom Community Foundation

New Ferndale Library Project
Dollars for Scholars Shrimp Feed Fundraiser

Whatcom County

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Library System - Branch Out! Annual Fundraiser
Library System - Summer
Parks & Recreation Department Foundation

Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association - Annual Food Drive

Whatcom Crisis Services

Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center

Peace Builder Awards

Whatcom Hospice

Pro Am Golf Tournament

Whatcom Humane Society

Dog Days of Summer Festival & Purple Paw Fun Run
New Building Project
Farm Animal Facility
Masquerade Gala
Outdoor Movie Night
Wildlife Center

Whatcom Land Trust

Whatcom Memorial Day Parade (formerly Blossomtime Parade)

Whatcom Museum

Treasures from the Trunk: The Story of J.J. Donovan

Whatcom Rowing Association - Lakewood Dock Rehabilitation

Whatcom Sustainable Recreation

Whatcom Family YMCA

Climbing Wall
Girls on the Run
YMCA Pedi-cab
YMCA Youth & Government Program - Governor's Breakfast & Proclamation Signing Ceremony

Womens March on Bellingham

York Neighborhood Annual Cleanup

Proud Sponsor - WWU Cycling

WWU Cycling 2013-2014
This photo credit: Curtis McCarson

The Western Washington University (WWU) Cycling Team is a collegiate team that competes in Division Two (DII) from the local to national levels. WWU Cycling competes in four disciplines - road, mountain, track, and cyclocross. WWU Cycling is open to any student at WWU. Riders of any level are welcome.

WWU Cycling helps the local cycling community in the greater Bellingham area by volunteering at events and helping with trail building and maintenance.

Business Memberships

AGC - Associated General Contractors

AWB - Association of Washington Business

AWC - Association of Washington Cities

Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce

BBB - Better Business Bureau

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce

Blaine Chamber of Commerce

BIAWC - Building Industry Association of Whatcom County

Ferndale Chamber of Commerce

Sustainable Connections - Sustaining Member

WRRA - Washington Refuse & Recycling Association

WSRA - Washington State Recycling Association

Bicycle Friendly

SSC is a "bicycle friendly" business. Our drivers are given training in bicycle friendly ways of the road and we have long supported local cycling efforts, including organizations like Mount Baker Bicycle Club (MBBC), events such as Bike to Work and School Day and business programs like Whatcom SmartTrips. Our employees log over 30,000 SmartTrips miles per year – many of them by bike! SSC is also a proud sponsor of WWU's Cycling Team.

Bicycle Friendly Business℠

SSC’s main office on Bellwether Way is now a League of American Bicyclists recognized GOLD Bicycle Friendly Business (BFBSM)! Our Bellingham Drop Box Facility & Recycling Center was awarded SILVER. SSC joins a cutting-edge group of more than 950 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies across the United States that are transforming the American workplace.

“Visionary business leaders are recognizing the real-time and long term impact that a culture of bicycling can create,” said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists. “We applaud this new round of businesses for investing in a more sustainable future for the country and a healthier future for their employees.”

Learn more about the League’s Bicycle Friendly Business program at bikeleague.org/business.

BizCycle Silver

SSC has been a silver certified BizCycle business since 2013.

Bizcycle, a program of the Cascade Bicycle Club, is based on the evidence that businesses and workplaces that encourage and support bicycling among their employees demonstrate improved employee health and financial performance. A detailed 50-point checklist allows each business to measure their “bicycle friendly” rating against objective standards, which also point out areas where businesses can strive to improve their performance in the future. The checklist has six prerequisites, which SSC and the other winners all met:

adequate bike parking for employees and visitors
sponsorship of an annual bike event
bike specific messages sent to employees
measurement of % of employees who bicycle to work
goal-setting for increased % of riders
community advocacy & planning around bicycling

Other areas on the BizCycle checklist where SSC received points include: “bicycle friendly” training for our recycling and garbage drivers, “Bicycle Friendly” decals on the back of company vehicles, providing showers and lockers for employees, and financial incentives. The latter includes quarterly drawings for gift cards and reimbursement of up to $20 per employee per month for bicycle commuting expenses through the federal tax deductible program to encourage bicycle commuting.

Bicycle Friendly Business

Main Office, Bellwether Way

Bellingham Drop Box Facility & Recycling Center

Running on Biodiesel Fuel

Since 2005, SSC's garbage and recycling trucks have been running on biodiesel fuel. "We tested biodiesel in a number of our trucks for 18 months with no maintenance issues or loss in performance," said SSC Owner Paul Razore. "We switched over any of our trucks that could accept biodiesel and have never looked back."

SSC trucks fuel up locally at Yorkston Oil locations that offer biodiesel. The SSC fleet uses approximately 300,000 gallons of fuel per year to collect garbage and recyclables from residents and businesses in Whatcom County. Biodiesel costs a bit more than regular diesel, but it is biodegradable, non-toxic and virtually free of sulfur and aromatics. Plus it reduces emissions by up to 20%. "We hope our actions will encourage other local fleets to consider biodiesel as their fuel choice," Razore said.

Biodiesel itself contains no petroleum, but can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel mix. Biodiesel is a mix of diesel and a certain percentage (5%, 20%, etc.) of B-100 Biodiesel fuel, usually rapeseed oil, soy oil or reclaimed vegetable oil. For information about our fleet or use of biodiesel contact Recycling Manager Rodd Pemble.

EnviroStars

SSC achieved a 5-Star rank from the Envirostars program in 2007 and in January 2022 was recertified as a Tier 3 Champion. SSC earned the initial 5-Star rating and the Champion status, the highest ratings possible, for our leadership activities in reduction of both hazardous and non-hazardous solid wastes, and for our sustainable business practices, community outreach, and education. SSC was the first garbage and recycling collection company in Washington to be included in the EnviroStars program.

SSC places a strong emphasis on fleet maintenance and driver training to reduce spills, leaks and emissions from company vehicles. SSC pioneered the commercial use of bio-diesel in Whatcom County fleets, a move which has resulted in decreased diesel emissions from their fleet of 80 vehicles and greater availability of biodiesel fuel in the local area. In recent years, SSC has added compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks which reduce emissions and noise in the community even further. SSC uses an oil filter crusher which allows us to recycle over 1,200 oil and fuel filters each year as scrap metal, and remove and recycle hundreds of gallons of additional waste oil per year from the spent filters.

SSC continues to review all toxic shop products in use and switch to less hazardous or non-toxic alternatives. According to SSC Recycling Manager, Rodd Pemble, the company also evaluates all waste materials generated by the company and their customers for recyclability and compostability. "Based on that on-going evaluation, we have been able to develop new recycling programs for plastics, wood, and compostables," said Pemble. As it has for over 25 years, SSC continues to provide free technical assistance to community businesses, institutions, and local government agencies, to reduce waste and expand recycling and composting

SSC continues to implement state-of-the-art stormwater pollution prevention strategies to help protect Bellingham Bay. Our campus-wide program and CLARA/Aquip treatment system address impacts from all aspects of our operation, and are overseen by the Washington State Department of Ecology. For more information about our stormwater management system, click here.

Aquip

"5 Star Rating"

Whatcom Smart Trips

SSC has been a Whatcom Smart Trips employer since 2006. In that time, our employees have made thousands of Smart Trips biking, walking, taking the bus, or carpooling to work, saving hundreds of miles in car trips per month. In addition to the prizes Whatcom Smart Trips gives away, employees that make at least eight Smart Trips per month qualify for our quarterly in-house prize drawing.

100% Green Power Leadership Partner - PSE

Sanitary Service Company is "greening" 100% of its electricity usage through PSE's Green Power program. Our switch in early 2007 made us the largest private business in Whatcom County to use 100% Green Power.

PSE's Green Power Program, ranked as one of the top 10 Green Power programs in the U.S, provides SSC with just over 200,000 kilowatt hours annually of domestically-produced, alternative energy. The city of Bellingham was also recently recognized by the US Environmental Protection Agency as the first Green Power Community in Washington - one of only seven in the nation. Green Power is electricity generated from renewable, non-polluting resources such as wind or solar power.

Toward Zero Waste Pioneer

SSC is a Toward Zero Waste Pioneer in Sustainable Connection's Toward Zero Waste Campaign. We practice waste reduction and reuse and are recycling more than 80% of our business waste. For more information about the Toward Zero Waste Campaign, visit www.sconnect.org.