Seattle recycled 56.9% of its municipal solid waste in 2017. The city’s recycling rate has risen 30.1% since the 1998 low of 26.8%. Two keys to their success are multiple contractors and a distant landfill. Seattle’s waste is rail hauled 257 miles south to the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, Oregon.
What does Seattle do with its recycling?
Once collected recyclables go to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to be sorted into each type of material. Most of Seattle’s material is processed at a facility in SODO. Watch how the materials are sorted and baled together so they could be sold to processors to be made into new items.
Does the city of Seattle recycle?
We provide garbage, recycling, and food & yard waste (compost) services for Seattle in partnership with Waste Management and Recology. Also available are two transfer stations (dumps/landfills) for your extra waste. You can request services online or look up your collection day and report problems with your containers.
What does Seattle do with its compost?
Food scraps and yard waste that are put into the compost container are processed in regional facilities. There, they are converted into nutrient rich soil that is used to grow plants and vegetables. In contrast, when these materials are placed in the garbage, they are taken 300 miles from Seattle to an Oregon landfill.
How does the city of Seattle deal with food and yard waste?
Food and Yard at Single-Family Houses
Since 2012, food and yard waste service has been required for all households of 1-4 units, and since 2015, you can no longer put food and compostable paper, including food-soiled pizza boxes, paper napkins, and paper towels, in the garbage.
Does Seattle recycle plastic?
Paper – office, newspaper, & magazines. Cardboard – paperboard & corrugated boxes. Plastic – Bottles, Containers, & Tubs. Glass – Bottles & Jars.
Does King County actually recycle?
Recycling separates paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and other materials, from the garbage for reuse or reprocessing into new products. Recyclable materials, food scraps and yard waste are collected curbside in almost all areas of King County. Over half of materials thrown away, could have been recycled.
Does Washington state actually recycle?
In 2014, the province adopted a system that puts the onus for recycling on companies that generate bottles, cans, boxes, plastic pouches, shrink wrap and all other types of consumer packaging and paper. Large manufacturers pay fees based on how much material they generate and how easy it is to recycle.
Who collects garbage in Seattle?
Two national companies, Waste Management, Inc., and Allied Waste, provide most of the collection services in the county. These companies do business under several different company names depending on which area of King County they serve. Cleanscapes, a local company, serves the City of Shoreline.
Who picks up garbage in Seattle?
Waste Management has many services available in your neighborhood and throughout most of the Seattle, Washington area. As one of Washington’s largest trash and recycling service partners, we pride ourselves on customer service and environmental stewardship.
What happens to Seattle yard waste?
Collected curbside from residents and from commercial businesses by private haulers, the material is recycled locally into compost, a valuable resource for use by home gardeners, institutions and local parks.
Where does my garbage go Seattle?
Seattle ships its trash, by train, to a landfill in Arlington, Oregon. Since at least 2001, the county’s plan, once Cedar Hills fills up, has been to mimic Seattle — ship the trash elsewhere.
Can you compost meat Seattle?
Turn your kitchen scraps into fertile soil
Do Compost: Vegetables and fruits, bread, grains, spoiled food, coffee filters and tea bags, eggshells, fruit from yard, and food soiled paper or cardboard. Meat, fish, and dairy attract rats, put it in your food & yard waste cart. Pet waste goes in your trash.
How do I dispose of leaves in Seattle?
Luckily, you can help prevent clogged storm drains by raking leaves that fall on your sidewalk or parking strip. Once you’ve raked up your leaves, use them as mulch for your garden or dispose of them in your food and yard waste cart.
How do you dispose of dirt in Seattle?
What can I do with large amounts of soil or dirt? Clean soil can be recycled at many facilities in King County. Contaminated soil must be disposed at a transfer station.
Is it illegal to not recycle in Seattle?
Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) sections 21.36. 082 and 21.36. 083 require that residents and businesses do not put food scraps, compostable paper, yard waste, and recyclables in their garbage.
Does Seattle recycle plastic bags?
A Seattle-King County pilot project will increase the recycling of plastic wraps and bags – known as film packaging – and convert it into new plastic packaging and products, creating a true closed loop system.
Does Washington State recycle plastic?
We are implementing a new state law to reduce the use of single-use plastics and increase recycled content in bottles and trash bags. The law supports many of the recommendations in Washington’s plastics study and waste reduction and recycling goals.
Is Styrofoam recyclable Seattle?
The city of Seattle offers recycling of Styrofoam blocks at no cost when scheduled as a special collections pickup. Only Styrofoam blocks are accepted for recycling. Styrofoam recycling drop locations include Seattle Lighting Stores and V&G Styro Recycle.
What number plastics does Seattle recycle?
Numbers 1 and 2 are accepted for curbside recycling.
How do you recycle in Washington state?
Recycling tips
- Put recyclables in the bin loose.
- Scrape out food residue.
- Flatten boxes; large pieces next to bin; do not tie with twine.
- Lids and caps go in the garbage.
- Recycle plastic by shape: bottles, tubs, jugs and cups can be recycled.
- Labels are okay.
- Ignore the chasing arrow symbols and numbers on plastic containers.