Seattle is known for its forward-thinking policies when it comes to the environment, so it’s no surprise that there has been a mandatory recycling program in place for several years. Additionally, it’s probably not surprising to anyone to realize that Seattle is working on a plan to recycle 70 percent of its construction waste by 2020.
If you plan to move to Seattle, or even if you’ve lived there for a while, it’s a good idea to be up-to-date on the laws surrounding recycling so that you can comply.
What are the Mandatory Recycling Requirements in Seattle?
For the most part, if it’s recyclable, it shouldn’t be in your trash. Businesses are supposed to keep paper, cardboard, and yard waste out of their garbage cans, and instead use recycling bins for these items. Homes and apartments are also supposed to keep recyclables out of the trash, including aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper cardboard.
In order to enforce the program, Seattle leaves tags asking businesses and apartments to improve their efforts if more than 10 percent of the garbage includes recyclables. If they are tagged three times, there is a fine. For households, the policy is to leave the garbage cans at the curb, rather than collecting them, if more than 10 percent of the items in the trash cans are recyclable. The idea is that citizens will sort their trash if it isn’t being picked up.
Since the program has been working well, Seattle has started adding construction and demolition requirements to their program. Construction waste is supposed to be recycled, and there are landfill bans being rolled out that prevent this waste from being disposed of in landfills. Additionally, projects that are at least $30,000 in value are required to submit a special report, detailing what was done with the waste.
How is Mandatory Recycling Working in Seattle?
So far, the program seems to be working well. According to the Seattle City Council, a significant portion of waste is recycled. The 2012 Recycling Report indicates that households have a recycling rate of 71.1 percent. Commercial recycling is at a 61.4 percent rate. Areas that are a little less successful are in multi-family arrangements, like apartments, where the rate is 32.2 percent, and self-haul situations in which the rate is only 12.5 percent.
The new construction and demolition requirements, though, are expected to affect the self-haul sector, since landfills will start banning recyclable construction materials. That will mean that self-haulers will be required to consider their options when it comes to getting rid of construction materials.
This year (2014), Seattle is starting a massive outreach program designed to boost commercial involvement with education. Notice tags will begin appearing later this year, and these tags will encourage businesses to add glass, plastic, aluminum, and tin to the list of recyclables that shouldn’t be included in the garbage. So far, Seattle’s aggressive attempts have been working with regard to encourage recycling across all sectors.
While households don’t usually have to worry about fines for not complying, businesses and apartments do have to worry about paying a fine for enforcement. So far, though, it hasn’t appeared terribly onerous. Because Seattle is already so well-known for its environmental awareness, it’s not surprising that, for the most part, the steps taken are fairly simple. As long as you are sorting your recyclables, chances are that you don’t have anything to worry about from the law.
Communities such as Everett and Edmonds participate in a voluntary “single stream” recycling program. Additionally, Washington has a FREE electronics recycling program available. You can learn more about that program by clicking HERE.
Are you following Seattle's Recycling Requirements? by Greg Hamblin