Better Recycling is Coming to Seattle March 30 New Programs Include Weekly Food/Yard Waste Collection, Glass Commingling March 4, 2009 Contact: Andy Ryan, (206) 684-7688 Pager: (206) 997-5972 andy.ryan@seattle.gov SEATTLE - By popular demand, better recycling is coming to Seattle, starting March 30, with a host of changes including: All food scraps, including meat, fish, bones, shells and dairy products, can go in the food and yard waste cart. More food/yard waste cart sizes to choose from, including 13-, 32- and 96-gallon options. Weekly food and yard waste collection for all single-family households. Organics were previously collected every other week. Electronics, used motor oil and bulky items can be collected through special services. Glass bottles and jars go in the recycling cart - no more separating! More paper, plastic and metal items can be recycled, including cups, deli trays, aluminum foil and plastic plant pots. These improvements, which Seattleites have been requesting over the years, were made possible by new solid waste contracts approved by Seattle City Council last year. The new contracts will bring new garbage route territories - and as a result, beginning March 30, most Seattle households will have a new collection days. This month, Seattle Public Utilities will launch a public education campaign on the recycling changes. Recycling guidelines and collection calendars will be mailed to businesses and residents, and customers with new collection days will have that information taped to their garbage containers. For more information on Seattle's solid waste changes please visit: www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Recycling/Recycle_at_Your_House/SPU01_004259.asp, or call 206-684-3000. One of the new solid waste contracts - with Rabanco, Ltd., to process and market Seattle's recyclable materials - will create 40 new, full-time sorter positions at the company's state-of-the-art recycling center, at 3rd and Lander. The new employees will earn family wages and full medical benefits - an improvement over nearly all local and national processing facilities, where the standard practice is to fill sorter positions with temporary employees who are paid substandard wages and receive no real benefits. Seattle's goal is to divert 60 percent of all its generated waste to recycling or composting by 2012. Currently the city diverts 48.4 percent of its waste. Food scraps account for one-third, or 45,000 tons, of residential trash each year. Last year, more than 100,000 Seattle households helped divert 80,000 tons of food and yard waste from the landfill, turning into compost for local parks and gardens. In addition to providing a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in the Seattle metropolitan area, SPU provides essential sewer, drainage, solid waste and engineering services that safeguard public health, maintain the city's infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region's environmental resources. Print This Page | Close Window