Thanks, Seattle! For the seventh year in a row, you recycled more than ever. The latest recycling numbers show that Seattle’s businesses and residents diverted 53.7% of their waste from the landfill into recycling or compost in 2010. This sets a new city record and maintains Seattle’s reputation as a national recycling leader. Way to go! The city’s goal is to divert 60% of its annual waste to recycling and composting by 2012.
Overall, the city disposed 335,570 tons of waste into the landfill in 2010, nearly 30% less than what Seattle threw in the landfill a decade ago.
The news is not all good, however. The average Seattle single-family household still sent more than 800 pounds of trash to the landfill last year. Half of that trash—400 pounds—could have been recycled or composted.
Why waste a good thing?
Keep your food scraps, napkins, and greasy pizza boxes out of the landfill by putting them in your food and yard waste cart, where they will be made into compost for local parks and gardens.
Clean paper, envelopes, milk cartons, cups, cans, jars, and cartons go in the recycling, where they will be made into newspaper, magazines, trays, and everyday household items.
Not sure what goes where?
Visit www.seattle.gov/util/lookitup to find how to properly dispose of recyclables and food and yard waste.