Solid Waste Disposal

About this indicator: Solid waste (garbage) disposal and recycling rates are telling indicators of resource consumption levels of King County residents. Typically, when residents are buying more consumer products, there are increased levels of garbage being sent to the landfill.

Increased levels of recycling, however, indicate fewer resources are being consumed, as these recycled materials (paper, glass, metals, organic material) remain in circulation.

2008 information about the amount of solid waste disposed per employee per week countywide will not be available until September 2009. Information from 2007 shows that the amount of waste disposed per employee was 26.4 pounds per week, higher than the target of 23.5 pounds per week stated in the county's 2001 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan.

Status: Performance measures reported in the 2008 KingStat Web site include targets for single family recycling (55%) and solid waste disposal levels (26 pounds per household per week). These targets were met in 2008, indicating a generally favorable trend in improving recycling rates and reducing solid waste generation.

Influencing factors: Economic conditions have a significant influence on consumption levels and therefore solid waste disposal levels. The current, severe economic downturn has reduced the amount of consumption and, therefore, the amount of solid waste disposed.

DNRP response: In 2008, the King County Solid Waste Division (SWD) worked closely with cities and haulers to increase the availability of food scrap recycling services. The Division also continued the "Recycle More. It's Easy to Do." media campaign which resulted in increased recycling levels.

Priority new actions: King County will continue to work with cities to expand organics recycling (food scraps and food-soiled paper yard waste recycling) and is advancing food recovery from commercial sources (grocery and restaurants) to food banks or compost. SWD is improving its Web site about food scraps and other recycling and is expanding the types of items accepted for recycling at newly renovated transfer stations.

Percent of Single Family Household Solid Waste Recycled
2008 Information
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Pounds of Solid Waste Collected per Single Family Household per Week by Collection Area
2008 Information
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What you can do: Learn more about what you can do to reduce waste and increase recycling through the following resources.

• Garbage and recycling services
• Food waste and recycling
• Yard waste
• Electronics recycling
• Fluorescent bulb recycling
• Appliance recycling
• Textile recycling
• Recycling collection events
• Household hazardous waste collection
• the Wastemobile
• Construction recycling
• Recycling other materials/items
• On-line materials exchange
• Green building
• Eco-consumer tips