2 Answers

• Reputation: 86 Q&A: 3 0 0 28 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Recycle/Re-Use Follow Following 0 Brett Stav

  2 0 You do get a financial discount by recycling and composting, it's just not obviously stated on your bill. Municipal recycling is a unique arrangement in that it depends on citizens like you to sort your waste in order for it to work financially and environmentally for the you, the city, and for green industries that utilize recycled materials. One of the key provisions of this arrangement is VOLUME. In the small scheme of things, recyclables aren't worth a lot. A family of four generates about 220 lbs of yard waste a year, which turns into about 80 lbs, or two bags, of compost, worth around $10 at the store. A ton of envelopes and magazines might be worth about $20 bucks on the recycling market. For you and I to try to make money on our waste would be nearly impossible. We don't have the capital to invest in a high-tech system to collect, sort, bale and ship our product as far as China, nor can we afford the time and staff to make it happen. But when you figure Seattle generates about 400,000 tons of recycling and compost a year, green industries can be developed to capture that waste and make useful every day products from them- instead of sending them to the landfill. The fact that there are local markets that accept recycling and yard waste is a great financial benefit to Seattleites. If you didn't sort your yard waste or recycling, and put it all in the garbage, you'd be paying a lot more to ship that waste down to a landfill in Oregon- about 50% more for recycling, about 20% more for yard waste. On top of that, you'd likely see more added to your grocery bill at the checkout stand for things that heavily rely on recycled content materials, like pop cans (recycled aluminum), wine bottles (recycled glass) newspaper, fruit (those trays they come in are made out of recycled paper), etc. Brett Stav answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago | Report 3 comments by Mahtli69, Brett Stav, and Mahtli69… 0 0 220 lbs of yard waste per year? Really? We easily generate over 100 lbs of yard waste in a single week of weeding the yard or raking leaves in the spring or fall. What am I missing? Does that figure include apartments? Also, SPU used to allow one extra 32-gallon container of yard waste at no charge. But, as of Jan 1, it's $3.90. Why the extra charge? Mahtli69 commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 That stuff loses it's moisture fast, and that's where all the weight is at. Plus, I'm guessing alot of folks do most of their yard waste work about 4 times a year. Actually, SPU gives you more service now than it used to. In 2008, SPU collected up to 4 units of yard waste every other week (8 units a month). Now, it collects up to 3 units weekly (12 units a month.) Brett Stav commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 OK, moisture content makes sense. If fall leaves aren't raked while they are wet in Seattle, then they would never be raked. In 2009, SPU collected 4 units weekly (16 units a month), right? Maybe I was spoiled by that. Mahtli69 commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

  Share this answer with a friend:

• Reputation: 18 Q&A: 0 0 0 18 0 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Recycle/Re-Use Follow Following 0

  0 0 http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Recycling/Recycle_at_Your_Apartment/ApartmentRecyclingVideos/index.htm This link takes you to videos to show what is involved with the recycling and composting processes. Marcia Rutan answered in Recycle/Re-Use about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

  Share this answer with a friend: