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.

If the pizza box is free of food and oil it can be recycled. If it is greasy or cheesy put it in the food and yard waste cart.

Add it right in with the paper, cans, etc. It is sorted out at the recycling facility. Research shows that more people recycle if it ismore convenient, i.e. in one container.

Tom's the man!

No problem - recycle!

That was me. And others, of course! And there was no monkey involved. Zoo Doo is made entirely from herbivores whose diets do not present the level of risk as far as the kinds of parasites or diseases humans may be exposed to.

Zoo Doo is very popular and I used to get requests for monkey/lion/tiger etc. poop all the time for use in deer control but we could never accomodate such a request.

You can also recycle envelopes with "windows" on them as well.

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.

Also see:

"Can pizza boxes with just a small amount of grease be recycled with other cardboard?"
http://questionland.thestranger.com/questions/11353-can-pizza-boxes-with-just-a-small-amount-of-grease-be-recycled-with-other

http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/Yard_Waste_Collection/WhatsAccepted/index.htm

If you live in the city of Seattle, then you're supposed to compost them. The pizza grease makes the cardboard bad for recycling.

No, they don't need to be removed, unless it's real easy for you. The paper manufacturing process normally skims off those and other contaminants.

Boy, we could have an all night bull session debating the various implications of these questions.

Bottom line, here's how I sleep at night:

In Seattle, recycling is cost-effective. Seattleites have to spend a lot more to ship their garbage down to a landfill in Oregon than they have to spend getting their recyclables recycled and their organics composted.

Factor in the greenhouse gas emissions generated from a landfill and the fuel in transporting the waste, and it's no contest- recycling wins.

95% of all the stuff that gets sent to the recycling facility gets recycled, so that means Seattle folks are doing pretty good when it comes to their recycling knowledge.

Like Tom, I'm not a spic and span clean freak when it comes to recycling, but when it comes to greasy pizza boxes, let's put it this way: If you have to ask "how big does the grease stain need to be?"...it probably means it should go in the food and yard waste cart.

Tom's right, it's the type of plastic.

In Seattle, we ask that you ignore the little numbers on plastic items, as the number denotes the type of plastic resin it's made out of, not that it's actually recyclable.

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Yep. As of March 30, 2009 (more than a year ago!) glass bottles and jars started going in the same container as all the other recyclables.

I haven't heard about that specifically. The Woodland Park Zoo does sell its composted manure ("Zoo Doo"), so maybe that's what you're referring to. Here is more info on that:
http://www.zoo.org/zoo-doo

I'm afraid I don't have any good recycling options for this. While technically recyclable, PVC siding is usually only recycled in large quantities from industrial sources, if it gets recycled at all.

I wouldn't worry about it. It's such a slight, weak glue that it's not worth getting uptight about.

You know how it came about, don't you? A 3M researcher was working on making abatch of glue to seal the ends of his home-made note pad, but the glue came out too weak... and it seeped inbetween the sheets, coating them with a weak, sticky glue area.

Still, he used them, and stuck them up on his computer screen...and wall, and cubicle... and then others asked for some too...

and the rest is history...

Considering they sell them for outrageous replacement costs at music stores and DVD stores, I would think there would be a market for them....

In general the brown-tinted classic prescription vials are not accepted for recycling, in Seattle or elsewhere (because of the type of plastic they contain, I believe). But other small plastic bottles for medicines, such as a white Tylenol container for example, can be put in with your curbside recycling. They usually have a 1 or 2 on the bottom.

I would imagine it's from fear of contamination from the drugs they formerly contained. They would probably have to be treated as hazardous waste, and would require special handling and decontamination.

You might also consider using Cedar Grove-approved compostable bags. You can find a list of approved brands and where you can buy them at the link below:

http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/FoodYardWaste-ApartmentResidents/WheretoBuyCompostableBags/index.htm

These are not required to compost food waste; they are only a convenience for some households.

Good question. An institution like the U of W can arrange for specific contracts or collections and deliveries that might be not so viable for the City in terms of costs or logistics. Private businesses can focus materials in high usage in their organization to markets. The City is bright green compared to other cities in the world but still needs to balance environmental benefit, taxpayer costs, education of the public, and prioritizie from all that input. This can be frustrating to passionate recyclers but you can also do a little web research and find local companies that might take your pet items.

Brett covers it. You can also call 206-684-7665 to issue a complaint. They can check the database to see if your property has an exemption. Otherwise, you can request to speak with an inspector.

I can't think of anyplace that takes them, but possibly you could offer them on Craig's List in the free section, or on Freecycle.

I've heard Aveda takes them and makes their skin care product packaging out of them...but I've never actually verified that for my own self.

I've also got the gigantic bin and just scrape the bottom with a shovel every month or so. It's disgusting, but the sludge tends to stay in one piece, and plops right out on the next pick-up.