How Can My Business Stay Up to Code with the New Legislation that Requires Recycling in Seattle, WA?

by Global Trash Solutions

Do you own a business or income property in Seattle? Have you found yourself confused by what seem to be extremely tight restrictions on what your business may do with its waste? Do you know how to comply with Seattle’s recycling program, which includes fines for food waste in garbage containers? Are you being required to change the type of packaging you use at your business and threatened with fines if you do not comply? Would you like to save money on business waste management costs in Seattle, WA?

How Does Washington’s Closed-Loop Waste Management Policy Affect Your Business?

seattle skyline seen from kerry park in washington state

In the summer of 2013, the State of Washington passed revised legislation proposed by the Department of Ecology that aims to create a “closed-loop” waste management system that would turn almost all of what is currently thrown away into a reusable resource. These additions to Washington’s Zero Waste Strategy are intended to remove all recyclable commodities from landfills.

The City of Seattle has partnered with local hauling companies so that residents and businesses have the resources to divert recyclable commodities from landfills, cut hauling costs, and reduce business waste management costs to the city. In effect, this legislation requires that all businesses in Seattle recycle organic waste like food scraps, which, in the past, have been discarded as ordinary trash.

In spite of the environmentally conservative intentions behind the new legislation, it has become an albatross to many business owners because it involves stringent requirements that can be costly, time-consuming, and difficult to implement. Some of the ordinances which likely impact your business include:

  • A plastic bag ban
  • On-site source separation
  • Recyclable packaging for all food products
  • A prohibition against disposing of yard waste, food scraps, and compostable paper products at city transfer stations

How to Achieve Compliance with the City of Seattle Recycling Requirements

recycle bins isolated on white background

In spite of the headache this legislation is causing many who conduct business in Seattle and produce large volumes of refuse, these new requirements have created an opportunity to lower businesses’ expenses through the use of resources such as the waste consultants at Global Trash Solutions. Global Trash Solutions helps businesses navigate the complex processes outlined in the hundreds of pages that document the City of Seattle’s 20-year recycling plan while saving time and money.

With fines of $50 for each warning, property owners can rapidly run into a problem with the State of Washington or the City of Seattle when their waste management practices are not up to par. By providing consulting services and new equipment to compact garbage or bale recyclables for resale or storage, Global Trash Solutions can help your business create a waste-handling workflow that prevents compostable garbage from winding up in your trash containers.  Call us today to find out how we can help your business save on business waste management costs!

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