Seattle Residential Recycling: Your Guide to Curbside Rules

Seattle’s commitment to sustainability starts at home with its comprehensive curbside recycling program. Understanding the specific rules for your blue, green, and glass bins is crucial for minimizing waste, preventing contamination, and ensuring valuable materials are properly recycled. This guide simplifies the process, helping you confidently sort your residential waste.

Understanding Seattle’s Curbside Recycling System

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) manages a three-cart system for residential waste: a blue cart for mixed recyclables, a green cart for compostables, and a grey cart for garbage. This system is designed to recover as many materials as possible, diverting them from landfills. The key to successful recycling lies in knowing what goes where and preparing items correctly. For definitive and the most current rules, residents should always consult the official SPU website or use their dedicated ‘Recycle It’ app.

Accepted Items: What Goes in the Blue Recycling Cart

Your blue cart is for a variety of paper, plastic, and metal items. Remember, items must be clean, dry, and placed loosely – never bagged.

Plastics (Bottles, Jugs, Tubs)

Seattle accepts rigid plastic bottles, jugs, and tubs. This includes items like milk jugs, detergent bottles, yogurt containers, and butter tubs. Look for plastic containers that hold their shape. Rinse them thoroughly and remove lids (lids smaller than 3 inches in diameter should be discarded in the garbage).

Paper Products

Accepted paper items include newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, phone books, paper bags, cardboard (flattened and cut to fit the cart), paperboard (cereal boxes, tissue boxes), and drink cartons (milk, juice, soup cartons – rinse first). Shredded paper is only accepted if placed inside a paper bag and stapled shut.

Metal Cans

Aluminum and tin cans, such as soda cans, pet food cans, and canned food items, are accepted. Rinse them clean; labels do not need to be removed.

Accepted Items: What Goes in the Green Compost Cart

The green cart is for all your food scraps and yard waste. Composting these materials helps create nutrient-rich soil amendments.

Food Scraps

This includes all food scraps: fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, bones, dairy products, bread, pasta, coffee grounds, tea bags, and spoiled food. Even greasy pizza boxes and food-soiled paper products like paper towels or napkins can go in the green cart.

Yard Waste

Yard waste such as grass clippings, leaves, weeds, small branches (under 4 feet long and 4 inches in diameter), and plants are accepted. No plastic bags, treated wood, or rocks should be included.

Accepted Items: What Goes in the Glass Recycling Bin

Seattle has a dedicated glass collection system to prevent breakage and contamination of other recyclables. Glass bottles and jars of any color are accepted. This includes beverage bottles, food jars (like jam or pickle jars), and condiment bottles. They must be clean and dry with lids removed. Place them loosely in your designated glass collection bin, usually a separate bin provided by SPU or a designated drop-off point, depending on your service type. Glass is not to be placed in the blue cart.

Preparation Essentials for All Recyclables

Proper preparation is vital to ensure materials can be recycled and to avoid contaminating entire loads:

• Rinse Clean: All food and beverage containers (plastic, metal, glass) must be rinsed thoroughly to remove food residue. This prevents odors and pests, and ensures materials are clean enough for processing.
• Dry: Allow items to air dry or quickly dry them before placing them in the bin to prevent mold and mildew, especially for paper products.
• No Bags: Never put recyclables in plastic bags. Bags jam sorting machinery and cause entire loads to be sent to the landfill. Place items loosely in your blue cart.
• Flatten Cardboard: Break down cardboard boxes to save space in your cart and for easier collection.

Items NOT for Curbside: Hazardous Waste, Electronics & More

Many common household items cannot be placed in any curbside bin due to their hazardous nature or composition. Improper disposal of these items can harm the environment, workers, and recycling equipment.

• Plastic Bags & Film: These are major contaminants in curbside recycling. Recycle them at designated drop-off locations (e.g., grocery stores).
• Styrofoam: Packaging peanuts, foam cups, and takeout containers are not accepted.
• Electronics (E-Waste): Computers, TVs, cell phones, and other electronics contain harmful chemicals and require special recycling facilities.
• Batteries: All types of batteries (alkaline, rechargeable, car batteries) are fire hazards and must be recycled separately.
• Hazardous Waste: Paint, motor oil, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, and fluorescent bulbs require safe disposal through household hazardous waste facilities.
• Clothing & Textiles: Donate usable clothing; otherwise, these belong in the garbage, not recycling.
• Ceramics & Dishes: These melt at different temperatures than glass and contaminate glass recycling.

For proper disposal of these items, consult the SPU website for information on drop-off locations, Household Hazardous Waste Facilities, and special collection events.

Collection Day Logistics: Bins, Schedules & Tips

Effective collection depends on understanding your specific service details.

• Collection Schedule: Your collection day is typically once a week. You can find your specific schedule on the SPU website or through the ‘Recycle It’ app.
• Bin Placement: Place your carts at the curb by 7:00 AM on your collection day. Ensure they are at least three feet away from other objects (like parked cars, mailboxes, or other carts) to allow the automated collection arm to operate freely. The lid should be completely closed.
• Manage Space: Flatten cardboard, rinse and crush plastic bottles, and nest similar items (e.g., plastic tubs) to maximize space in your carts. If you consistently have too much material, you may be able to request a larger cart or an additional cart from SPU for a fee.

Decision Checklist for Your Recycling

When unsure about an item, run through this quick checklist:

• Is this item explicitly listed on the Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) ‘What to Recycle’ page or app?
• Is the item completely clean and dry, free of food residue or liquids?
• Is it a loose item, or is it bagged in plastic (which is not allowed)?
• Is it a rigid plastic bottle, jug, or tub, or is it flexible plastic film/bagging? (Film/bagging is NOT accepted curbside)
• Is it electronic waste, a battery, or hazardous material? (Requires special disposal, NOT curbside)
• For paper/cardboard, is it clean and dry, or is it contaminated with food/grease? (Contaminated goes to compost/garbage)

Common Recycling Mistakes to Avoid

Avoiding these common pitfalls significantly improves Seattle’s recycling efficiency:

• “Wishcycling”: Placing items like plastic bags, styrofoam, garden hoses, or clothing into recycling bins, contaminating the entire load.
• Dirty Containers: Failing to rinse food and liquid residue from containers, leading to rejection or spoilage of other materials.
• Bagging Recyclables: Putting recyclables inside plastic bags, which jams sorting machinery and sends entire bags to the landfill.
• Ignoring Hazardous Waste Rules: Attempting to recycle batteries, electronics, paint, or chemicals curbside, posing safety risks and severe contamination.
• Confusing Plastic Types: Assuming all plastics with a recycling symbol are accepted, when only specific types (bottles, jugs, tubs) are for curbside in Seattle.
• Incorrect Glass Disposal: Mixing glass with other recyclables or not separating it according to Seattle’s specific glass collection method.

How to Verify in Seattle Today

To ensure you’re always following the most current Seattle recycling rules, here are practical ways to verify information:

1. Check the SPU ‘What to Recycle’ Tool: Visit the Seattle Public Utilities official website and use their interactive ‘What do I do with…?’ search tool. You can type in any item and get immediate, official guidance on how to dispose of it in Seattle.
2. Download the ‘Recycle It’ App: Get the free ‘Recycle It’ mobile app from SPU for your smartphone. This app allows you to search for items, view your collection schedule, and set reminders, providing real-time, personalized information.
3. Review Your Annual SPU Recycling Guide: SPU mails out annual guides to residents. Keep this guide handy as it contains comprehensive lists of accepted and not-accepted items, along with important program updates. Cross-reference it with the online tools for any recent changes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I put plastic grocery bags in my blue recycling bin?

A: No, plastic bags and film are not accepted in Seattle’s curbside recycling. They jam machinery. Please take them to designated drop-off locations, often found at grocery stores.

Q: Do I need to remove labels from my cans and bottles before recycling?

A: No, you do not need to remove labels from cans or bottles. Just make sure the containers are rinsed clean and dry.

Q: What if I have too much recycling for my blue cart?

A: If you occasionally have extra recycling, you can place it in a cardboard box next to your blue cart. For ongoing needs, you can contact SPU to request a larger cart or an additional blue cart, which may involve a fee.

Q: Are greasy pizza boxes recyclable?

A: Yes, greasy pizza boxes, along with other food-soiled paper, are accepted in Seattle’s green compost cart, not the blue recycling cart.