For the Reporter
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the typical American household of four throws away nearly 125 pounds of trash each week, a figure that increases by 25 percent between the Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays.
Together with Seattle Public Utilities, Republic Services offers a few waste reduction and recycling tips to help make the holidays more planet-friendly all season long.
“Seattle celebrates 25 years of recycling this year thanks in part to Republic Services’ recycling facility located in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood,” said Tim Croll, Solid Waste director for Seattle Public Utilities. “Our city is a national recycling leader. To date, our residents and businesses have recycled 1.7 million tons of material, enough to fill two city landfills.”
Republic Services’ recycling facility is the largest, most advanced in the Northwest, processing more than 200,000 tons of recyclables each year, about the equivalent weight of 500 fully-loaded Boeing 747 jets.
“Republic’s capacity and state-of-the-art equipment combined with the recycling efforts of residents in Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area have helped achieve major milestones in recycling,” said Matt Henry, general manager for Republic Services’ recycling facility. “And yet, we can still do more.”
Nearly 80 percent of what is typically thrown away during the holidays can be recycled or reused instead of going to the landfill.
“Something as simple as turning last year’s greeting cards into gift tags is a small step that leads to giant strides in waste reduction,” Henry added. “If everyone keeps waste reduction and recycling in mind this season, we can turn these statistics around together.”
Republic encourages residents to recycle boxes, wrapping and tissue paper, cards, gift bags and envelopes. Items such as cords, light strands, tinsel, packing peanuts and foil-coated wrapping paper and cards are not recyclable in your recycling cart but may still be reused.
Many communities in Puget Sound are in fact well ahead of the national recycling average of 34.7 percent. Last year, Seattle recycled and composted 55.7 percent of its waste, which included 125,000 tons of food scraps and yard debris. And single family households currently recycle and compost more than 70 percent of the waste they generate.
“Compostable food waste and recyclable paper make up half of all the waste sent to the landfill,” Croll said. “By recycling your wrapping paper and putting your holiday leftovers in your food and yard waste cart, you’ll be preventing waste, saving resources, and helping our environment.”
Republic also partners with General Biodiesel, a Seattle-based sustainable energy firm that converts items such as used cooking oil to renewable, low-carbon biodiesel fuel.
“Avoid expensive repairs on clogged drains and help us protect the environment by recycling used cooking oil at residential cooking oil collection depots in King County,” added Henry. “These convenient drop-off locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Keeping items such as old holiday light strands and decorations out of the landfill will be a major leap in waste reduction, according to Republic. Combined with the responsible recycling of used cooking oil, food scraps and food soiled paper, recycling significantly reduces the impact of the holiday season on the environment.
“We have a lot to be thankful for here in Puget Sound. We live in an area that is surrounded by natural beauty, an amazing environment,” said Henry. “Republic Services is proud of the work we do and the investments we have made to help protect the environment. We thank all of our customers and the City of Seattle for an outstanding 25 years of recycling and we look forward to making 2014 even better.”
For more information please refer to the following resources:
• How to keep sewers “fat-free”: www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/education/thingsyoucando/fog.aspx
• Tips for composting in Seattle: www.seattle.gov/util
• Where to recycle holiday light strands: your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/EcoConsumer/holiday-light-recycling.asp
• Tips for making planet-friendly holiday decorations: your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/ecoconsumer/eco-tastic-decor.asp
• Recycling instructions: Please refer to your solid waste and recycling provider’s annual recycling guide
• More waste reduction and recycling tips: www.RepublicServicesNW.com
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