Seattle News
Seattle Idea: Fewer Trash
Pickups, More Recycling
By Phuong Le
The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Striving to reduce
the trash it sends to landfills, Seattle has
banned foam take-out containers and
plastic bags, told residents they must
recycle cardboard and compost food
scraps, and set up a registry for people to
opt-out of getting phonebooks.
Some city officials think the city can do
even more: they’re now weighing
whether to stop picking up garbage from
homes every week.
Switching to every-other-week garbage
collection would save the city about $6
million a year, officials say, while reduc-
ing neighborhood truck traffic and poten-
tially keeping an additional 1,400 tons of
waste a year out of the landfill.
The city council is deciding whether to
test the concept in about 800 single-fami-
ly homes this summer. If the pilot project
is successful, the idea may be rolled out
citywide, making Seattle one of the
largest U.S. cities to embrace the reduced
pickups. A council committee vote is
scheduled in May.
Seattleite Lori Friedman has mixed feel-
ings about the idea, but feels the city
to pay for larger bins to accommodate all
their trash. The comedy show “Port-
landia” even spoofed the city’s many
garbage and recycling bins.
“Some people aren’t exactly doing cart-
wheels on every-other-week service, but
we’re seeing many, many people adapt,
and the program appears to be working
very well,” said Bruce Walker, Portland’s
solid waste & recycling program manag-
er.
“It was a big change, but people are
clearly adapting. We’ve seen a big drop-
off in garbage, as well as an increase in
yard and compost,” he added. The amount
of garbage picked up during Portland’s
pilot project dropped by about 30 percent,
and that seems to be the case now, Walk-
er said.
When the city of Renton, south of Seat-
tle, conducted a pilot project several years
ago, public health investigators walked
the neighborhoods to monitor for odor,
rats and other issues and observed few
problems, said Bill Lasby, solid waste and
rodents supervisor for the public health
agency for Seattle and King County.
The agency hasn’t gotten many com-
plaints about Renton’s program. Seattle is
in good position to do a pilot project,
because residents already
separate so much food
scraps from their garbage
and set it aside for week-
ly curbside pickup, which
would continue, Lasby
said.
“We see this is as part
of a positive movement
in Seattle toward zero
waste,” said Heather
Trim, a leader Zero Waste
Seattle, a coalition of environmental
groups and citizens supporting the pro-
posal. “If you’re only taking out your
trash every other week, you’re going to
want to make sure that you’re not putting
your food waste in with the garbage.”
The city would give the 800 single-fam-
ily homes participating in the trash test a
one-time $100 stipend for their troubles;
the neighborhoods haven’t been selected
yet. Ratepayers would save less than 10
percent, but can expect a 20 percent
reduction in truck traffic through neigh-
borhoods, officials said.
Robin Freedman with Waste Manage-
ment, one of the nation’s largest private
garbage contractors, which handles
garbage collection for Renton and parts of
Seattle, said the company supports the
effort. “In the end, it really supports waste
reduction and increases recycling over
time, and we support that,” she said.
Seattle resident Bruce Danielson thinks
he could squeeze two weeks of trash into
his 20-gallon garbage can, but he wonders
about problems with odor and animals
breaking into garbage cans.
“If they can find a way to address the
odor problem, with people leaving
garbage out for an extra week, it would be
a good way to save money,” he said. “I’m
sure willing to give it a shot.”
Elta Ratliff and her family of five have
embraced Seattle’s recycling and com-
posting ethos since they moved here from
Atlanta two years ago. She loves the idea
but would like to pay less if she receives
less-frequent service.
The family uses the smallest trash bin
offered by the city. It has bins for every-
thing, making it easy to separate banana
peels and cereal boxes from the plastics -
like sandwich bags - that can’t be recy-
cled.
“The way Seattle does things is so fresh
and progressive,” she said.
Still, thousands of tons of
material that could be
recycled or composted are
sent on mile-long trains to a
landfill about 200 miles away
should do a trial.
“The good part is that people will do a
lot more recycling and be more thoughtful
about it,” she said. “The bad part, espe-
cially in the summer, is having stinky
garbage (around).”
Most major U.S. cities including New
York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston and
Phoenix collect trash every week. Port-
land, Ore., began less-frequent garbage
collection last fall. Smaller cities in Wash-
ington state, such as Renton and Olympia,
made the switch years ago. The city of
Tacoma, south of Seattle, recently com-
pleted a pilot project and is weighing
whether to move to every-other-week
pickups.
In Seattle, the move would only nudge
the city’s annual recycling rate up by less
than one percent. But the city has already
tackled some of the biggest recycling
issues, so this would help the city toward
its goal of a 60 percent recycling rate, city
solid waste director Tim Croll told coun-
cilmembers last week.
Seattle recycles about 53 percent of its
trash, and diverts about 125,000 tons of
food scraps and yard waste out of landfills
each year. Residents currently put food
scraps and yard waste in one bin, trash in
another, and cardboard and other recycla-
ble materials in a third bin.
Still, thousands of tons of material that
could be recycled or composted are sent
on mile-long trains to a landfill about 200
miles away, said Seattle City Councilman
Richard Conlin, who backs the bi-month-
ly trash pickup proposal. “There’s lots of
opportunity to increase efficiency.”
Surveys show Seattle customers are
divided, said Croll.
When Portland rolled out every-other-
week trash service last fall, some were
unhappy about the prospect of leaving
dirty diapers and bags of pet poop in the
garbage for more than a week. Others
worried about reduced service, potential
odor or vermin problems, or being forced
Urban League Chooses City
Leader Pamela Banks as CEO
League and now see me
SEATTLE, WA – After a
focusing on rebuilding this
year of reorganizing and
amazing organization.”
rebuilding, the
Urban
One reference of hers
League of Metropolitan
summarized his support of
Seattle (ULMS) has named
Banks by saying that the
a new CEO with deep com-
nature of the Urban League
munity roots, a penchant for
has changed: “The African
getting programs funded,
American community has
and a reputation for engag-
dispersed from a Seattle
ing large, diverse audiences.
core population to three of
Pamela Banks has over 20
the surrounding counties.
years of managerial and
She is a familiar face in
administration experience
front of the area’s growing
working in city departments,
ethnic communities – and
including her current job as
Pamela Banks
her roots are firmly planted
the program manager for the
in understanding the needs
City of Seattle’s Dept. of
of the African American
Neighborhoods. Prior to this
community.”
role, Banks served as the
The announcement today
community outreach direc-
culminates a nationwide
tor for Seattle Mayor Greg
search with judging from a
Nickels’ Office, public rela-
local selection committee
tions manager for Housing
that spent over a month
& Human Services, and the
selecting the right person to
strategic advisor for the
restore ULMS’s rightful
Dept. of Transportation.
place in the area’s very
Walle Ralkowski, board
chair of ULMS said of her appointment: diverse population. It included Seattle City
“Pamela has managed large teams with Council member Bruce Harrell, NW Asian
budgets ranging from $500,000 to $5 mil- Weekly Publisher Assunta Ng, Attorney and
lion dollars. She was instrumental in seek- Diversity Director for law firm Davis,
ing funds and establishing the Seattle Youth Wright Tremaine Karen Russell, KCTS’s
Violence Protection Project Initiative which Enrique Cerna, former NAACP President
brought the Urban League a grant focused Lacy Steele, Seattle Urban League’s Young
on street outreach to reduce gang and youth Professional President Carl Bailey, ULMS
violence. In addition, she helped start youth Treasurer Steve Okamura, ULMS Board
programs so disadvantaged kids could par- member Herman McKinney, Franklin High
ticipate in sports programs and was found- School Assistant Principal Amber Jenkins
ing board member to the Garfield High Fields and UW Sociology Professor Alexes
Harris, in addition to Ralkowski.
Foundation.”
Finalists were sent down to Denver (CO)
In accepting the position, Banks said she
was ready to take on a new role in the com- to be interviewed by a panel of National
munity after 30 years in public service Urban League affiliate leaders as well as
employment. “My passion and experience executive leaders from headquarters. These
are precisely what the Urban League has interviews concluded late last week and the
championed for years: education, housing, final decision was reached just days ago.
Banks will assume the post in June.
and getting people jobs. I have been a long-
time advocate and friend of the Urban
Banks will
assume the
post in June
The Seattle Public Library Offers
Computer Classes For Beginners
T
he Seattle Public Library offers free
beginning computer classes for peo-
ple who have little or no experience
with computers.
The classes are free and open to the pub-
lic. Registration is not required, except
where noted. Seating may be limited based
on room capacity. Parking is available in the
Central Library garage at the regular rates.
Free parking is available at the branches.
Class descriptions, times and locations are
listed below. Locations vary each month.
For more information call 206-386-4636 or
Ask a Librarian.
Computer Basics 1 – Learn how to use a
computer keyboard and mouse.
• 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 16 at
the Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave.
S., 206-684-4711
• 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 at
the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.,
Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Cen-
ter Room 4, 206-386-4636
Computer Basics 2 – Learn how to use
basic features of the Windows software
operating system. The session will cover
using the toolbars, scroll bar and text boxes.
• 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday, April 13 at the
Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W.,
206-684-7455 (Registration is required; call
the branch or visit in person to register.)
• 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 30 at
the Beacon Hill Branch, 2821 Beacon Ave.
S., 206-684-4711
• 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, May 3 at
the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.,
Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Cen-
ter Room 4, 206-386-4636
Computer Basics – This class incorpo-
rates the content of Computer Basics 1 and
Computer Basics 2.
• 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17
at the Northeast Branch, 6801 35th Ave.
N.E., 206-684-7539
Email Basics – Get a free email account
and learn how to use it, including how to
send email, send attachments and use the
address book.
• 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April
12 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.,
Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Cen-
ter Room 4, 206-386-4636
• 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April
26 at the Lake City Branch, 12501 28th Ave.
N.E., 206-684-7518
• 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10
at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave.,
Level 4, Boeing Technology Training Cen-
ter Room 4, 206-386-4636
• 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 19 at
the Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W.,
206-684-7455 (Registration is required; call
the branch or visit in person to register.)
• 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 30
at the Greenwood Branch, 8016 Greenwood
Ave. N., 206-684-4086 (Registration is
required; call the branch or visit to register.)
Read the rest of this story online at
www.theskanner.com
April 11, 2012 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9