Seattle SMC 21.36.083 prohibits placing food scraps and compostable paper in garbage carts citywide. Single-family homes, multifamily buildings, and businesses must subscribe to food and yard waste service since the 2015 mandate.
Seattle Public Utilities adopted the Mandatory Composting Ordinance in 2014, with full enforcement starting January 2015. SMC 21.36.083 makes it unlawful for any generator (residential, commercial, multifamily) to place food waste, food-soiled paper, or compostable paper in garbage. Single-family households automatically receive food and yard waste carts; subscription is included in solid-waste rates. Multifamily and commercial buildings must contract for organics service through SPU's franchised hauler (Recology or Waste Management). Cedar Grove processes the material into compost. SPU initially used tagging tickets for offending carts; current enforcement focuses on outreach and waste audits with civil penalties for repeat commercial offenders. Seattle was one of the first US cities to ban food in garbage outright, predating Washington HB-1799 (2022) statewide.
First two notices: warning tag on cart. Subsequent offenses: $1 surcharge per single-family pickup, $50 per commercial container with food waste contamination above 10%.
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See how Seattle's mandatory organics recycling rules stack up against other locations.
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