Environmental Stewardship
Pack It Out

Seattle Parks and Recreation this summer is encouraging park users who generate trash to “Pack it Out” through a pilot project at 18 parks.

To contain the increasing costs of trash collection and litter control, which cost more than any other maintenance activity (over $1 million per year), and to involve park users in the stewardship of city parks, Parks and Recreation will post signs at the parks, ask for user comments, and measure trash reduction by regular inspections.

Program designers chose parks based on their type, use and accessibility, with a focus on natural areas and viewpoints.

Pack it Out signs will read: "Seattle Parks and Recreation is trying out a Pack it In, Pack it Out program in this and 17 other City parks." The Pack it In, Pack it Out program is a partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation and our park users to encourage environmental stewardship and save money. Through this program, we hope to encourage our park users to reduce the amount of garbage they generate and ‘pack out’ the items they bring into these parks.

Pack it In, Pack it Out encourages environmental stewardship by increasing park users’ awareness of waste reduction and resource conservation, and by providing another opportunity for citizens to be involved in park stewardship. We believe taking pride in a park will go much farther in maintaining the park’s beauty and cleanliness than a garbage can.

Pack it In, Pack it Out increases the efficiency of our garbage collection system. Seattle Parks and Recreation spends more on garbage collection and litter control than on any other maintenance activity (over $1 million per year). This program will reduce the amount of trash we have to collect from our parks and will allow us to focus our resources on more heavily used parks. Please help keep these Pack it In, Pack it Out parks litter free!

Parks included in the program are, north of the Lake Washington Ship Canal: Belvoir Park, Froula Park, Matthews Beach Wetlands, the 14th Avenue Boat Ramp, Golden Gardens Peninsula, and North Seattle Park.

Parks between the Lake Washington Ship Canal and I-90 are: Howell Park, Lakeview Park, Bagley Viewpoint, Marshall Park, Kiwanis Ravine and the Louisa Boren Greenbelt Trail.

Parks south of I-90 and in West Seattle are: Seola Park Viewpoint, 12th Avenue Viewpoint, Upper Colman Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Cormorant Cove Park and Day Street Park.

For more information, please contact Phil Renfrow at Seattle Parks and Recreation (206) 684-7457 or phil.renfrow@seattle.gov

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