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Public Litter & Recycling Cans Home

Schedule of Litter Can Pick-ups  (PDF File)
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Services > Garbage > Reduce Garbage & Litter > Public Litter & Recycling Cans

Public Litter & Recycling Cans

To help keep Seattle clean and to support the City of Seattle’s 60% recycling goal, Seattle Public Utilities puts litter and recycling containers in areas of the city with lots of foot traffic.

The cans in most areas are serviced two to three times a week; high-traffic areas may be serviced daily. To find out when cans in your neighborhood are serviced view the Schedule of Litter Can Pick-Ups (PDF).

To report problems with public place litter or recycling cans, call the Hotline at (206) 615-1700.

Public Place Litter Cans
SPU has placed more than 800 green litter cans around Seattle’s business districts for use by shoppers and other visitors to those areas. These cans are not intended for trash or yard waste belonging to businesses or residents in the area. Their intended purpose is to reduce street and sidewalk litter.


Public Place Recycling
To help people recycle bottles and cans when they are out and about in Seattle, SPU has placed 300 blue recycling cans next to green litter cans in business districts across Seattle. Most are located downtown, but they can also be found in neighborhoods with high pedestrian traffic.



What can be recycled in public place cans?

Yes
  • • Plastic Bottles
  • • Aluminum Cans
  • • Tin Cans
  • • Glass Bottles

No
  • • Plastic food containers
  • • Any paper items (including newspaper)
  • • Coffee cups
  • • Straws
  • • Cigarette packages
  • • Food
  • • Cardboard
  • • Animal waste
Related Links
Event Recycling
for information on portable recycling bins at events throughout the city
2000-2001 Litter Composition Survey
(PDF File)