Solid Waste Management Planning
The City of Seattle is required to develop a comprehensive solid waste management plan and update it every six years. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) prepares the plan, which provides a roadmap for how the City will manage and finance its solid waste services and facilities over the next 6 years, and projects system management needs over 20 years. The plan describes how Seattle handles, collects, processes, and disposes of Seattle's waste, progress toward solid waste goals, and waste prevention, recycling, and composting programs and policies.
On April 11, 2023, the City Council adopted the Seattle’s latest comprehensive solid waste management plan, 2022 Solid Waste Plan Update: Moving Upstream to Zero Waste (2022 Plan Update). The Washington State Department of Ecology approved the 2022 Plan Update on June 7, 2023.
Solid Waste Management Planning History
- 2022 Solid Waste Plan Update: "Moving Upstream to Zero Waste"
- 2011 Plan Revision, "Picking Up the Pace Toward Zero Waste" (PDF)
- 2004 Plan Amendment, "On the Path to Sustainability" (PDF)
- 1998 Solid Waste Plan, "On the Path to Sustainability" (PDF)
Related Resources
Annual Waste Prevention and Recycling Reports: These reports detail key solid waste tonnage results, and include trends in municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition debris generation, disposal, and recycling.
Waste Composition Studies: To better understand the types and quantities of municipal solid waste disposed, and to assess the City's recycling potential, SPU has conducted ongoing composition studies since 1988.
Solid Waste Research Papers: Various research papers on topics ranging from single-use plastics, plastic pollution, food waste, and materials management.
Solid Waste Surveys: SPU uses surveys to help understand how its solid waste services are working and how they can be improved.