Unsheltered Services
SPU’s Unsheltered Services focuses on serving the unsheltered community with programs that prioritize public health and minimize the environmental impacts of RV and tent encampment living. Our RV Remediation and Encampment Trash Programs provide essential services that support the removal of garbage, debris, and spills generated by RV and tent encampments citywide. Program benefits include educating encampment residents on proper waste disposal, fostering sanitary living conditions, and promoting environmental sustainability.
For more information on the City’s response to the homelessness crisis, visit the One Seattle Homelessness Action Plan.
Encampment trash program
The Encampment Trash Program (ETP), also referred to as the Purple Bag Program, provides weekly garbage service (collection and disposal) to nearly 30 encampments. The goal is to improve encampment conditions and minimize public health and safety hazards by reducing community trash.
If you have any concerns about trash at an encampment or RV and wish to report it, you can use the Find It, Fix It App.
2024 Year-to-date data:
(Last update March)
202K+ Lbs Collected
6,861 bags distributed
Help us keep Seattle safe and clean by reporting illegal dumping, pollution, and graffiti. You can also learn more about preventing and removing graffiti, sharps collection, public litter cans, and keeping alleys clear of collection containers.
Report illegal dumping
Report junk, garbage, or debris left on public property, including roadsides, open streets, and paved alleys.
Report pollution
Report surface water pollution like leaking cars, concrete dumped on the street, or paint poured down a drain.
RV remediation
The RV Remediation Program addresses the public health and safety impacts of trash and debris produced by recreational vehicles (RVs) and other lived-in vehicles occupying the public right-of-way. These efforts are implemented by SPU and performed in collaboration with Seattle’s Unified Care Team (UCT), an interdepartmental team working to ensure Seattle’s public spaces, sidewalks, and streets remain clean and accessible to all.
Program objectives include improving public access to the right-of-way, protecting environmental health by preventing trash, debris, and pollutants from entering our waterways, minimizing public health and safety hazards associated with RV camping, and providing a clean space to our neighbors.
2024 Year-to-date data:
(Last update March)
24 RV Remediations Completed
182K+ Lbs Collected
Geo Clean
To address growing community concerns associated with public health and safety risks involving clusters of RVs, SPU conducts Geo Cleans to provide a swift and consistent response to manage ongoing trash and debris from RVs throughout City neighborhoods. The Geo Clean sites identified for trash routes are addressed weekly.
Geo Clean objectives include improving access to the right-of-way and minimizing public health and safety hazards associated with RV camping.
2024 Year-to-date data:
(Last update March)
135K Lbs Collected
If you have any concerns regarding encampment or RV trash, you can report it through the Find It, Fix It App.
Help us keep Seattle safe and clean by reporting illegal dumping, pollution, and graffiti. You can also learn more about preventing and removing graffiti, collection of sharps, public litter cans, and keeping alleys clear of collection containers