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K4C

King County Cities Climate Collaboration Dashboard

Recycling and Composting

King County has a robust commitment to keep recyclable and compostable materials out of the landfill. Curbside pick up of composting and recycling is either free or significantly cheaper than garbage pick-up for residents of all cities in K4C, making waste management both environmentally-friendly and economical for residents. King County has set up the "Compost More, Waste Less Pledge" which awards participants with a free composting kit complete with a free kitchen food waste container and compostable bags!

All figures show contracted tonnage only, meaning they do not account for waste management that is done without the city's involvement. Commercial entities may contract directly with composting or recycling services, and residents may practice backyard composting, both of which aren't represented in these figures.

What Percentage of King County's Waste Ends up Being Recycled?

King County has set a goal of reaching Zero Waste of Resources by 2030. Zero Waste of Resources does not mean no trash, but that all recyclable or reusable materials do not end up in the landfill. While this goal will be difficult to reach, collaborative efforts from all sectors to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink our purchasing habits will help to make this goal obtainable.

This graph shows the current recycling rate in King County. Recycling rate refers to the percentage of the total waste that is recycled and composted. The benchmark shows the current goal of 70%. The second figure shows each city's total recycling and composting rate from 2011 to 2016, compared by sector. Single family recycling rates are higher in this figure due to recycling and composting being an easier process for houses.

Combined Overall Recycling Rate in King County

Sector-Specific Average Percent Recycling and Composting Rate, By City (2011 to 2016)

How Well Are Our Cities Recycling and Composting?

This figure shows the overall recycling and composting rates for each city over time. Recycling and composting rates nationally were at 34.6% in 2014, lower than each of the cities in King county over the last 4 years. With continued responsible waste management, King County can provide a national example of proper waste practices. Mercer Island's higher proportion of single family houses to commercial/multifamily buildings is likely responsible for their higher overall recycling rates.

Overall Recycling and Composting Rate, by City