Waste and Recycling

Waste Composition Study

Client: Seattle Public Utilities

Cascadia has directed this ongoing program since its inception in 1988. This work has included the sampling of residential waste and curbside recycling, as well as of commercial and self-haul waste. Since 1988, Cascadia has characterized over 1,500 samples of residential waste, more than 1,200 samples from Seattle’s residential curbside recycling program, approximately 1,300 commercial samples, and 1,200 self-haul samples. This waste characterization data enables the City to monitor and forecast its waste stream, identify new materials to target for recovery, and design and improve its residential, commercial and self-haul recycling programs.

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Cascadia began to immediately overhaul the way Resource Venture services were marketed, delivered, and tracked; ultimately resulting in superior outcomes. Among the dramatic changes we noted were (1) an increased level of accountability; (2) a more strategic focus; and (3) service documentation that demonstrated a more effective and efficient program. In particular, Cascadia’s “targeting and tracking” database made it possible to focus on the biggest commercial resources users with the greatest potential for conservation, and then measure their progress over time. The program’s unique targeted approach is extremely cost-effective; Cascadia has helped reduce the City’s program costs from about $100/ton diverted in 2006 to about $45/ton in 2008.

- Phil Paschke, Seattle Public Utilities