Waste Composition Reports
SPU has conducted waste composition studies since 1988. These studies provide information on the makeup of Seattle's residential, self haul and commercial garbage, as well as construction, demolition and landclearing (CDL) waste. The overall success of Seattle’s programs, education/outreach efforts, and variable rate structure can be measured by how much is diverted from the landfill, and how much recyclable material remains in the garbage. Measuring these 2 indicators is a large undertaking so the waste composition studies are only updated every few years.
All reports are in PDF format.