2022 Solid Waste Plan Update: Moving Upstream to Zero Waste

On April 11, 2023, the City Council adopted the City’s latest comprehensive solid waste management plan, Seattle’s 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.

An international leader in solid waste management for decades, Seattle has advanced a zero-waste vision thanks to public support for environmentally progressive programs and thoughtful planning. To move upstream toward zero waste, SPU is looking at the whole life cycle of materials to eliminate waste and toxins, prevent pollution, reduce carbon emissions, and conserve natural resources as early as possible. We get closer to zero waste by producing and using less. That is why Seattle’s 2022 Plan Update prioritizes waste prevention in solid waste system planning. As part of our emphasis on waste prevention, Seattle will work to address the root causes of waste to reduce impacts on health and the environment. 

 Infographic showing key steps in the lifecycle of consumed materials and pointing out where greenhouse gas emissions are produced
View a larger version of this graphic.

 

2022 Plan Contents

Public Utilities

Andrew Lee, General Manager and CEO
Address: 700 5th Avenue, Suite 4900, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34018, Seattle, WA, 98124-5177
Phone: (206) 684-3000
SPUCustomerService@seattle.gov

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Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is comprised of three major direct-service providing utilities: the Water Utility, the Drainage and Wastewater Utility, and the Solid Waste Utility.