United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-017b
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Bellevue,
Washington
60% Residential Waste Reduction
Overview
Bellevue initiated its recycling program in 1989; by 1996
the city recovered 60% of its solid waste from single-family
homes (26% through recycling and 34% through
composting). Bellevue contracts with one local company to
provide most of its residential waste services, including
weekly trash collection, weekly curbside collection of 16
categories of recyclables, and twice monthly collection of
yard debris from March through November. 1 Residents can
also recycle materials at county-run drop-off facilities and
twice yearly special collection days offered by the city and its
solid waste contractor. Since the introduction of Bellevue's
waste reduction program in 1989, average per household trash
disposal has decreased from 6.52 pounds per day to only 3.69
pounds per day. The city has no mandatory recycling
requirements for residents, but its pay-as-you-throw fee
structure for trash provides an economic incentive for
residents to reduce trash disposal.
Keys to High Waste Reduction
Bellevue's pay-as-you-throw trash rate structure and
ease and availability of waste reduction opportunities
contribute to the city's high waste reduction level.
Residents pay a monthly fee for trash
removal based upon the size of the
trash container they use. For instance,
in 1996, weekly collection of one 30-
gallon trash can costs Bellevue
residents $12.91 per month while
weekly collection of one 19-gallon
can costs only $7.13 per month. As
part of its convenient waste
reduction program, the city's
contractor provides residents with
three stackable recycling bins,
DHALU
POPULATION: 103,700
(1996)
HOUSEHOLDS: 44,387
(1996); 26,026
single- family
households (1 -10
units), 18,361 multi-
family units
1989
1996
Tons Per Year
23,396
39,186
Percent Diverted
Recycled
Composted
11%
6%
5%
60%
26%
34%
Average Ibs./HH/day
7.30
9.18
Net Program Costs/HH NA $235.64
Disposal Services NA $116.68
Diversion Services NA $118.97
Notes: 17,556 households served in 1989; 23,372 in 1996. Numbers
may not add to total due to rounding. 1989 program costs not
available as they occurred in the private sector and are not public
information.
Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 1999.
This profile is part of the fact sheet Cutting the Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How (EPA-530-F-99-017).
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weekly curbside pick-up of recyclables, and bi-
weekly pick-up of yard debris. The city's yard
debris program is especially effective, diverting
more than one-third of the city's residential
waste stream.
Cost-Effectiveness
Bellevue's contractor collects service fees
directly from customers. The rates charged are
based on the level of trash collection requested
by each customer. Direct city
expenditures are limited to
administration and education and
publicity costs. Of total city and
contractor waste management
expenditures in 1996, about 50% was
spent on trash collection and disposal, 25% was
spent on recycling, and 25% was spent on yard
RESIDENTIAL WASTE GENERATION
PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY
CURBSIDE:
newspapers, magazines, corrugated cardboard
mixed paper (mail, office paper, phone books, paperboard, and kraft bags)
milk cartons and drink boxes
cans
aluminum foil and other non-ferrous scrap
glass containers
#1 and #2 plastic bottles
white goods
yard waste (leaves, brush, grass clippings, and other yard and garden
debris)
holiday trees
DROP-OFF:
all materials accepted in curbside program plus:
oil filters
household and lead-acid batteries
tires
household goods (textiles, working small appliances, and usable
furniture)
scrap metal
#6 plastic food containers
scrap lumber
antifreeze
fluorescent lamps and ballasts
ceramic bathroom fixtures
1989 1993 1996
Trash ^ Recycling ^Composting
debris collection and composting. Overall,
trash cost $174 per ton, recycling $139 per
ton, and yard debris recovery $102 per ton.
Tips for Replication
Collect mixed paper.
Commit to and concentrate on high-
quality customer service.
Spend the extra money to make
promotional material attractive.
Continuously remind and educate the
public about waste reduction.
Raise overall environmental awareness.
Implement a variable rate structure for
trash.
Notes:
1Yard debris collection is once monthly from December through
February.
Contact
Tom Spille
Solid Waste Program Administrator
Resource Management and Technology
Utilities Department
City of Bellevue
301 116th Avenue Southeast, Suite 230
P.O. Box 90012
Bellevue,WA 98009-9012
PHONE: 425-452-6964
FAX: 425-452-7116
WEB SITE: http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/
bellevue/homemap. htm
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