Seattle remains the top city in the nation for recycling, according to a new report by Seattle Public Utilities.
In 2016, the city recycled 58.8 percent of the waste generated by residents and businesses. That’s about a one percent growth over last year.
According to SPU, the best way to increase the city’s recycling rate is through composting.
"Thirty percent of our garbage is still food, and composting food waste is where we can make our biggest recycling gains,” SPU Solid Waste Director Ken Snipes said. “In fewer than six months food waste goes from being something people throw away to rich compost they are buying to make their gardens grow."
Snipes said Seattle’s recycling rate had increased more than 20 percent in the past 13 years. The city’s goal is to reach 70 percent by 2020.
Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco are widely considered to have the most advanced recycling and composting programs in the country, according to SPU.
