Seattle Mandates Recycling 8393

Rebekah A. Hall

Seattle -- The city council has made the recycling of paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminum and tin cans mandatory for businesses and residents beginning in January 2005. In 2006, if a resident violates the new recycling guidelines three times, their refuse will not be collected. At the same time, commercial establishments will be fined $50 per container for recycling violations.

This effort is a result of a citywide decline in recycling, which dropped from 44 percent in 1995 to 38 percent in 2001, according to The Seattle Times.