Zero Waste

Zero waste is a cornerstone of SPU’s Strategic Business Plan (SBP 2021-2026), where we aim to foster healthy people, environment, and economy by partnering with our community to equitably manage water and waste resources for today and future generations. Zero waste protects health and the environment through the conservation of resources from production through consumption without burning or pollution to land, water, or air.

Frida Clements artwork for SPU

Seattle’s vision of zero waste strives for a waste-free society by creating new practices and policies to reduce or reuse waste and build an economy where the continual use of resources is supported. We must look at the whole life cycle of materials so we can eliminate waste, prevent pollution, encourage product durability and reusability, conserve natural resources, and ultimately build a circular and inclusive economy.

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 Solid Waste Plan Update: Moving Upstream to Zero Waste (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.

Solid Waste Management Plan: The plan aids City of Seattle staff in preparing and running solid waste programs. It helps decision makers in the City Council and SPU leadership select among the many options that will move the Seattle upstream toward