Seattle’s Recycling Success Comes With Rising Waste-Collection Costs

Michael van Baker — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:01:54 +0000

The disheartening reward for this outstanding civic behavior is that public utility rates are expected to climb steadily in the future. (Reborn Publicola has details on electricity rates spiking an average of almost five percent each year for six years, for a total of 30 percent by 2018.) Drainage, sewer, and solid waste services would go up almost four percent each year for the next three years.

Op-Ed: Plastic Bags are Public Enemy #1, Says City Council

Michael van Baker — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:05:39 +0000

Back in 2008, in the depths of the recession, the Council looked around and decided that a $0.20 fee on plastic grocery bags was what was called for. A year later, Seattle voters disagreed. So it was fairly soon afterward that the Council started making noises about banning plastic bags outright. Last week I got a robo-poll call testing the waters on a plastic bag ban, and this week the Seattle Times reveals how the bag-ban conversation is percolating.

The SunBreak » recycling

Seattle’s Recycling Success Comes With Rising Waste-Collection Costs

Op-Ed: Plastic Bags are Public Enemy #1, Says City Council