Ratepayers are seeing an increase for garbage and recycling in the Pacific Northwest’s largest city, and an appliance recycling company sees a stark revenue drop.
Rate increase: Seattle residents and businesses are soon going to be paying more for garbage, recycling and organics collection. The Seattle City Council approved yearly rate increases for the next three years, according to the Seattle Times. The bills will go up by an average of 4.4 percent each year.
Sell-off: Sims Metal Management has sold some of its smaller metals recycling facilities in Tennessee and Mississippi. Steel Dynamics, a recycled steel producer, is the new owner.
New curbside carts: Residents in Emmet County, Mich. have received curbside recycling carts for paper and similar items. The majority of residents like the new cart system, but 2 percent of residents declined new carts.
State of landfills: A report from Land of Waste provides interactive maps to let people see where landfills are located in their state, the progression of landfills in the U.S. over the last century, and which states have the most trash in landfills. Nevada and Pennsylvania top that list.
Tire fee: A bill in the California Assembly would place a fee on tires to subsidize manufacturers who use recycled rubber in their products. The fee would be no more than $1.00 per tire.
Painful second quarter: Appliance Recycling Centers of America released its second quarter results. The appliance retailer and recycling firm reported a 17.9 percent loss in revenue.
Applications due: The City of Austin is accepting applications for the second annual ReVerse Pitch Competition. The program helps keep raw materials generated by businesses and other institutions out of landfill.
