Recycling Yard Waste in Seattle, Not Always Cost Effective

As a Seattle based junk hauling company, it is ever so imperative to be a green steward of the land. People in this area are well educated and understand that a lot of this material is reusable and frown on adding to the waste stream. Given this knowledge we strive to recycle more and more every year. This is not only good for the environment, but also for our company image. Unfortunately we have found that green recycling is not always cost effective.

When we are called upon to haul away green recyclables (yard waste, wood debris, brush, dirt, rockery, etc.), our goal is to be environmentally responsible. So, we take our customers green waste to a recycling facility. This is where the recycling conundrum begins.

Let’s take yard waste for example. At Raineer Wood Recyclers in Covington or in Fall City you can recycle clean yard debris for $3/yard. That is fantastic! The only problem is that these locations are not close to Seattle or Bellevue. These cities are where the majority of the population resides. This population generates the most amount of this type of debris and thus needs to dispose of this waste on a more frequent basis. Logic follows that this is where we pick up most of our yard waste.

So, you may say, “go to a closer recycling facility.” Ok, so you go over to Pacific Topsoils, which have great locations and easy access. The only qualm that I have with them is that they charge over $20/yard to recycle clean yard debris. This is far too much for a company like ours to pay! If you compare taking this waste to Pacific Topsoils versus the Transfer Station you will see the problem.

Our truck holds approximately 17 cubic yards and rarely goes over the 2 ton mark, especially with yard waste. The charge at the transfer station is $117.82/ton. If you do the math, 17 yards multiplied by $20 equals $340 versus 2 tons multiplied by $117.82 equals $235.64. It costs over $100 more per truck load to recycle then to dispose at a transfer station, which goes to the landfill…

If our prices are to remain competitive and reasonable to customers we have to do what is most economically viable. Sometimes this causes us to do what is not best for the environment, but what is best for our company and stakeholders. 

Our desire is to be 100% green, so we dispose at recycling facilities consistently, but we are just one junk hauling company in Seattle. There are people putting this type of debris into the transfer station every day. So how do we fix the problem? One solution is to make transfer stations that incorporate more recycling capabilities (example Shoreline Transfer Station). Another would be to start a recycling facility of our own. Both are lofty goals. Please post if you can think of ways to improve our green waste recycling conundrum. Thanks!


Matt W.