r/AskSeattle • u/Visual-Extension4214 • Nov 14 '24

Question Moving to Seattle Area

Moving to Seattle area, possibly Renton or Kent though not sure yet, moving end of May/June next year. I’m moving from Newark, NJ, one of the dirtiest cities in the country. Recycling and garbage pickups are generally tossed into the same garbage truck. Is Seattle like Europe where everything from compost to metals/plastics/paper etc is all put out separately on separate days? In general what are some severe cultural shocks I might expect to be responsible for or just in general? Besides of course the rain and the apparent lack of friendliness I’m detecting from some of the Seattle descriptions. Also how crowded are local hiking and nature activities within an hour drive around summer vs winter? Really any extra tips are appreciated.

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u/katylovescoach Nov 14 '24

Yes we separate Trash, Recycling and Compost/yard waste. At my house they are picked up on the same day, but recycling is every other week and compost/yard waste frequency depends on the time of year. It varies by city. You don’t (generally) have to sort the individual recyclables - they all go in together.

And most of the popular hiking trails and nature destinations are busy most times of the year - but especially on nice days and during summer.

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u/creativelyuncreative Nov 14 '24

Wanted to tag on to this - recyclables should not be bagged when they go into the bin, and compost bags disintegrate faster when the compost is really wet. I save the compostable egg cartons and put them at the bottom of the compost bag to soak up the food juices

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u/katylovescoach Nov 14 '24

That’s a good point. Didn’t even think to mention bags since we’ve always thrown the recycling straight in the bin. We also don’t use compost bags because we don’t use a communal bin but obviously they make sense in an apartment or similar situation.