Monday afternoon notes: Trash countdown, and more

| Delridge | Highland Park | Utilities | West Seattle news

TRASH COUNTDOWN: At WSB HQ, we finally got the official notice taped to the containers, after today’s pickup … although we’d already received the notice in the mail saying our pickup day, currently Monday, is changing to Tuesday. One week from today is when the changes – including higher rates and weekly yard/food waste pickup — start kicking in. One big reminder we took away from a Seattle Public Utilities presentation at last week’s Alki Community Council meeting – which is likely to be mentioned again at tonight’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting — is that, while you used to be able to opt out of yard-waste service, you can’t any more – it’s mandatory (even if you don’t have yard waste to recycle, the city is encouraging you to recycle food waste), but you can get a small container (full options listed here).

TEAM DELRIDGE EVENT TONIGHT, LOCATION CORRECTION: We listed the wrong location in an earlier note – it’s at 6:30 pm at Southwest Community Center (map).

CAMP LONG EVENT THIS WEEKEND: Coming up next weekend, a great way to enjoy and support one of West Seattle’s greenest treasures: a coffeehouse and dessert-auction fundraiser at Camp Long, 7 pm this Saturday night, with music by Jim Page and Grant Dermody. Reservations recommended, call 206-684-7434 or 206-938-3870. $10 per adult; kids over 5 are $5, and a naturalist program will be available for them to enjoy during the event.

IT’S A REALLY BIG TREE: Over the weekend we reported on the new plan for the SW Manning/Admiral Way site that’s best known for its sequoia tree. City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, whose Parks Committee will look at the plan tomorrow morning, visited over the weekend – for a sense of the tree’s size, check out this photo of the tree, with Councilmember Rasmussen standing next to it:

Amy March 23, 2009 (3:23 pm)

Re the food and yard waste — how do apartments fit in? We haven’t gotten containers, though we got the notices on our trash cans. Is there a different procedure?

Thanks for the report, TR & Co.

Amy March 23, 2009 (3:25 pm)

added: I did follow the link but it appears that we should have gotten a new container for food and yard waste. Should I call, or are they still distributing?

Ron March 23, 2009 (3:40 pm)

I beg to differ with you on Yard Waste option. You can opt out providing you compost. If you revisit the City Solid waste/yard waste site, you will see that I’m correct. You may need to hunt a little to find it, but it is there and if you phone in, they will give the same info. They show you the best way to handle the food waste. Take a garbage can, drill holes in the bottom and bury part of the can in the ground so it will drain, but without atracting rodents. Put a tight fitting lid on it. If you prefer, you can bury the food waste in the garden. I prefer to have it rot good in the can before burying. The tight lid prevents odors as well. This will save you some on your bill and also improve your garden soil.

A March 23, 2009 (3:43 pm)

It’s all a bit confusing to me. Now glass goes in our recycle container? What about my TWO glass recycle containers I currently have? (they dropped off a second one a few months ago – no idea why!) Are they picking them up? And also, what’s happening to them? Are they being recycled themselves? And the ppwk that came in the mail showed different containers – are we getting new garbage, yard waste, recycle bins? What’s going on?!

WSB March 23, 2009 (4:00 pm)

The glass bins are to be picked up and recycled, SPU says.

cori March 23, 2009 (7:01 pm)

Every other week my recycle bin is completely full, and I have glass as well. I don’t understand how it benefits us to no longer sort the glass. It’s not as though it’s work. We can now recycle more items and will have even less space to do that. Oh, and pay more for it. Am I missing something?

melissa March 23, 2009 (7:58 pm)

THAT is a spectacular tree. I hope it’s here long after I become compost!

rockergirl March 24, 2009 (10:18 am)

Garbage rates, yard waste, water and sewer rates are all going up 25% or more since the city is adopting “NEW BETTER WAYS TO RECYCLE” – seems ridiculous considering we are recycling, composting and conserving water more than ever before. While I am all for doing my part seems like the government and officials would figure out a way to reduce the rates instead of raising them. Guess I’ll have to get my worm bin going again and start composting at home again if I really want to save some money.

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