Allan Gerlat, News Editor

December 20, 2012

1 Min Read
Washington’s State Recycling Rate Tops 50 Percent

Washington’s state recycling rate topped 50 percent for the first time in 2011, according to new data from the state Department of Ecology.

The state’s recycling rate reached 50.7 percent in 2011, attaining the 50-percent goal set in a 1989 state law, according to a news release.

Washington residents increased their recycling by 4 percent from 2010, adding more than 186,000 tons of municipal waste recycled. That equals 3.64 pounds per person per day collected for recycling, which is the highest ever measured in Washington, the department of ecology said.

Waste being disposed of by residents also dropped by 4 percent, with a decline of about 170,000 tons.

Total waste diverted from landfill disposal increased to 57.2 percent in 2011 from 54.3 percent in 2010. The state attributed that to less construction and demolition-related materials being disposed of in landfills.

 

About the Author(s)

Allan Gerlat

News Editor, Waste360

Allan Gerlat joined the Waste360 staff in September 2011 as news editor. He was the editor of Waste & Recycling News for the first 16 years of its history, and under his guidance the publication won 27 national and regional awards.

Before Waste & Recycling News, Allan worked at another Crain Communications publication, Rubber & Plastics News, which covers rubber product manufacturing. He began with the publication as associate editor and eventually became managing editor, a position he held for nine years.

Allan is a graduate of Ohio University, where he earned a BS in journalism. He is based in Sagamore Hills, in northeast Ohio.

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