Dive Brief:
- Seattle’s food ban went into effect on January 1, and Seattle Public Utilities is flagging almost 300 customers every day who don’t adhere to the proper guidelines.
- Residential customers and businesses that dispose of food, organic scraps, and other compostable materials are receiving the warnings.
- So far, about 1% of the population of Seattle, WA has been issued a warning tag. On July 1, the law will be enforced with fines.
Dive Insight:
Drivers are trained to scan a bag in order to spot food waste in seconds.
After the six-month trial period for offenders ends, the city will dole out fines to residents totaling $1 per week, while commercial customers including multi-family dwellings will be given two warnings before they are hit with a $50 fine for every infraction after that.
