Dive Brief:

• Seattle, WA is considering imposing a fine on residents who fail to separate food waste and compostable paper from the rest of their trash.
• The proposal would charge offenders a $1 fine. The fee would be added to the trash bill. Businesses and apartment buildings would be charged $50 after receiving two warnings.
• The city is weighing the plan as a way to increase recycling rates across the city. 

Dive Insight:

Seattle City Council will need to approve the plan before any changes take place. The city said that the proposal would include an increase in marketing and education efforts to spread awareness and promote the program to residents.

Seattle is looking to attain its goal of reaching a 60% recycling rate. In  2013, the citywide rate hit 56.2%.