What Makes Seattle, WA Such an Eco-Friendly City

When you think of Seattle, there are a few things that may come to mind—the place where the ever-popular young adult series “Twilight” was filmed, the birthplace of Starbucks, fresh coastal seafood. But for all these things Seattle might conjure up it’s also a city concerned with sustainability and extremely environmentally conscious. Part of it is a legacy of tending to the environment the city has long been a proponent of. The other is residents who are committed to keeping the city environmentally strong. From the sprawling green space throughout the numerous public parks to the city-wide recycling efforts, read on for details on just how Seattle is eco-friendly to its core. 

Plenty of green space 

If there’s one thing that makes cities more livable, it’s green space and a break from the concrete and hustle and bustle. Green space is representative of nature within a city and reconnecting with it. And Seattle has plenty of it. Pick from your choice of lush gardens with local vegetation, parks for playtime or arboretums. A little known fact is that Seattle ranks within the top ten of canopy covers in the world, a measurement of green spaces within a city. Plus, nonprofit organizations like Green Seattle Partnerships are doing their part to ensure the canopy cover in Seattle increases by the year 2025. 

Multiple modes of transportation 

Pollution from too many cars on the road is a real issue. One of those ways to combat that is to lessen carbon footprint in a number of ways, such as carpooling with neighbors and friends. But in Seattle there’s also other modes of transportation to take advantage of, like walking, riding a bike or riding the light rail Seattle Subway. Seattle is unique in that more than half of its residents don’t drive to work alone. More recently, the city has started operating two lines of streetcars. 

An abundance of green homes

More and more, residents of Seattle are going green as far as their homes are concerned. The wider trend nationwide are tiny homes that by virtue are eco-friendly because it’s a smaller living space that pulls on less resources of the environment. But another way that Seattleites have been able to accomplish their green homes are by slowly tinkering with green renovations. This means going bit by bit to install solar panels, on-site rainwater cisterns, energy and water efficient toilets, non-toxic building materials and paints. 

Sustainable and eco-focused businesses 

Living a truly eco-friendly life often hinges on widening your awareness to incorporate more sustainable practices. This is precisely what a number of eco-friendly businesses in the greater Seattle metro area put into practice. HaloSource is a water technology company that works to create more clean water globally; Helion Energy focuses on providing clean energy and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? disposes of waste that residents otherwise wouldn’t be able to dispose of safely. 

City-wide recycling efforts

There’s no need for Seattle residents to be concerned about their amount of waste at their home, apartment or condo. For all Seattle residents, recycling is included in regular garbage collection. The only requirement is separating it out into a separate bin and not leaving it mixed in with other garbage and waste. Recycling collection is however only collected every other week, although it will be the same day all other garbage is collected. The Seattle government’s website has more details on collection. 

Mindful eating

Choose to dine at restaurants that have truly sustainable food practices at their core and ethos. Some of the restaurants in Seattle that fit this bill include Plum Bistro, Juicebox Cafe and Tilth Seattle.