City reiterates "don't see it, don't cite it" compost policy

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Marissa Brent-Tookey

Marissa Brent-Tookey Jan 12, 2018

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>City reiterates "don't see it, don't cite it" compost policy</h1>
                <h2><p>The Seattle Attorney's Office and Seattle Public Utilities responded today to a lawsuit brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation against the requirement that residents separate food waste from other garbage. The Seattle Times quoted the lawsuit's main point Friday: "A person has a legitimate expectation</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/marissa-brent-tookey-crosscut-com/">Marissa Brent-Tookey</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>The Seattle Attorney's Office and Seattle Public Utilities responded today to a lawsuit brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation against the requirement that residents separate food waste from other garbage. <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/suit-claims-seattle-garbage-collection-inspections-violate-privacy/?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">The Seattle Times</a> quoted the lawsuit's main point Friday: "A person has a legitimate expectation that the contents of his or her garbage cans will remain private and free from government inspection." In a <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=15154&ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">press release</a>, the City of Seattle claims its compost separation rule "fully complies with the law. It also reminds us that "containers are only tagged if the contamination is clearly visible." That means collectors won't be opening bags or sifting through materials. However, if your bin is quite obviously full of the moldy leftovers you finally cleared out of your fridge, you could face a $1 fine.</p>
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The Seattle Attorney's Office and Seattle Public Utilities responded today to a lawsuit brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation against the requirement that residents separate food waste from other garbage. The Seattle Times quoted the lawsuit's main point Friday: "A person has a legitimate expectation that the contents of his or her garbage cans will remain private and free from government inspection." In a press release, the City of Seattle claims its compost separation rule "fully complies with the law. It also reminds us that "containers are only tagged if the contamination is clearly visible." That means collectors won't be opening bags or sifting through materials. However, if your bin is quite obviously full of the moldy leftovers you finally cleared out of your fridge, you could face a $1 fine.

By Marissa Brent-Tookey

Marissa Brent-Tookey is an editorial intern at Crosscut. She holds a B.A. in French from Seattle University and now studies film production at Shoreline Community College. In addition to crewing a doz