Waste Management garbage hauler Chris Freymann knows all about the things Seattle residents throw away.
Too often, he finds himself loading his trash truck with stuff that isn't trash, after people put compostables and recyclables in their garbage cans.
"Most of this looks like it's compostable," Freymann said as he pointed to a composting bag thrown in a Beacon Hill trash can.
Beginning Jan. 1, Seattle will no longer allow food waste or compostable paper like pizza boxes or napkins in trash bins.
For the first six months, Freymann and other haulers will leave behind red warning tags.
Starting July 1, violators will get a $1 fine added to their bill.
"It's not to create a huge financial penalty," said Brett Stav of Seattle Public Utilities. "It mostly serves as a reminder that those things don't belong in the garbage."
Seattle has been working for 25 years to compost or recycle 60 percent of all solid waste.
Seattle first set that goal in 1989.
According to city documents, by 1995 it was achieved only for single family residences.
The citywide goal was pushed back from 1998 to 2008 to 2012, and finally to the end of 2015.
Seattle is currently at 56.2 percent.
"We want to have the best recycling rate in the country," Stav said.
San Francisco holds that title, saying it diverts 80 percent of its waste from landfills, a claim that is often in dispute.
Nationwide, the recycling rate is 34.5 percent, which means Seattle is a true leader.
City officials say most people already sort their stuff well, they expect just 1 percent to be fined.
"This is just to get the laggards, the people who are sitting on the sidelines in the game," Stav said.
Hauler Chris Freymann says he's always willing to help customers figure out what goes in which bin, because he knows what's at stake.
"We're talking about our future generations and what not, because we only have one planet," Freymann said.
Want to talk about the news of the day? Watch free streaming video on the KIRO 7 mobile app and iPad app, and join us here on Facebook.