Port of Seattle Landscape Department Wins State Award

Waste Reduction and Recycling Efforts Noted in 'Best Small Government' category

The Port of Seattle's Landscape Department has been honored by the Washington state Department of Ecology for its waste reduction and recycling efforts. The Port received second place in the "Best Small Government" category of the annual state competition.

"Port of Seattle's Landscape Department waste reduction and recycling program is quite impressive," noted George Sidles, DOE regional manager for the Solid Waste and Financial Assistance Program in his letter announcing the award. "Your efforts to move toward total organic composting in 1999 reflects the commitment of staff and management to help keep our state's environment clean."

Craig Chatburn, head of the landscape department, said the eight-person landscape department recycles about 95 percent of all the organic waste generated from the more than 70 acres of parks, bike trails, and other public access areas owned by the Port.

"We are a completely organic shop," he said. "We sold back all of our landscaping chemicals about two years ago and are now 100 percent organic. We also use mulching blades on all of our lawnmowers and recycle all of our wood waste through a chipper to create top dressing material instead of purchasing beauty bark."

This isn't the first time the Port's landscape department has been honored for excellent service. The team won a "distinguished greenworks" award from King County in 1998 for their efforts.