The Seattle Times

Since the first curbside recycling program was initiated in 1987, Seattleites have become accustomed to recycling paper, glass, metals and yard waste. Many see it as their civic duty and a way to help the environment.

Still, the city of Seattle sends by truck and train more than 50 percent — 440,000 tons per year — of its municipal waste to landfills, much of it to Bend, Ore. A large percentage of municipal landfill waste is from construction and demolition debris, estimated to be between 20 and 30 percent nationally.