Indicators
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
At Home
- Shoreline Practices for a Healthy Lake, River or Stream
- Embrace Natural Yard Care
- Home & garden hints for healthy streams & salmon
At Work
Resource Consumption
About this Indicator
King County's Resource Consumption Indicator addresses trends in residential solid waste disposal and recycling and green building practices for residential and commercial development. In the future, DNRP intends to include data on building energy use in King County; however we do not currently have a reliable source for this data.
Status
Green building in the commercial sector has improved, as shown by the increased number of completed projects that have been certified as LEED buildings by the US Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a nationally recognized commercial green building rating system. Residential green building in King County is measured by the number of BuiltGreen homes completed the county. In 2007, residential green building levels fell short of expectations.
Targets as established in the King County Solid Waste Comprehensive Plan for both solid waste recycling and disposal were met in 2007.
Influencing factors
Green building and solid waste management practices are influenced by a range of economic and social factors. Solid waste disposal levels have historically increased in prosperous times. The recent downturn in the economy may have contributed to reductions in solid waste disposal levels and well as in the reduced numbers of completed BuiltGreen homes.
Market factors are also contributors to the increased numbers of LEED certified commercial buildings in King County, as market analysis has shown that demand for these buildings is increasing in this region. Increased social awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling as well as increased regulatory requirements for recycling are factors that bear on household recycling rates.
DNRP response
Affecting the building, recycling, and disposal behaviors of King County residents requires a range of strategies, from collaborations with cities and non-profit partners to direct outreach to developers and residents. The King County Solid Waste Division delivers recycling and resource conservation education and outreach programs to schools (http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/education/index.asp) and leads the county's Green Building Program, including the GreenTools website: http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/greenbuilding/
What you can do:
When considering building or remodeling projects
When making purchasing decisions, consider environmental impacts
More information about King County's Resource Consumption indicators is available by continuing to these indicators:
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