Get ready for a new garbage collection day and a rate increase. 

Next week homeowners will get a guide in the mail that outlines new pick-up days and an increase in service costs.  For example, that means a house with a 32-gallon can will now pay $22.30 per month for garbage service compared to $17.65 last year. 

The other big change is that food and yard waste will now be collected every week instead of every other week.  Plus, leftover food including meat, fish and dairy scraps can now go in the food/yard waste cart.  More items can be recycled including plastic and metal items such as cups, deli trays, aluminum foil and plastic plant pots.  There are also more food/yard waste cart sizes to choose from, including 13, 32 and 96-gallon options.

This is part of Seattle’s new recycling program that begins March 30th. The program goal is to convert 60 percent of Seattle’s generated waste to recycling or composting by 2012.  Currently the city diverts 48.4 percent of its waste.   

Recycling guidelines and collection calendars will be mailed next month and customers with new collection days will have that information taped to their garbage containers. Click here for new garbage rates  and more information.   

UPDATE: As As we expected, the City of Seattle just put out a press release explaining that garbage and yard waste pickup has been postponed again “due to dangerous road conditions.” Collectors will attempt another go at it tomorrow. “Customers missed today should leave their containers out tomorrow,” explains Seattle Public Utilities. “If materials are not collected tomorrow, then customers should bring in their containers until next week.”

No garbage pickup yesterday and it does not look too good for today (Tuesday) either.  The latest from Seattle Public Utilities here.  They say that If garbage is not collected today, customers will have to wait until next week. In addition, due to the Christmas holiday, Thursday and Friday customers will be delayed one day. Thursday customers will be collected Friday and Friday customers will be collected Saturday assuming the roads are clear.

If your garbage is missed for this week, you can set out double your normal amount of garbage at no additional charge next week. If you are missed two weeks in a row, you can also take your waste to Seattle’s Recycling and Disposal Stations, where it will be accepted at no charge.