Seattle, You're A Darn Good Recycler

If there is one thing you should never say in our dear city, it is "recycling is a hassle." (Gasp!) Without a doubt, muttering those words will earn you hundreds of dirty looks--we're passive-aggressive too, don't forget.

But for now, forgo the shifty eyes. Because today marks a big recycling milestone, as the City of Seattle has reached a 50 percent recycling rate. That's half of all our home, work, and self-hauled waste being recycled instead of going to the landfill. Nice going, Seattle!

We already knew we weren't very wasteful, but apparently all those dirty looks, compost bins, and eco-friendly this and that really helped the cause. But no more slacking, because Mayor Nickels has set the recycling bar even higher, aiming for a 60 percent recycling rate by 2010.