SWD equity, racial and social justice

SWD actively integrates Equity, Racial, and Social Justice (ERSJ) principles into all aspects of our work. We’ve examined and adjusted many of our practices to confront racial disparities and inequities that impact frontline communities in King County.

Guided by the King County Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan and the King County 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan, we’re committed to tackling the root causes of inequity and environmental challenges. We collaborate with frontline communities to develop effective programs and best practices. Within our organization, we prioritize hiring, resource development, and work culture to empower our employees in advancing ERSJ goals.

External initiatives

Reducing barriers at our transfer stations
We strive to make our facilities as accessible and inclusive as possible. Some of the ways we’ve reduced barriers is by:

• making our facility and service information available in multiple languages
• providing a phone-in translation service to customers at our scale houses
• offering a low-income discount via our CleanUp Lift program

In 2025 we’re also planning to launch the Curbside UPLIFT program. This program will offer curbside discounts for low-come residents in Unincorporated King County.

Prioritizing frontline communities
We recognize that frontline communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change and must be centered in SWD’s work to develop a more circular economy. As part of our Re+ program, we host a monthly Re+ Community Panel. The panel helps co-create our Re+ priorities, known as the Re+ Fast Start Actions.

The Re+ program is also developing grants and initiatives that are responsive to the needs of frontline communities. These grants include:

• Re+ Circular Economy Grant - funds innovations in zero-waste and waste reduction.
• NextCycle Washington Grant - funds projects that expand waste prevention, repair, reuse, recycling, and composting.
• Re+ City Grant - supports cities delivering waste prevention, reuse, or recycling projects that help create a more circular economy.
• The School Voucher Program Grant - awards schools and school districts with vouchers up to $10,000 each for equipment, supplies and staff time that will enhance waste reduction and other sustainability efforts by the end of 2024. 

Fostering green career opportunities
Our Construction and Demolition (C&D) program offers deconstruction training to community members. Trainees learn how to take apart homes and salvage valuable materials for reuse. The program serves as a professional development opportunity for those looking to take part in the green building industry. It also promotes a more circular local economy.

Supporting equitable, energy-efficient housing
Our Green Building Grant helps income-qualified households improve their homes’ energy efficiency. Instead of starting a new program, we partnered with the Energize! Heat Pump Program to better serve communities in White Center and Skyway. This joint effort promotes long-term sustainability in frontline communities. Through educational outreach, we provide residents with free or reduced-cost heat pumps and waste diversion best practices.

Integrating ESJ in capital projects
The GreenTools program developed Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) credits for capital projects. These credits are now a minimum performance requirement for all county capital projects. The credits identify project opportunities for:

• representation
• community engagement
• design
• economic justice
• pro-equity material sourcing
• environmental justice
• community amenities

Improving recycling access across King County
We’re conducting a baseline survey to understand access to recycling services in King County. Our goal is to ensure collected recyclables are managed responsibly and equitably. We’re speaking with residents, community representatives, recycling industry employees to raise awareness around recycling access and working conditions. The study will help us identify underserved communities and improve service outcomes.

Collaborating to reduce organic waste
Our Food Too Good to Waste (FTGTW) program partners with Spanish-speaking recyclers, the Facilitadoras, to promote tips on food waste prevention. The program also runs engaging media campaigns in King County’s top six languages.

To improve organics recycling regionally, SWD hosts ongoing organics summits. These summits bring together representatives from various groups, organizations, and industries. Together, participants provide input and collaborate on strategies for minimizing organics waste.

Our Commercial Organics Technical Assistance Program provides support to businesses for organics diversion. This includes targeted support for BIPOC-, minority-, women-owned businesses, as well as businesses where English is not the primary language of customers or staff.

Sponsoring community repair events
Our EcoConsumer program sponsors free community repair events. Attendees bring household items for repair by our volunteer “fixers”. Our Fixers contribute a variety of technical skills, and many speak multiple languages. These events are also hosted in partnership with community organizations, such as the Little Masters Club and Indian American Community Services.

Improving school programming for greater participation
Our Waste Reduction and Recycling School Program (WRR) is continuing to increase participation in under-resourced school communities. We deliver about 50% of our program activities to priority districts, including:

• Federal Way
• Auburn
• Highline
• Renton
• Kent

Our initiatives are focused on:

• adapting materials for multilingual and multicultural students
• prioritizing outreach to under-resourced schools
• modifying evaluation tools
• creating an environmental equity workshop

During the past school year, we also used new Re+ messaging in our secondary workshops. The feedback we received showed that the messaging was impactful for engagement. It improved students’ understanding of waste reduction systems, encouraged more critical thinking, and made clearer connections to green careers.

Internal Initiatives

Equity and Social Justice Committee
SWD’s Equity and Social Justice Committee plans and creates anti-racist and pro-equity policies and programs. The committee is made up of employees from across SWD workgroups. They collaborate on a workforce-driven agenda, which is divided into three subcommittees: SWD Culture, Accountability, and Resource Development.

Pro-Equity hiring practices
SWD follows a systematic approach to promote equity in our hiring process. We’re committed to expanding our workforce to be more representative of the communities we serve. We do this by:

• making job postings clear and accessible
• advertising roles through diverse networks
• using sourcing strategies for hard-to-fill positions to bring in excellent and diverse candidates
• hosting open houses to answer questions and provide insights into our work culture during hiring
• considering diversity on hiring panels
• using anti-bias tactics at every stage of the hiring process

Employee training
All SWD employees complete ERSJ training, covering topics such as:

• racism
• unconscious bias
• gender awareness
• leading diverse teams

These topics are critical for creating a welcoming workplace and improving service delivery, hiring, recruitment, and ensuring an inclusive workforce.