Our vision is to build a nonprofit that addresses the increasing environmental cost of trash from homeless encampments in King County. 

Compassionate Trash Pickup: A Hidden Crisis

“The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.” – Jimmy Carter

Homelessness is rising, and so is its environmental impact. In King County, the homeless population grew from 8,978 in 2010 to 16,868 in 2024—an 189% increase (KCRHA, 2024). At the same time, Americans generate nearly 300 million tons of waste each year, averaging 4.9 pounds per person per day (EPA, 2021).

The Problem
Encampments lack trash pickup and bathrooms. As one unhoused man told reporters, “Everybody says they want to extend a hand to humanity, but it’s all hearsay, a lot of hoopla. [We have nowhere to put our trash] sic” (Willis, 2023). Rob Clark of Cape Fear River Watch explains: “I tell folks to not take out their trash for a month and see how much they end up accumulating without weekly service” (Willis, 2023).

The Cost
Clearing one encampment in NC required removing 40,000 pounds of trash at a cost of $15,000 (Willis, 2023). In Seattle, nearly $1 billion has been spent on homelessness in 11 years, yet unsheltered numbers continue to rise. After then-Mayor Ed Murray declared a homelessness state of emergency in 2015, the spending started to rise (Daniels, 2024).

The Reality
This is not about blame—it’s about infrastructure. One woman living in an encampment shared: “We were basically living among trash. It made us look like we were trashing this place up” (Willis, 2023).

The Solution
Organizations like Seattle Compassion Services step in with compassionate litter picks—removing waste from encampments while treating residents with dignity. This helps protect our environment and supports people in crisis.

👉 Homelessness is increasing. Waste is increasing. Costs are increasing.
But compassion and community action can make a difference.