Imagine a dumpster-free business district.

That's what West Seattle Junction Association President Dave Montoure envisions with CleanScapes, a local waste reduction and janitorial service.

The dozens of dumpsters that line the alleyways behind Junction businesses are known breeding grounds for odors, rodents and illegal activities. The goal is to get rid of the unsightly, smelly dumpsters and recycling containers, but also encourage businesses to look at new, sustainable ways to manage their waste, said Montoure.

To do that, the Junction Association has started an outreach campaign to introduce the CleanScapes service to local business owners and property mangers.

It's based on a European model, whereby garbage, recyclables and food waste are collected daily or twice daily, rather than once a week.

In place of large, metal bins, customers set out waste materials in bags for daily collection. The service also includes free pickup of cardboard and used cooking oil and regular washing of alleys.

Most of the parking lots in the Junction lead customers through the alleys and to the back entrances of businesses. Removing the dumpsters could go a long way in improving that experience, said Montoure.

If a business decides to take on the service, the city of Seattle's waste management companies, either Waste Management or Allied Waste, will transfer its service to CleanScapes.

There's a catch. It could end up costing businesses more.

There are two pricing models: Businesses can pay a flat rate or "pay as they throw." The latter is the model the Junction Association is encouraging because it provides the most incentive to cut back on waste.

With the pay as you throw system, customers purchase and pay only for the garbage and recycling actually disposed or recycled. Depending on size, cost per bag ranges from $4 to $14.

The flat-rate option would require a monthly fee based on past garbage and recycling invoices but doesn't really encourage waste reduction, said Montoure, owner of West 5, a bar and eatery in the Junction.

Once his staff is trained to be more conservative with waste and a few internal practices are tweaked, Montoure expects his waste costs to reduce substantially under the new system.

But, he said, the cost factor might be the biggest hurdle for some business owners, especially in food services, which typically produce a lot of waste.

The Junction Association plans to organize a meeting with business owners soon, with the hopes of starting service with CleanScapes in mid to late July. Montoure is encouraging everyone to get onboard.

"We don't want to piecemeal it," he said. "To get the full benefit you want all the dumpsters gone."

There might be a few challenges along the way, however. Some businesses share dumpsters and recycling bins in mixed-use buildings. So, residents in apartments may share a dumpster with a salon, a restaurant and an office.

That will take coordinating with the building manager to meet the varying needs for all types of tenants, said Montoure.

Noise could also a factor for residents, as most of the collection happens in the early morning hours after restaurants and bars close.

"As part of our outreach we'll find out what works best for our neighbors living in the Junction and the businesses," Montoure said. "The service, as I understand, is flexible and we can find appropriate collection times that minimize neighborhood impact while still providing timely collection."

CleanScapes, headquartered in Georgetown, is currently bidding to handle waste collection for parts of Seattle, said Chris Martin, owner of the company.

Depending on where you live in the city, Waste Management and Allied are the only companies commissioned to control garbage for the city. The city is looking to contract out to a few other businesses.

CleanScapes now operates as a janitorial company and delivers waste and recyclables to dumpsters managed by Seattle.

Its services are growing regionally, now provided in both Portland and San Francisco, and it's been successful for several years in the Columbia City business district and Pioneer Square, where most restaurants are participating, said Martin.

Martin also encourages businesses to try the pay as you throw service model, because the reason he started CleanScapes wasn't just to pick up trash, he said. The real aim is to teach business owners to create more sustainable practices and minimize waste.

"When you're paying $4.50 for a garbage bag, you'll think more of it," he said.

Rebekah Schilperoort may be reached at 783.1244 or rebekahs@robinsonnews.com