Trash & Recycling in Edmonds, WA

If you live in Edmonds or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Edmonds has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Yard Waste Collection

Edmonds requires biweekly yard waste collection for nonmultifamily homes from March through November under Edmonds City Code Section 7.80.030(E). Residents may not discard yard waste with regular trash under Section 7.80.090(A) once collection and composting services are available, or must otherwise compost it on their own property.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.80.030(E); 7.80.090(A). Season: March through November. Frequency: At least biweekly, nonmultifamily. Separation duty: No yard waste in regular trash. Alternative: On-site composting allowed.

Section 7.80.090 does not itself list a dollar fine for mixing yard waste into the trash; the duty is framed as a service-and-separation standard tied to the availability of collection and composting service, enforced through the hauler reporting and city program-review mechanisms in Sections 7.80.060 and 7.80.070 rather than a per-incident citation.

Dumpster Rules

In Edmonds's CG General Commercial zone, a loading zone or trash compactor area next to a residential lot must be screened by a six-foot masonry wall plus five feet of dense Type I landscaping. Trash and utility storage can't sit inside the street setback or the buffer required next to residential zoning.

Key details: Zone: CG General Commercial. Trigger: loading zone/trash compactor next to LDR or RM zone. Wall height: minimum 6 feet, masonry. Buffer width: minimum 5 feet, Type I landscaping. Setback rule: no encroachment into street/LDR setbacks.

A CG-zone project that omits the required masonry wall or landscaping buffer does not receive site plan or building permit approval as submitted. If a dumpster or loading area is installed without the required screening after occupancy, the city can pursue it as a civil violation under Chapter 20.110 ECDC: an order to correct, then a notice of civil violation with a monetary penalty if the deadline is missed, appealable to the hearing examiner within 15 days, with unpaid penalties collectible as a lien on the property.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Edmonds requires curbside recyclables to be set out on your hauler's designated collection day under Edmonds City Code Section 7.80.030(A). The code names six accepted curbside materials: old newspaper, mixed waste paper and cardboard, aluminum and tin-plated steel food and beverage containers, glass food and beverage containers, and PETE #1 plastic.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.80.030(A). Curbside materials: 6 categories, curb set-out. Container: Provided to nonmultifamily homes. Adopted: Ord. 2901, 1992. Set-out day: Hauler's designated collection day.

The set-out rule itself carries no standalone fine; it is a service standard enforced through the city's oversight of its certificated haulers, including rate reporting under Section 7.80.050 and annual program monitoring under Section 7.80.060. Solid waste disposed of outside the sanctioned collection and county-disposal system instead falls under the unlawful disposal penalties of Edmonds City Code Section 7.70.030, which can reach a misdemeanor fine of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail.

Collection Schedule

All solid waste generated inside Edmonds city limits must go through the Snohomish County disposal system under Edmonds City Code Section 7.70.020(A). Recycling collection for nonmultifamily homes then runs on a biweekly schedule under Section 7.80.030(B), set to match the same day as trash pickup wherever possible.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.70.020(A); 7.80.030(B). System: Snohomish County-designated disposal. Recycling frequency: Biweekly, nonmultifamily homes. Preferred day: Same day as trash collection. Multifamily/commercial: Set case by case with hauler.

Diverting solid waste away from the county-designated disposal sites without county approval is barred by Section 7.70.020(C), and unlawful disposal outside this system triggers the penalties in Edmonds City Code Section 7.70.030, including a misdemeanor fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $200 to $2,000 per offense. Haulers that fail to hold to the biweekly schedule remain accountable to the city through the annual reporting duties in Section 7.80.060.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping solid waste in Edmonds outside the state-adopted disposal rules is a crime under Edmonds City Code Section 7.70.030. Violations tied to RCW 70.95.240 or RCW 70.95.610 are misdemeanors carrying up to $1,000 in fines and up to 90 days in jail, while violations tied to RCW 70.95.500 draw a civil penalty of $200 to $2,000 per offense.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.70.030. Misdemeanor fine: Up to $1,000. Jail exposure: Up to 90 days. Civil penalty: $200-$2,000 per offense. Adopted: Ord. 2763, 1990.

A misdemeanor conviction under RCW 70.95.240 or RCW 70.95.610 can bring a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both. A violation of RCW 70.95.500 is punished civilly rather than criminally, with a penalty of no less than $200 and no more than $2,000 assessed for each separate offense, on top of any cleanup costs the responsible party may owe.

Compared to other cities, Edmonds takes a harder line on illegal dumping. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Recycling Rules

Edmonds City Code Chapter 7.80 defines the citywide recycling services WUTC-certificated haulers must offer in Edmonds. Section 7.80.010 sets the purpose, and Section 7.80.020(A) defines a hauler as any corporate entity certified by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to collect trash in the city.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.80.010; 7.80.020(A). Hauler certification: WUTC (state utilities commission). Covered properties: Residential and commercial in serviced areas. Customer classes: Nonmultifamily, multifamily, commercial. Program review: Council review after ~1 year of operation.

The definitions and purpose sections carry no direct penalty; the operative recycling service standards and their monitoring requirements sit in Section 7.80.030 and Section 7.80.060, and a hauler that fails to hold WUTC certification would fall outside the chapter's authorization to collect trash and recyclables in Edmonds at all.

Bin Placement Rules

Edmonds City Code Section 7.80.030(D) requires nonmultifamily homes to be given a recycling container for curbside materials. Section 7.80.110(A) separately requires all new multifamily buildings to provide container facilities, centralized or individual, for recyclables collection.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.80.030(D); 7.80.110(A). Nonmultifamily: Container provided by hauler. New multifamily: Must provide container facilities. Existing multifamily: Must retrofit for recycling collection. Appeal route: Type II decision, Chapter 20.01 ECDC.

The code does not set a standalone fine for a missing container; noncompliance surfaces through the annual hauler reporting duty in Section 7.80.060 and, for multifamily properties, through the staff review and Type II appeal process in Section 7.80.110(B) that can require retrofitting existing site plans to add collection facilities.

Recycling Requirements

Every waste collector serving Edmonds must make curbside recycling services available under Edmonds City Code Section 7.80.030, and Section 7.80.030(C) caps landfilling of collected recyclables at 10 percent by weight, absent county and WUTC-recognized special circumstances.

Key details: Citation: ECC 7.80.030(C). Landfill cap: 10% by weight of collected material. Exception: County/WUTC-recognized special circumstances. Rate structure: Must incentivize recycling, § 7.80.030(H). Reporting: Annual, to city per § 7.80.060.

The chapter does not list a standalone fine for exceeding the 10-percent landfill ceiling; compliance runs through the city's oversight of hauler reporting under Sections 7.80.050 and 7.80.060, and the council's authority under Section 7.80.070 to revisit how a hauler's recycling program is structured if performance falls short of the standard.

The Bottom Line

Edmonds's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Edmonds is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Edmonds's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.