Lakewood's Trash & Recycling: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles trash & recycling a little differently. In Lakewood, Washington, there are 10 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Dumpster Rules

A commercial dumpster, recycling area or small storage yard under 200 square feet in Lakewood must sit behind a 5-foot landscaped strip, a 6-foot fence or wall, and a row of 6-foot Arborvitae under LMC 18A.70.150(A)(6), Type VI Area Screening.

Key details: Governing section: LMC 18A.70.150(A)(6). Landscape strip width: 5 feet minimum around enclosure. Fence/wall height: 6 feet, interior of strip. Evergreen requirement: 6-ft Arborvitae, 4 feet on center. Applies citywide via: LMC 18A.70.160(G)(13).

Placing or leaving a dumpster, recycling area or small storage yard without the required 5-foot landscape strip, 6-foot fence or Arborvitae screening violates LMC 18A.70.150 and LMC 18A.70.160. Under LMC 18A.20.105(B) that is a Class 2 civil infraction, and LMC 1.48.010 sets the maximum fine at $500.00, with each day the unscreened area remains counted as a separate violation.

Collection Schedule

In Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington, every dwelling, apartment house and business that generates garbage or trash must pay for collection service from the City's licensed contractor under LMC 13.06.050. The contractor is required to offer weekly, every-other-week or monthly refuse pickup, and recyclables go out every other week unless the code sets a different schedule for that account.

Key details: Mandatory service: All dwellings & businesses, LMC 13.06.050. Pickup frequency: Weekly, biweekly or monthly. Recycling frequency: Every other week, LMC 13.06.110. Enforcement: City Manager / Public Works, 13.06.040. Violation penalty: Misdemeanor, LMC 13.06.220.

Violating any requirement of Chapter 13.06 LMC, including the mandatory-service and collection-method provisions, is a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220. Unlawfully accumulating garbage so as to create a fire or health hazard is also a public nuisance under LMC 13.06.055, and the City Manager can order abatement, bill the property owner for the cost, and file a lien against the property if the bill goes unpaid.

Bulk Item Disposal

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington does not include bulky items such as furniture, appliances, tires, concrete or tree limbs and stumps over four inches in diameter in regular curbside garbage pickup. LMC 13.06.090(D) bars the contractor from collecting these 'nonconforming items' left at the curb, so residents must arrange a special pickup, which carries an added dispatch charge.

Key details: Nonconforming items: Furniture, appliances, tires, concrete, big limbs. Curbside bulk pickup: Not collected automatically, LMC 13.06.090(D). How to get pickup: Request a special pickup, extra dispatch fee. Commercial bulk service: Drop boxes over 10 cu. yd., 13.06.100(B). Illegal dumping: Unlawful citywide, LMC 13.06.060.

Leaving nonconforming items for the regular truck instead of scheduling a special pickup just leaves the items uncollected, not a fine by itself, but burying or dumping refuse anywhere in the City is unlawful under LMC 13.06.060, and letting bulky waste accumulate into a fire or health hazard is a nuisance the City Manager can order abated at the owner's expense under LMC 13.06.055, with unpaid abatement costs becoming a lien on the property.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington sets the ground rules for how residential garbage must be presented for pickup: it has to go out in a can, container or cart under LMC 13.06.070(A), and residents never have to separate garbage from trash. Most customers get standard curb service, but walk-in service beyond five feet of the curb costs extra under LMC 13.06.090(B).

Key details: Container requirement: Can, container or cart only, 13.06.070(A). Sorting: No garbage/trash separation required. Default service: Curb service, front curbline. Walk-in surcharge: Extra charge beyond 5 feet, 13.06.090(B). Disability exception: Walk-in/drive-in fees waived if disabled.

The contractor is not allowed to collect refuse that is not in an approved can, container or cart, so noncompliant set-outs simply go uncollected. Beyond that, violating any provision of Chapter 13.06 LMC, including its collection-method requirements, is a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220, and the City Manager enforces the chapter through the Public Works Department under LMC 13.06.040.

Recycling Requirements

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington requires the City's licensed contractor to provide curbside commingled recycling to residential customers under LMC 13.06.110(A). Single-family homes and buildings up to five units get pickup every other week; buildings with six or more units can get weekly service, and the recycling cart stays the contractor's property.

Key details: Curbside recycling: Mandatory contractor service, LMC 13.06.110(A). Frequency, up to 5 units: Every other week, fixed day/time. Frequency, 6+ units: Weekly or as needed. Cart ownership: Contractor-supplied, remains contractor property. Excluded items: Glass, batteries, Styrofoam, food-soiled paper.

Putting contaminated or nonaccepted material such as glass, batteries or food-soiled paper into a curbside cart risks having the load rejected rather than collected. Beyond that, the chapter's general enforcement applies: the City Manager enforces Chapter 13.06 LMC through the Public Works Department, and any violation of the chapter's requirements is a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220.

Yard Waste Collection

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington provides residential yard waste collection under LMC 13.06.110(B) every other week, year-round, on the same days as regular garbage service. Accepted material is limited to leaves, brush, grass, weeds and other compostable yard debris, with branches and roots capped at four inches in diameter.

Key details: Service: Year-round, every other week, 13.06.110(B). Branch/root limit: Under 4 inches in diameter. Excluded: Stumps, dirt, rocks, concrete, food waste. Contamination penalty: Billed at solid waste rate instead. Schedule: Same days as regular garbage pickup.

There's no separate fine for a yard waste mix-up: putting prohibited material such as dirt, rocks, concrete or food scraps in the container just gets the load reclassified as solid waste and billed at the higher solid waste rate instead of the yard waste rate. General violations of Chapter 13.06 LMC remain a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220.

Holiday Pickup Schedule

When a Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington collection day falls on a holiday, LMC 13.06.130 pushes the pickup to the very next day, including Sundays, at no extra cost. The ordinance recognizes six holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Key details: Observed holidays: 6: New Year's, Memorial, July 4, Labor, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Makeup day: Next day after your normal service day. Includes Sundays: Yes, per LMC 13.06.130. Extra cost: None for holiday makeup service. Governing section: LMC 13.06.130.

There's no customer-facing penalty tied to the holiday schedule itself: the obligation runs the other way, and the contractor must deliver the makeup pickup at no added cost. A contractor's general failure to perform under the chapter is enforced by the City Manager under LMC 13.06.040, and any violation of Chapter 13.06 LMC is a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220.

The rules around holiday pickup schedule in Lakewood lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Bin Placement Rules

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington requires residents on automated routes to set carts at the curb or alley edge by 6:00 a.m. on collection day and pull them back in the same day, under LMC 13.06.080. Containers also have to stay clean, sealed and in good repair under LMC 13.06.180, or the contractor will tag and refuse to empty them.

Key details: Set-out deadline: 6:00 a.m. on collection day, LMC 13.06.080. Retrieval: Must remove cart same day as service. Address visibility: House number must be visible at curb. Container condition: Clean, watertight, 2 handles, tight lid. Repair deadline after tagging: 5 days, LMC 13.06.180(C).

Failing to correct a tagged container within five days is unlawful under LMC 13.06.180(C), and a tagged container stays uncollected until it's fixed. More broadly, any violation of Chapter 13.06 LMC's collection requirements, including the placement and maintenance rules, is a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220, enforced by the City Manager through the Public Works Department.

Recycling Rules

Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington bars anyone other than the City's licensed garbage contractor from collecting recyclables from generators in the City without a transporter permit under LMC 13.06.300. Unpermitted collection of recyclables carries a civil penalty of up to $500.00 per day.

Key details: Permit required: All transporters except City's contractor. Permit term: Calendar year, Jan 1-Dec 31. Application fee: $1,000 per year, LMC 13.06.310. Cart registration fee: $100 per cart/location, LMC 13.06.340. Penalty: Up to $500/day unpermitted, 13.06.300(E).

Collecting recyclables within Lakewood without a transporter permit carries a civil penalty of up to $500.00 per day under LMC 13.06.300(E). Placing or maintaining a recycling cart or container in the City without the required permit and location registration is a separate violation, also punishable by a civil penalty of up to $500.00 per day under LMC 13.06.340(D).

This is one of the stricter rules in Lakewood's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping or allowing materials to remain on Lakewood streets, rights-of-way or adjoining property is a civil infraction under LMC 12.06.040. Violators must remove the material within 48 hours of written notice or pay the City's removal costs, and each day, location and incident is a separate offense carrying up to a $500 fine.

Key details: Civil infraction class: Class 2, LMC 1.48.010. Maximum fine: $500 per day/incident. Removal deadline: 48 hours after written notice. Governing section: LMC 12.06.040. Designated dumping sites: Only City Council-authorized locations.

Each violation is a Class 2 civil infraction under LMC 1.48.010, punishable by a fine of up to $500.00. LMC 12.06.040(E) makes each day, each location, each violator and each incident a separate civil infraction, so a dump site left in place across multiple days can generate a new $500 exposure for every day it remains, on top of the City's cost of removal if the 48-hour deadline is missed.

The Bottom Line

Lakewood'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 Lakewood is broadly strict or permissive.

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