Trash & Recycling in Kirkland, WA (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Kirkland, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Kirkland single-family residents may set garbage, recycling and yard waste carts out no earlier than 24 hours before their collection day, and must pull carts back within 24 hours after pickup under KMC 16.08.070. Carts need two feet of clearance from obstructions so the hauler's automated truck arm can service them.
Kirkland Residential Trash Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsKMC 16.08.070
Any single-family residence accumulating garbage, recyclables, and yard waste shall place their materials for collection no earlier than twenty-four hours prior to their collection day. Likewise, all garbage, recycling, yard waste carts and ordinance units must be removed from public property within twenty-four hours of being collected. All carts and ordinance units shall be placed by the occup...
Bin Placement Rules
Kirkland requires garbage, recycling, and yard waste carts to be stored out of public view between collection days, screened behind fences, gates, or landscaping. Chronic visibility may trigger citations.
Kirkland Trash Bin Storage Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Kirkland Code Enforcement — Outdoor Use, Activity, and Storage
Code Enforcement — Typical Code Enforcement items. Problems Involving Land Use / Zoning Issues: Animals (number and use); Building Height; Building Setbacks; Fences on Private Property; Home Occupations (Businesses); Illegal Land Use; Junk and Junk Vehicles; Outdoor Use, Activity, and Storage; Oversize Vehicles on Private Property; Signs — Planning and Building Department, Phone: 425-587-3600. ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Kirkland handles large items like appliances, furniture and mattresses through On-Call Bulky Waste Collection, a separate per-occurrence, per-item service billed under KMC 16.12.030, not the weekly cart pickup used for regular garbage.
Kirkland Bulky Waste Collection Fees
Some RestrictionsKirkland Municipal Code (KMC) 16.12.030
16.12.030 Collection rates. The rates to be charged for solid waste collection service in the city shall be as follows: C. On-Call Bulky Waste Collection Fees (Per Occurrence—Per Item) 2024 2025 2026 Appliances $34.50 $36.04 $37.30 Refrigerator/freezer 46.00 48.05 49.73 Sofa 34.50 36.04 37.30 Chair 34.50 36.04 37.30 Mattress or box springs 34.50 36.04 37.30 Tire: Auto/light truck N/A N/A N/A Mi...
Recycling Requirements
Kirkland requires multifamily and commercial properties to participate in recycling collection of at least newspapers, mixed paper, and recyclable bottles, cans and plastic containers under KMC 16.08.012. Property owners must provide weekly recycling capacity equal to or greater than their weekly garbage capacity.
Kirkland Recycling Participation Requirements
Significant RestrictionsKMC 16.08.012(2)(E)
Multifamily Residential Recycling. Multifamily residential customers shall participate in placement for collection for recycling, at a minimum, the following materials: newspapers, mixed papers, and recyclable bottles, cans and plastic containers. Recyclable materials will be collected on the same pickup schedule as solid waste collections. All multifamily property owners shall provide resident...
Illegal Dumping
KMC 11.64.040 bans dumping litter, garbage, or debris on public property or on private property you don't own. Penalties scale with volume, from a civil infraction for under a cubic foot up to a gross misdemeanor with restitution for a cubic yard or more, plus a flat gross misdemeanor for dumping vehicle parts.
Kirkland Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsKirkland Municipal Code § 11.64.040(a), (e)
No person shall throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter upon any public property in the city or upon private property in the city not owned by him or her or in the waters of this city whether from a vehicle or otherwise, including but not limited to any public highway, public park, beach, forest land, recreational area, trailer park, highway, road, street, or alley except....
Yard Waste Collection
Kirkland gives every residential collection customer one free gray yard waste cart alongside the blue recycling cart under KMC 16.12.030. Grass clippings and branches go in that cart combined with kitchen food scraps as 'organic waste' under KMC 16.04.125, and extra yard debris containers carry a per-occurrence fee set annually by the city.
Kirkland Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsKMC 16.12.030
One gray yard waste cart and one blue recycling cart are provided to each customer at no extra charge. The contractor will charge a fee for additional yard waste receptacles above the first set provided. The contractor will provide a thirty-five- or ninety-six-gallon recycling cart on request to new residents and those residents needing less or additional capacity than provided by the default s...
Dumpster Rules
Kirkland commercial and multifamily properties can only store refuse in authorized garbage cans or detachable containers, kept at an established storage site rather than the curb whenever another collection point works. Containers may not hit the sidewalk, curb or alley more than 30 minutes before scheduled pickup, per KMC 16.08.075.
Kirkland Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsKMC 16.08.075
Refuse including garbage and rubbish may only be stored for disposal collection in authorized garbage cans and/or detachable containers. Plastic bags may not be used except as liners for garbage cans. Garbage cans and/or containers may be placed on the sidewalk, alley or street for collection only when no other collection point is feasible. Containers shall not be placed on the sidewalk or at t...
Looking for King County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Kirkland city rules.
Trash & Recycling in King County →