Trash & Recycling in Puyallup, WA (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Puyallup, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Puyallup requires every commercial and residential property owner to deposit all solid waste in an approved container for weekly collection under Puyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.050. Dumping, burning or otherwise disposing of solid waste on a street, alley, public place or someone else's private property is a misdemeanor under PMC § 6.12.060, punishable by up to a $500.00 fine, 90 days in jail, or both.
Puyallup Trash Disposal and Dumping Rules
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code §§ 6.12.050, 6.12.060
It shall be the duty of the owner of any commercial establishment or residence to ensure that all solid waste that is created or accumulated is deposited into an approved container and is collected on a weekly basis. ... It is unlawful for any person to bury, burn, dump, collect, or in any other manner dispose of solid waste upon any street, alley, public place or private property within the ci...
Bin Placement Rules
Puyallup's can-service containers must be insect-proof, capped at 32 gallons, fitted with two handles and a tight lid, and set out where the hauler's service provider has approved for weekly pickup under Puyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.055. The section also sets weight ceilings by can size, from 12 pounds for a micro-can up to 51 pounds for two full cans, and lets the contractor tag or reassign service for overweight containers.
Puyallup Garbage Can Weight and Setout
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.055
The solid waste container for can service shall be insect-proof and the capacity per can shall not exceed 32 gallons. The container shall have two handles and a tight-fitting lid. The solid waste container shall be kept in a sanitary condition. The solid waste container shall be set in an area approved by the service provider for collection one time per week. The weight guidelines for can servi...
Bulk Item Disposal
Puyallup does not run a year-round bulk-item curbside pickup. Instead, the city's solid waste contractor holds a city-wide clean-up twice a year, once in spring and once in fall, under PMC § 6.12.166. Large items go out during those scheduled events rather than on a resident's regular collection day.
Puyallup Bulk Item Cleanup Events
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code §§ 6.12.166, 6.12.220
§ 6.12.166. City-wide clean-ups. The contractor will provide city-wide clean-ups, one in the spring and one in the fall. ... In addition to any other penalty or remedy available, a violation of any section within this chapter shall be punishable as a civil infraction as defined in Chapter 1.02 PMC. The base penalty for a civil infraction issued for violating a section of this chapter shall be a...
Recycling Requirements
Puyallup's contractor supplies a city-approved recycling container to any single-family or multifamily property whose owner requests recycling service under Puyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.130. The container stays with the property, and the owner is responsible for its security: a lost, stolen or damaged bin is billed to the owner at replacement cost plus sales tax, and unpaid replacement charges convert the account back to nonrecycling service.
Puyallup Curbside Recycling Container Rules
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.130
The contractor will provide a city-approved recycling container for each single-family residence within the city limits whose owner requests recycling service by notifying the contractor in writing. These containers are to be used solely for the recyclable materials to be collected by the contractor. The containers stay with the property and the property owner is responsible for the security of...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping, burying or burning solid waste on any Puyallup street, alley, public place or private property is a misdemeanor under PMC § 6.12.060, punishable by up to a $500 fine and 90 days in jail. Depositing trash in a neighbor's garbage container without permission carries the identical penalty under the separate offense in § 6.12.062.
Puyallup Illegal Dumping Penalties
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code §§ 6.12.060, 6.12.065
It is unlawful for any person to bury, burn, dump, collect, or in any other manner dispose of solid waste upon any street, alley, public place or private property within the city. Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor under PMC § 1.01.110 and any person convicted thereof may be punished by a fine of not more than $500.00 or by imprisonment for no more than 90 days o...
Yard Waste Collection
Puyallup's contracted hauler must offer biweekly curbside yard waste pickup year-round, on the same week as recycling service, under PMC § 6.12.190. Yard waste is defined at PMC § 6.12.170 and covers leaves, brush, grass clippings and similar organic debris, with branch-size limits and specific exclusions.
Puyallup Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code §§ 6.12.170, 6.12.190, 6.12.200
§ 6.12.170. Definitions. ... "Yard waste" includes leaves, brush, tree trimmings, grass clippings, weeds, shrubs, garden waste and other compostable organic materials resulting from landscape maintenance. Branches or roots must be smaller than four inches in diameter and shorter than four feet in length. Yard waste does not include stumps, demolition wood, large amounts of dirt, rocks, glass, p...
Collection Schedule
Every property inside Puyallup city limits must carry solid waste collection service through the city's contracted hauler under Puyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.030, which makes collection compulsory and universal. PMC § 6.12.040 sets the minimum service level at one can, or a smaller micro-can if the account also carries recycling, collected once a week for occupied residences, with weekly service for commercial accounts scaled to volume.
Puyallup Mandatory Weekly Trash Service
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code §§ 6.12.030, 6.12.040
The maintenance of health and sanitation require, and it is the intention of this chapter to make, the collection, removal and proper disposal of solid waste within the city by the contractor compulsory and universal. This section does not apply to portions of the waste stream that are being recycled through private, permitted recyclers. This section does not apply to any account which has rece...
Recycling Rules
Puyallup can drop a customer from recycling service if recyclable materials keep turning up in the regular trash: Puyallup Municipal Code § 6.12.140 requires one written warning, and a second violation within 10 days switches the account to nonrecycling billing. Separately, PMC § 6.12.160 makes taking items out of someone else's recycling bin without permission a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500.00 fine and 90 days in jail.
Puyallup Recycling Participation and Bin Rules
Some RestrictionsPuyallup Municipal Code §§ 6.12.140, 6.12.160
If large amounts of recyclable materials are found in the normal waste stream, the customer will not be meeting the standards for participation in this program. The customer will receive one written notice outlining what needs to be done to meet participation standards. If recyclables are found in the waste stream 10 days following the mailing of notification, the solid waste service will be ch...
Looking for Pierce County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Puyallup city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Pierce County →