Trash & Recycling in Renton, WA (2026)
11 verified trash & recycling rules for Renton, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Renton sets garbage collection for single-family homes and duplexes once weekly, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with recycling on the same weekly cycle. Carts can go curbside no more than 24 hours before pickup and must come back in within 24 hours after.
Renton Trash & Recycling Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code §§ 8-1-8(B), 8-1-4(K)
B. Regular collections of garbage from single-family units and duplexes shall be made one day per week between the hours of seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. and four o'clock (4:00) P.M., Monday through Friday, unless the City authorizes a temporary extension of hours... K. Unlawful Placement and Removal of Garbage Cans, Recycling Bins and Yard Waste Carts: It shall be unlawful for a person residing in...
Bin Placement Rules
Single-family Renton households can put garbage, recycling and yard-waste carts at the curb no earlier than 24 hours before pickup and must pull them back within 24 hours after collection, storing them next to the house or in an enclosed building or garage in between.
Renton Garbage Cart Set-Out and Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsRMC 8-1-3(C); 8-1-4(K)
C. Placement and Removal of Garbage Cans, Recycling Bins and Yard Waste Carts: Any single-family residence accumulating garbage, recyclables, and yard waste shall place their materials for collection at the curbside no earlier than 24 hours prior to their collection day. Likewise, all garbage cans, recycling bins and yard waste carts must be removed from the curbside within 24 hours of being co...
Bulk Item Disposal
Large items like furniture, appliances, and junk vehicles are "bulky waste" under RMC 8-1-2 and can't be stored or dumped outside a licensed hauler in Renton; residents instead pay for On-Call Bulky Waste Collection under the RMC 8-1-10 rate schedule.
Renton Bulky Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code (RMC) § 8-1-4(E), (F)
E. Unlawful Storage of Bulky Waste: It shall be unlawful for any person in the City to store, maintain, keep, retain, dump or accumulate bulky waste on private real property in the City, except for any licensed ancillary disposal provider or licensed business in connection with bulky waste collection or disposal in an area zoned for the collection or disposal of bulky waste. F. Unlawful Deposit...
Recycling Requirements
Recycling collection is voluntary in Renton, but once recyclables are placed at the curb under RMC 8-1-3(E), only the City's licensed collection contractor may pick them up, on a weekly schedule set by RMC 8-1-8(B).
Renton Curbside Recycling Rules
Light RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code (RMC) § 8-1-3(E)
E. Collection of Residential and Multi-Family Recyclables: Any person may collect residential and multi-family recyclables. However, once recyclables are placed at the curbside or other approved point of collection, then residential and multi-family recyclables may be collected only by the City's collection contractor.
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Renton's development code makes compostables storage mandatory infrastructure, not optional: every new or infill residential, commercial, and industrial project, including single-family and middle-housing lots, must build in dedicated deposit space for compostables alongside refuse and recyclables.
Renton Compostables Deposit Area Requirement
Some RestrictionsRMC 4-4-090(A), (C)(1)(a)
A. APPLICABILITY: The provisions of this Section shall apply to all new and infill residential, commercial, and industrial development, as well as other nonresidential uses, requiring the establishment of on-site refuse, recyclables, and compostables deposit areas, as well as designated collection points for refuse, recyclables, and compostables. C.1. The refuse, recyclables, and compostables d...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
When one of the City's legal holidays falls on a weekday and Renton's garbage contractor doesn't work that day, collection shifts to Saturday under RMC 8-1-8(C). Renton observes ten legal holidays a year, defined in RMC 1-8-1, so any of those dates can push the weekly pickup back.
Renton Holiday Trash Pickup Schedule
Light RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code § 8-1-8(C); see also § 1-8-1
C. When a legal holiday falls during the workweek and the contractor does not work on such holiday, Saturday collections will be permitted. (Ord. 5133, 4-11-05)
Illegal Dumping
Dumping garbage, recyclables, or yard waste on a street, alley, or someone else's property in Renton violates RMC 8-1-4(D), a misdemeanor under RMC 1-3-1 that also creates an abatable public nuisance with cleanup costs billed to the violator.
Renton Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code (RMC) § 8-1-4(D)
D. Unlawful Deposit of Garbage or Recyclables: It shall be unlawful to deposit, throw, dump, dispose or place any garbage, recyclables, or yard waste in any lane, alley, street, road or other public way or place in the City, except for the purpose of depositing such garbage, recyclables or yard waste at curbside in an approved container or containers for the next regular collection by the City'...
Yard Waste Collection
Yard waste pickup is voluntary in Renton but, once carts go to the curb, only the City's contractor may collect them; RMC 8-1-8(B) sets weekly collection on the same day as garbage, with size limits on what counts as yard waste.
Renton Yard Waste Collection Rules
Light RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code (RMC) § 8-1-2 ("Yard Wastes")
YARD WASTES: Includes leaves, grass, pruning and clippings of woody as well as fleshy plants. Materials larger than two inches (2'') in diameter and four feet (4') in length shall not be considered yard waste. Christmas trees will be eligible for collection as yard waste; provided, that they have been cut into lengths of 4 feet or less and bundled, before being placed for collection.
Dumpster Rules
Renton requires commercial and industrial refuse and recycling deposit areas to sit at least 50 feet from residentially zoned lots, stay out of required setbacks, and be screened by a six-foot wall or fence under RMC 4-4-090. A screening detail plan needs Development Services sign-off before any building permit issues.
Renton Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsRMC 4-4-090.B.3, E.1, E.2
3. Special Setbacks from Residential Properties: Refuse, recyclables, and compostables deposit areas and collection points associated with nonresidential uses shall not be located within fifty feet (50') of a lot zoned residential, except by approval through the site development plan review process, or through the modification process if exempt from site development plan review... E. COMMERCIAL...
Collection Schedule
Garbage collection is compulsory for every person and property in Renton under RMC 8-1-1; RMC 8-1-8 sets residential pickup one day a week between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with commercial collection allowed up to five days a week.
Renton Garbage Collection Schedule Rules
Some RestrictionsRenton Municipal Code (RMC) § 8-1-8(A), (B)
A. Regular collections from business firms and commercial enterprises will be made as often as required but shall not exceed one pickup per day, five (5) days per week, Monday through Friday, between the hours of four o'clock (4:00) A.M. and four o'clock (4:00) P.M., unless the City authorizes an extension of such time. B. Regular collections of garbage from single-family units and duplexes sha...
Recycling Rules
Anyone can collect residential recyclables in Renton up until they're set at the curb; after that, ownership transfers to the City's contractor and only that contractor may pick them up. Scavenging curbside recycling once it's set out is a separate, punishable offense.
Renton Recycling Collection and Scavenging Rules
Some RestrictionsRMC 8-1-3(E); 8-1-4(N)
E. Collection of Residential and Multi-Family Recyclables: Any person may collect residential and multi-family recyclables. However, once recyclables are placed at the curbside or other approved point of collection, then residential and multi-family recyclables may be collected only by the City's collection contractor. N. Unlawful Scavenging: Once any garbage, recyclables or yard waste have bee...
Looking for King County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Renton city rules.
Trash & Recycling in King County →