Trash & Recycling in Seattle, WA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Seattle, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Seattle requires every residence to keep a sufficient number of garbage containers under SMC 21.36.050, with at least one service unit as a garbage can, mini-can, or collector-supplied cart. Ashes must be bagged or boxed and never set out hot, garbage can't go out in loose bundles, and filled containers can't exceed weight limits set in SMC 21.36.070.
Seattle Residential Garbage Set-Out Requirements
Some RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.050
A.All owners and occupants of residences and other dwellings shall have and use a sufficient number of garbage containers to hold all of their garbage and ashes. Additional amounts of rubbish, bundled in bundles as defined in this chapter, may be set out for collection. At least one (1) service unit must be a garbage can, mini-can, or collector-supplied cart for all service levels greater than ...
Bin Placement Rules
SMC 21.36.080 tells Seattle residents exactly where to put garbage containers for pickup and how long they can sit there. Backyard-collection cans go near the rear of the building or alley at ground level (or a rack no more than 14 inches high); curbside containers go within one yard of the curb, alley, or sidewalk, and can't sit out until shortly before collection.
Seattle Garbage Container Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.080
A.All containers for backyard collection shall be placed by the occupant in a convenient, accessible location as near as practicable to the approximate rear of the building or near the alley, upon the ground level or ground floor, or in a sturdy rack not over fourteen (14) inches above such level or floor, except that sunken cans may be below the ground level. Containers for curbside/alley coll...
Bulk Item Disposal
Seattle provides bulky item collection through Seattle Public Utilities and operates transfer stations for large items that do not fit in regular collection carts, with special rules for construction debris, appliances, and electronics.
Seattle Bulk Item Disposal & Pickup
Some RestrictionsSeattle Public Utilities — Transfer Stations (Special Pickups and Transfer Stations)
Transfer Stations (Dumps/Landfills) — Locations: North Station, 1350 North 34th Street, Seattle 98103; South Station, 130 South Kenyon Street, Seattle 98108. Accepted Materials: Loads coming into the station must be secured or may incur a fee. Accepted materials include garbage, yard waste, vehicle tires, appliances (no commercial appliances), and household sharps. A wide range of items, includ...
Recycling Requirements
Seattle requires every resident in a single-family home, multifamily building, or mixed-use structure to separate paper, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles/jars, aluminum and tin cans, food waste, and compostable paper for recycling under SMC 21.36.083. None of it belongs in the garbage: curbside violators pay $1 extra per can, detachable-container customers pay $50 extra per collection.
Seattle Residential Recycling Requirements
Significant RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.083
A.Recycling required of paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, aluminum, tin, food waste, and compostable paper1.All residents living in single-family structures, multifamily structures, and mixed-use buildings shall separate paper, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles and jars, aluminum and tin cans, food waste, and compostable paper for recycling, and no paper, cardboard, glass or plastic bottles ...
Mandatory Organics Recycling
Seattle's curbside compostable-waste program is mandatory, not optional: SMC 21.36.085.A requires food scraps and other compostable waste to be 'set apart from refuse for pickup in a manner that is readily identifiable by the collectors.' Food waste is also a required-recycling stream under SMC 21.36.083, carrying a $1 per-can fee for putting it in the garbage instead.
Seattle Mandatory Curbside Food-Scrap Separation
Significant RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.085
A.Curbside Compostable Waste Collection. Compostable waste for collection under the City's curbside program shall be set apart from refuse for pickup in a manner that is readily identifiable by the collectors. Compostable waste shall be defined as set forth in Section 21.36.012, except that compostable waste for curbside collection shall not include wood or tree limbs over four (4) feet long. O...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping solid waste anywhere in Seattle without authorization is unlawful under SMC 21.36.420. Anything over 1 cubic foot is a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor depending on volume, and violators must remove the waste and pay a litter cleanup restitution payment on top of any fine.
Seattle Illegal Dumping Is a Crime
Heavy RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.420
It is unlawful for anyone to dump, throw, or place solid waste on any property, public or private, or in any public place except as authorized by ordinance, in a litter container, solid waste container, or bundle as described in this Chapter 21.36, or upon or at a disposal site or interim solid waste handling site provided and/or designated by the Director of Seattle Public Utilities pursuant t...
Yard Waste Collection
Seattle keeps yard waste out of the garbage stream under SMC 21.36.085: 'Yardwaste shall not be mixed with garbage, refuse or rubbish for disposal.' Curbside yard-waste bundles are capped at 4 feet long under the chapter's bundle definition, while material dropped at a City transfer station can run up to 8 feet, and none of it may go out in plastic bags.
Seattle Yard Waste Separation and Size Limits
Some RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.085
Yardwaste shall not be mixed with garbage, refuse or rubbish for disposal. B.Transfer Station Yardwaste. All yardwaste delivered to the City's transfer stations shall be separated from garbage, refuse and rubbish and deposited in an area designated for yardwaste. Yardwaste shall be defined as set forth in Section 21.36.016, except that yardwaste delivered to the transfer station shall not inclu...
Dumpster Rules
SMC 23.54.040 sets exact placement, paving, and access standards for commercial dumpsters and roll-off containers at Seattle developments. Staging and collection areas must be paved with asphalt or concrete, dumpsters can't sit in driveways or parking spaces, and roll-off containers need 12-foot-wide gated access with overhead clearance of 14 to 18 feet depending on the container's height and dock setup.
Seattle Commercial Dumpster and Roll-Off Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 23.54.040
F...6.Solid waste staging and solid waste collection areas for dumpsters shall be paved with asphalt or concrete...G.Access to solid waste containers for solid waste service providers and solid waste collection vehicles shall meet the following requirements...3.For roll-off dumpsters (uncompacted and compacted solid waste):a.Gates or access routes for solid waste collection vehicles shall be a ...
Collection Schedule
Seattle Public Utilities runs residential garbage collection on a fixed once-a-week schedule under SMC 21.40.050, billing every subscribed service unit monthly whether or not the can gets set out that week. Even households that decline pickup still owe a $6.85 monthly minimum charge covering landfill closure, billing, Low-Income Rate Assistance, and hazardous-waste costs, unless they hold a pre-1989 zero-container exemption.
Seattle's Once-a-Week Residential Garbage Pickup
Some RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.40.050
A.Charges for residential can garbage and rubbish collection and disposal service shall be in accordance with the following schedules:1.All residences with curbside/alley garbage container pickup: a charge per month or portion thereof, for once-a-week service for each service unit subscribed to, billed directly to the owner, homeowner association, or occupant thereof as follows: ... 4.Minimum c...
Recycling Rules
Every commercial establishment in Seattle, including self-haulers, must separate paper, cardboard, glass and plastic bottles/jars, aluminum and tin cans, food waste, compostable paper, and yard waste for recycling under SMC 21.36.082. None of those materials may go into a garbage container, drop box, or the City's transfer stations: violators face a $50 fee per collection.
Seattle Commercial Recycling Separation Mandate
Significant RestrictionsSeattle Municipal Code § 21.36.082
A.Required recycling of paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, aluminum, tin, food waste, compostable paper, and yard waste1.All commercial establishments, including those hauling their own waste, shall separate paper (including paper cups), cardboard, glass and plastic bottles and jars, aluminum and tin cans, food waste, compostable paper, and yard waste for recycling, and no paper, cardboard, glas...
Looking for King County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Seattle city rules.
Trash & Recycling in King County →