Trash & Recycling in Pierce County, WA (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Pierce County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Pierce County Code Chapter 8.30 establishes a county solid waste handling system for all unincorporated areas, but residential garbage collection is provided by private haulers certificated by the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission (WUTC), not the county. Murrey's Disposal, LeMay, American Disposal and DM Disposal serve the unincorporated county.
Pierce County Garbage Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsPierce County Code 8.30.020(A), (B)(3)
This Chapter establishes a system of solid waste handling for all unincorporated areas of the County in accordance with RCW 36.58.040 and the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan... Solid waste collection, including municipal collection, municipally-regulated private collection, and WUTC-regulated private collection, as applicable.
Bin Placement Rules
Pierce County Code sets no countywide curb setout time, so cart placement in unincorporated areas follows the WUTC-certificated hauler's tariff. Waste must still be securely contained under PCC 8.08.050(F), and haulers must offer accommodations for long or steep driveways and residents with limited mobility under PCC 8.29.030.
Pierce County Cart Placement & Storage
Few RestrictionsPierce County Code 8.29.030(C)
Exceptions: Collection Alternatives for Restricted Access or Storage Situations, or for Residents with Limited Mobility... Because of long, steep and/or winding driveways, a resident would have difficulty in moving a large recycling container... Residents with special needs, such as physical infirmity or physical limitations, need reasonable accommodation.
Bulk Item Disposal
Pierce County residents dispose of bulky items, appliances and extra debris either through their WUTC-certificated hauler's on-call bulky pickup or by self-hauling to a county transfer station or the LRI landfill. Abandoning large appliances is a specific nuisance under PCC 8.08.050(E) and dumping them elsewhere is a misdemeanor.
Pierce County Bulky Item & Self-Haul Disposal
Few RestrictionsPierce County Code 8.08.050(E)
Unsecured hazards... which include, but are not limited to: unused, abandoned, or discarded refrigerators, freezers, or large appliances, or any unsecured or abandoned excavation, pit, mine, cistern, storage tank, or shaft.
Recycling Requirements
Pierce County Code 8.29.030 requires certificated haulers to offer every-other-week, single-stream curbside recycling to all single-family homes in unincorporated areas, using an approximately 96-gallon cart. Recycling participation by residents is voluntary, but haulers must provide the service and accept a defined list of materials.
Pierce County Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsPierce County Code 8.29.030(A)(1), (B)(1)
Collection companies shall offer every-other-week (EOW), single-stream curbside collection of recyclables to all single-family residences... Collection companies shall provide one wheeled container of approximately 96 gallons to each of their single-family customers signed up for curbside recycling collection.
Illegal Dumping
Dumping garbage, sewage or debris on any street, public property or private property without the owner's consent is a misdemeanor under Pierce County Code 8.32.020. State law RCW 70A.200.060 layers on penalties from a civil infraction up to a gross misdemeanor plus cleanup restitution, depending on the volume of litter.
Pierce County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsPierce County Code 8.32.020
Every person who places, deposits or dumps... any sewage, sludge, accumulation of human excrement or garbage in or upon any street, alley, public highway or road in common use, or upon any public park or other public property... or on any private property without the consent of the owner, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Dumpster Rules
New civic, commercial, and industrial developments in unincorporated Pierce County must hide outdoor garbage and recycling dumpsters from view, either behind a structural enclosure that matches the building, a 6-foot sight-obscuring fence, or a Level 3 vegetative screen, and keep them set back from neighboring property lines.
Pierce County Commercial Dumpster Screening Rules
Some RestrictionsPierce County Code 18J.15.090.D.5
5. Storage and Service Areas. a. Service and delivery bays shall not be oriented to the street frontage. b. Outdoor storage facilities, garbage and recycling stations, and, when permissible, utility meters and electrical conduit, shall be screened with the use of one of the following: (1) A structural enclosure compatible with the primary structure... (2) A 6-foot sight obscuring fence; or (3) ...
Trash & Recycling by City in Pierce County
2 cities in Pierce County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Pierce County ordinances
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