4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Whatcom County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Whatcom County doesn't run collection trucks itself; UTC-certificated private haulers do, led by Sanitary Service Company under Certificate G-14. County code sets the floor, though: at least 26 pickups a year on an every-other-week schedule, garbage and recycling together.
Whatcom County Code 8.10.040
As a minimum level of service, the minimum required curbside collection service shall be 26 annual pickups, to occur at the discretion of the customer on any day of the approved every-other-week garbage collection schedule, of a 32-gallon can, and source separated recyclables.
In unincorporated Whatcom County, carts are collected at the improved public road nearest your home when set out on your designated collection day. County code fixes the pickup point but sets no curb-distance rule or bring-in deadline; your hauler's schedule fills those gaps.
Whatcom County Code 8.10
Materials shall be collected on the improved public road nearest to the residence (or mutually agreed upon location) when properly set out on the designated collection day.
No active landfill operates in Whatcom County. Large items go out through hauler bulky-item pickup by appointment, or you self-haul to one of several transfer and drop-box stations — Recycling & Disposal Services in Ferndale, SSC's Cedarville site near Everson, and Nooksack Valley Disposal in Lynden.
Whatcom County Code 8.28.080
It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or deposit or permit the dumping or depositing of any solid waste or dangerous waste onto or under the surface of the ground or into the waters of this county except at a solid waste or dangerous waste disposal site for which there is a valid permit.
Recycling is mandatory in unincorporated Whatcom County — but the duty sits on the haulers, not you. County Code 8.10.050 requires every single-family home on garbage service to get recycling collection at least every other week, the same day as garbage. It comes bundled with your trash service.
Whatcom County Code 8.10.050
All single-family residences shall be provided with recycling collection at least every other week and on the same day of the week as garbage collection.
1 cities in Whatcom County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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