Trash & Recycling in Yakima County, WA (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Yakima County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Yakima County itself runs no curbside collection. In unincorporated areas, UTC-certificated private haulers like Yakima Waste Systems and Basin Disposal provide garbage pickup under RCW 81.77, while the City of Yakima operates its own municipal refuse route.
Yakima County Trash Pickup & Hauler Rules
Some RestrictionsRCW 81.77.020
No person, his or her lessees, receivers, or trustees, shall engage in the business of operating as a solid waste collection company in this state, except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Recycling Requirements
Washington does not force households to recycle, but state law (RCW 70A.205) requires Yakima County's solid-waste plan to offer curbside recycling in urban areas. Access is more limited here than in the Puget Sound region.
Yakima County Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsRCW 70A.205.045
Until January 1, 2030, these programs shall include collection of source separated recyclable materials from single and multiple-family residences, in urban areas, unless the department approves an alternative program, according to the criteria in the planning guidelines.
Illegal Dumping
Yakima County's Property Maintenance Code makes illegal dumping a nuisance violation: dumping of any kind on public or private property not designated as a legal dump site, or dumping garbage, debris, rock or felled trees into a river bank, channel or watercourse, triggers the same abatement and cost-recovery process used for every other nuisance in the county code.
Yakima County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Some RestrictionsYakima County Code § 13.11.020 (IPMC § 302, "Nuisance, Violation" subsections (x)-(xi))
(x) Illegal dumping including, but not limited to, dumping of any type by any person on public or private property not designated as a legal dump site; and (xi) Dumping in waterways including, but not limited to, dumping, depositing, placing or leaving of any garbage, ashes, debris, gravel, earth, rock, stone or other material upon the banks, channels, beds or bars of any navigable water, or th...
Trash & Recycling by City in Yakima County
1 cities in Yakima County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Yakima County ordinances
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