Kennewick, WA Property Maintenance: Trash Bin Storage (2026)

Kennewick has elected to require universal garbage service rather than allow self-haul as the default. Under KMC 9.04 every owner or occupant of an occupied premises within the city limits must subscribe to garbage collection and disposal services from the city's franchised solid waste collector. The franchise has been awarded to Waste Management (operating locally as WM Northwest), making WM the only authorized residential hauler inside the city. Service is billed directly by WM, not on the city utility bill. Carts are provided by WM in multiple sizes, with the standard hand-lifted container capped at 32 gallons and weight limits of 65 pounds for a 32-gallon cart and up to 180 pounds for larger automated carts (per WM Northwest's published Kennewick rates and guidelines). Cart-placement rules required for automated collection are: place the cart at the curb the night before but no later than 5:00 a.m. (June 1 through September 30) or 6:00 a.m. (October 1 through May 31); position the cart with the wheels and handle facing the house and the arrow on the lid pointing toward the street; keep at least three feet of clearance around the cart so the automated grabber arm can pick it up without striking parked cars, mailboxes, or other carts; and do not place carts on the sidewalk in a way that obstructs pedestrian travel. Extra material that does not fit in the cart with the lid fully closed is subject to an extra-charge per 32-gallon bag or container, also weight-limited to 65 pounds. Underlying state authority for the city's franchise structure is RCW Chapter 35.21 (municipal authority over solid waste contracts) and RCW Chapter 81.77 (Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission jurisdiction over solid waste carriers outside city limits).