Federal Way, WA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- Close of business, day before collection
- Removal deadline
- Immediately after opening or collection
- Applies to
- Containers/extra units on sidewalk or alley
- Enclosure gate width
- 12-18 ft depending on container type (Title 19)
- Enforcement
- Public works director under FWRC 11.20.010
Summary
Federal Way businesses that must set a container or extra unit on a sidewalk or alley for pickup cannot put it out until close of business the day before collection, and must clear it away as soon as they open the next day under FWRC 11.20.070.
Any person accumulating solid waste or source-separated material in business areas whose location requires the placing of any type of container or extra unit on a sidewalk or alley for collection shall not place same on sidewalk or alley until the close of the business the day prior to collection, and shall remove such container from the sidewalk or alley immediately after opening for business or collection whichever is later.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1049, passed August 11, 2026).
Full Breakdown
070 targets container placement specifically in business areas, where a location often forces the container onto a sidewalk or alley for the hauler to reach it. Any person accumulating solid waste or source-separated material at a business location that requires placing a container or extra unit on a sidewalk or alley for collection cannot place it there until the close of business on the day before the scheduled collection. The section then requires prompt removal on the other end: the container must come off the sidewalk or alley immediately after the business opens, or immediately after collection occurs, whichever happens later.
That two-sided window keeps sidewalks and alleys clear for pedestrian and vehicle use outside the narrow pre-collection period. 040, which instead requires household containers to be stored behind the front building line except on pickup day. 5 feet for service vehicles.
Violations & Fines
The public works director enforces the solid waste collection division under FWRC 11.20.010, and violating FWRC 11.20.070's sidewalk or alley placement window is unlawful. Absent a more specific penalty, that default is a misdemeanor under FWRC 1.10.010, carrying a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of an obstructing container left out past the allowed window treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a Federal Way business put its dumpster out on the sidewalk for pickup?
How quickly must a business remove its trash container from the alley?
Do the same placement rules apply to homes and businesses in Federal Way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Federal Way
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle bin placement rules.