Shoreline, WA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Section 13.14.080 sets the placement standard for garbage receptacles other than approved drop-box containers. The general rule is a convenient, accessible location off the sidewalk that is as near as practicable to the curbside and that does not interfere with transportation or sidewalk use. The section then gives placement options tied to the property's layout: on a level planting strip, the cart goes in the planting strip or driveway within five feet of the curb; where there is a sidewalk but no planting strip, it goes on the owner's property within five feet of the curb; where the ground slopes too much for those spots, the nearest level area to either location is used; and where dense shrubbery or other extraordinary circumstances block all of those options, the customer and the authorized collection company agree on a substitute spot that still avoids blocking transportation or the sidewalk.

Timing is also regulated: receptacles cannot be placed out for collection until a reasonable time before pickup and must be brought back in within a reasonable time afterward, so carts left at the curb for days are noncompliant even if positioned correctly. Detachable containers may be stored inside a building instead, provided they stay readily accessible for servicing without special equipment or delay, and drop-box containers follow a separate rule requiring a location agreed to by the customer and the collection company.