Auburn, WA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- ACC 8.08.070(A)
- Minimum frequency
- At least once weekly
- Service status
- Mandatory, billed regardless of use
- 35-gal monthly rate (2024)
- $14.45
- 35-gal monthly rate (2026)
- $16.58
- Max civil infraction
- $250 per ACC 1.25.050
Summary
Auburn requires its contracted solid waste service providers to collect garbage from every single-family, multifamily and commercial customer at least once a week, and garbage service itself is mandatory citywide, billed whether or not a customer actually uses the service.
A. The city's agents shall collect, remove and dispose of all solid waste from single-family and multifamily residences and commercial establishments in the city at least once each week, or as often as required by the solid waste administrator. All occupied units are required to have minimum service or adequate service as required by the administrator.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
ACC 8.08.070(A) sets the collection frequency: the city's agents must collect, remove and dispose of solid waste from residential and commercial customers "at least once each week, or as often as required by the solid waste administrator," and every occupied unit must carry at least minimum or adequate service as the administrator defines those terms in ACC 8.08.030. Backing that schedule up, ACC 8.08.020 declares garbage collection service mandatory for all single-family residences, multifamily residences and commercial customers, and specifies that the city's charges apply whether the service is used or not.
The 2024-2026 residential rate table in ACC 8.08.180 shows the standard 35-gallon cart at $14.45 per month effective January 2024, rising to $15.50 in 2025 and $16.58 in 2026, with a 50 percent senior discount at each step; weekly can-based service tiers run from a 20-gallon can at $21.10/month up to a 96-gallon cart at $82.54/month over the same schedule. The administrator, who holds the office of public works director under ACC 8.08.030(B), sets the actual weekly service level for a given customer based on health standards.
Because ACC 8.08.070(B) makes the city's contracted haulers the exclusive collectors of solid waste, residents cannot switch to a different weekly hauler on their own; the schedule and provider are fixed by the city's service agreement.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain required weekly garbage service, or interfering with the schedule the administrator sets, is enforced under ACC 8.08.250 through Chapter 1.25 ACC as a civil infraction, carrying a maximum $250 fine under ACC 1.25.050, with each day and each account treated as a separate violation plus possible restitution for city enforcement costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is garbage collection mandatory for Auburn residents?
How often does Auburn pick up garbage?
Can I hire my own garbage hauler in Auburn instead of the city's provider?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle collection schedule.