Bellingham, WA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

BMC 9.12.040 sets both the container standards and the mandatory-service rule for Bellingham's exclusive-hauler system. Subsection (A) requires garbage, recyclables, and organics to go in a receptacle no larger than 30 gallons unless the city's contractor supplies a 60- or 90-gallon automated cart; containers must be secured against dogs or other animals, fitted with insect- and rodent-proof lids kept closed, and stored off any public street, alley, or sidewalk except around collection time, with a weight cap of 50 pounds per 30 gallons of capacity.

Subsection (B) is the service mandate itself: universal and compulsory use of garbage collection and disposal for every single-family dwelling unit and commercial location is mandatory, with the sole exception of two-, three-, and four-unit residences that have obtained city approval to share combined service. Opting out entirely is not available to an ordinary household or business. Billing runs monthly or bimonthly under BMC 9.12.060, mailed with or alongside water bills, with rates reviewed annually and increases requiring 45 days' notice under RCW 35.21.157; low-income seniors and disabled residents who qualify get a 15 percent reduction off the base rate on approval by the finance director.

Unpaid charges become a lien on the property, filed with the county auditor and foreclosed like a labor-and-material lien if not paid within a year. If garbage or refuse is left to accumulate instead of being containerized, BMC 9.12.070 lets the public works director dispatch the contractor to collect it and bill the cost to the owner or tenant on top of the regular charge.