Federal Way, WA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 7:00 a.m. on scheduled collection day
- Latest pickup-in
- 8:00 p.m. same day
- Storage rule
- Behind front building line except pickup day
- Primary container
- Rigid can, micro-can, mini-can or cart required
- Bag rule
- Plastic bags only for overflow, not primary
Summary
Federal Way requires garbage containers to stay hidden or behind the front building line except on pickup day, and residents cannot set cans at curbside before 7:00 a.m. or leave them out past 8:00 p.m. on collection day under FWRC 11.20.040.
Containers shall be stored behind the front building line, or screened from view from the street and behind the setback line of FWRC Title 19, Zoning and Development Code, except on the day of scheduled pickup. Containers shall be placed at curbside on a public street or private road prior to 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day, and shall be removed to their proper storage location as soon as possible after collection, but no later than 8:00 p.m.
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
040 sets the residential garbage collection schedule and container rules in one section. Every home must use a service-provider or approved customer-provided garbage can, micro-can, mini-can or cart as the primary container, with at least one rigid container required; plastic bags can only serve as extra units for overflow, never as the primary container, and extra units draw an additional service charge. 010, for example a standard garbage can tops out at 32 gallons and 50 pounds full, and everything must be packed loosely enough to dump out when the container is inverted.
Outside of pickup day, containers have to be stored behind the front building line or screened from street view and behind the zoning setback line under FWRC Title 19; the code only lifts that screening requirement on the day of scheduled pickup. m. Multifamily and commercial customers follow a parallel rule under the same section, using cans, carts, detachable containers or drop-box containers, subject to the same weight limits and to Title 19 siting requirements rather than the front-yard screening rule.
Violations & Fines
The public works director administers and enforces the solid waste collection regulations under FWRC 11.20.010, and any violation of the division or the director's implementing rules is unlawful. Absent a more specific penalty, a Code violation is a misdemeanor under FWRC 1.10.010, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my garbage can out in Federal Way?
Do I have to hide my garbage can in my yard the rest of the week?
Can I just use plastic bags for my household garbage instead of a can?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Federal Way
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle collection schedule.