Lakewood, WA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Lakewood's landscaping code assigns every trash dumpster and recycling area its own dedicated screening standard rather than leaving it to general fencing rules. 150(A)(6) creates 'Type VI, Area Screening' specifically for 'dumpsters, recycling areas, or small storage yards, of less than two hundred (200) square feet in size,' and spells out a 'combination of fencing/wall and landscaping' to provide visual relief. The standard requires a landscaping strip at least 5 feet wide around the area, excluding access points, with a fence or wall 6 feet in height set on the interior of that landscaping strip.

Within the strip, the code requires minimum 6-foot-tall Arborvitae, or an approved equivalent evergreen, spaced 4 feet on center, plus medium shrubs at one per 4 linear feet and small shrubs at one per 4 linear feet, along with vegetative groundcover covering the full length of the strip. 160(G)(13) then makes Type VI screening the citywide default for 'trash dumpsters' across all zoning districts, and subsection (G)(9) applies the same Type VI standard to any other storage area under 200 square feet used by a use other than single-family residential; storage areas of 200 square feet or more instead require the heavier Type V, Solid Barrier screening.

150(A)(6)(f) to modify the fencing and landscaping to address public safety concerns, such as sightline or lighting issues around a screened enclosure. The screening requirement is checked at the time of site plan or building permit review, so a business that adds a dumpster enclosure later still has to meet the standard.