Sammamish, WA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)

Sammamish does not regulate organics by its own ordinance — instead it offers compost service and is subject to phasing-in Washington state law. The City already provides weekly compost (food and yard waste) collection bundled with garbage: 'Weekly compostable services are embedded in the single-family residential garbage rates,' so residents can place food scraps and yard waste in the compost cart at no extra cost. The statewide driver is the 2022 Organics Management Law (HB 1799), codified in Chapter 70A.205 RCW and administered by the Washington Department of Ecology. Its phased requirements: (1) Businesses generating 96+ gallons of organic waste weekly in a designated Business Organics Management Area must arrange organics management services, with new tiers of businesses added each year — codified at RCW 70A.205.545. (2) Under the Organics Recycling Collection Area (ORCA) framework (RCW 70A.205.540), cities and counties must make organics collection available to residential customers by April 1, 2027, with service at least 26 times per year; beginning April 1, 2030, that service becomes mandatory (non-elective) for non-multifamily residences. (3) The state goal is to cut landfill disposal of organic materials so that 2030 disposal is 75% below 2015 levels, plus an edible-food-recovery goal. Sammamish also adopted a local Compost Procurement policy (SMC Chapter 2.80) tied to its 'goal to achieve zero waste of resources by 2030,' directing the City to buy finished compost per RCW 43.19A.130. Bottom line: composting is currently voluntary for residents but already provided; state law makes it broadly available by 2027 and mandatory by 2030.