Tacoma, WA Trash & Recycling: Mandatory Organics Recycling (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- TMC § 12.09.210.J
- Duty
- Customer separates yard & food waste
- Where
- Curbside pickup & public disposal area
- Enforced by
- Solid Waste Management Division
- Max civil penalty
- $1,000 per violation
Summary
Tacoma requires customers to separate yard and food waste from other solid waste and keep it separated for curbside pickup, under Tacoma Municipal Code § 12.09.210.J of the city's solid waste and recycling ordinance.
It shall be the responsibility of the customer to separate and keep separated from other solid waste any yard and food waste placed at the curb for pickup by Solid Waste Management. Solid Waste management shall not be held responsible for failure to collect the yard and food waste if there is a violation of any part of this chapter or if circumstances are beyond the control of Solid Waste Management. It is also the responsibility of the customer to keep any yard and food waste separated for disposal into the designated areas at Solid Waste Management's public disposal area.
K. All new multi-family residences and new commercial developments shall provide adequate and conveniently located space to store and dispose of recyclable materials and solid waste. These spaces must be in compliance with the Building Code as adopted by the City and any applicable zoning codes. (Ord. 25221 § 2, 1992-12-08; Ord. 26072 § 21, 1997-05-27; Ord. 26339 § 12, 1998-12-08; Ord. 26728 § 19, 2000-11-07; Ord. 26887 § 12, 2001-12-04; Ord. 27286 § 13, 2004-11-02; Ord. 27537 § 16, 2006-10-24; Ord. 28129 Ex. A, 2012-02-12; Ord. 28262 Ex. A, 2014-12-09)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Under TMC § 12.09.210.J, it is the customer's own responsibility, not Solid Waste Management's, to keep yard and food (organics) waste separated from regular solid waste before it's set at the curb for pickup. The same duty applies at the City's public disposal area, where customers must keep yard and food waste separated for disposal into the designated areas. Solid Waste Management is not obligated to collect improperly sorted waste, and general civil penalties for chapter violations, up to $1,000 per violation, apply under TMC § 12.09.240.
Violations & Fines
Non-separated organics can simply go uncollected at the curb, and violations of Chapter 12.09 carry civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation under TMC § 12.09.240.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Tacoma residents have to separate food scraps from trash?
What happens if I don't separate organics in Tacoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
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