Bellingham, WA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

BMC Chapter 9.12 governs garbage collection and disposal inside the City of Bellingham. BMC 9.12.020 makes it 'unlawful for any person, other than a contractor having a contract for garbage collection and disposal with the city, to collect, remove, haul or dispose of baled or packaged materials including paper, kraft material, cardboard, aluminum, and any other recyclable material from any public or privately owned premises within the city, without first obtaining the consent of the occupant or owner.' This grants Sanitary Service Company exclusive franchise rights for the residential and commercial accounts. BMC 9.12.060 establishes that 'solid waste and recyclables collection charges' are due and payable, and become a lien on the served parcel if unpaid. The chapter also authorizes a low-income discount: 'For low-income senior citizens and disabled persons who qualify, the charge for regular weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly residential garbage collection and disposal service for each single-family dwelling unit is reduced by 15 percent of the current base rate.' SSC offers residential service in 32-gallon, 60-gallon (or 64-gallon) and 90-gallon (or 96-gallon) toter sizes with weekly, every-other-week (EOW) or monthly collection frequency. The single-stream recycling program — adopted following City Council approval of contract renegotiation — combines paper, cardboard, bottles, cans, and plastic containers into one toter, eliminating the prior multi-bin sort. FoodPlus! Yardwaste toters are provided to all residential customers at no additional cost and accept organic material including food scraps, food-soiled paper, grass clippings, leaves, small branches, and approved compostable packaging. SSC also operates Transfer Stations in Bellingham, Birch Bay, and Cedarville (Sumas) where residential garbage and recycling are accepted at no charge for SSC subscribers. Bellingham residents who let garbage accumulate without service are subject to BMC 9.12.070 — the city may direct the contractor to abate and bill the costs to the owner.