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

270 sets the physical standards for solid waste containers and receptacles used in unincorporated Cowlitz County, applying to all solid waste storage except at a facility already regulated under WAC 173-350-300. Subsection A requires that storage containers be maintained in a clean, safe, and nuisance-free condition, and subsection B requires that containers be located and moved so they won't fail, spill, or leak, with any spillage cleaned up immediately. Reusable containers other than detachable ones must be rigid and durable, corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent and watertight, rodent-proof and easily cleaned, fitted with a close-fitting cover to prevent littering, free of sharp edges or other hazards, no larger than 32 gallons where handled manually, and kept in good repair.

Disposable containers have a parallel but shorter list: strong enough to be lifted without breaking, capped at 32 gallons where manually handled, and built so they won't spill or leak onto the ground or into the water. Detachable containers, the larger dumpster-style bins typically serviced by a hauling truck rather than lifted by hand, must be durable, corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent, nonleaking, and fitted with a solid or screen cover to prevent littering, and kept in good repair. The Department may require any container to be disinfected under subsection C, and under subsection D it can order an increased collection frequency or a larger receptacle if the existing one is insufficient for a property's needs.

Subsection E confirms that depositing waste in an approved receptacle on someone else's property is allowed only when the property owner has designated that receptacle for the purpose and authorized the person depositing waste in it.