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

Lacey Municipal Code § 8.04.040 sets the disposal rule for the City of Lacey. Subsection A requires all persons, associations and corporations to dispose of all garbage and refuse through licensed garbage and refuse contractors, or by other means approved by the health officer or agent in accordance with the state health standards, such as burial or hauling to sanitary landfills. Section 8.04.010 puts every person, association and corporation in the city under the chapter.

Subsection B designates the Thurston County system for solid waste handling and disposal as the disposal system for all solid waste generated or collected within the city. The city authorizes the county to designate disposal sites, and no solid waste generated or collected within the city can be diverted from the county's designated disposal site(s) without the county's prior approval. Residential self-haul is carved out: it is not subject to penalties under that provision, and the code defines it as the transport and disposal of solid waste by individual county residents, not waste handling for a fee or other consideration. The county designation does not otherwise affect the city's programs for and control over solid waste collection, waste reduction and recycling.

Container standards sit in § 8.04.030. Garbage and refuse go in containers of types approved by the health officer or other person designated by the mayor. Containers must be watertight with raised bottoms, fitted with a tight cover, and readily emptied or transported to dump sites without spillage. Dry refuse can be placed in cartons stored neatly so that it does not lead to the loss or distribution of the refuse in the city. Chapter 8.04 prints no pickup day, hour or route, so contractor service terms are not found in these sections.