Lakewood, WA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Container requirement
- Can, container or cart only, 13.06.070(A)
- Sorting
- No garbage/trash separation required
- Default service
- Curb service, front curbline
- Walk-in surcharge
- Extra charge beyond 5 feet, 13.06.090(B)
- Disability exception
- Walk-in/drive-in fees waived if disabled
- 3+ unit buildings
- Must use containerized service, 13.06.090(E)
Summary
Lakewood, Pierce County, Washington sets the ground rules for how residential garbage must be presented for pickup: it has to go out in a can, container or cart under LMC 13.06.070(A), and residents never have to separate garbage from trash. Most customers get standard curb service, but walk-in service beyond five feet of the curb costs extra under LMC 13.06.090(B).
A. Cans, containers or carts as defined in this chapter shall be deemed to be acceptable refuse containers in residential areas. No employee for a contractor may remove or cause to be removed from any premises any refuse which is not so contained, except as otherwise provided in this section. B. The separation of garbage and trash shall not be required. ... ... A. Curb Service. Customers shall be responsible for placing refuse containers or recycling carts for automated service at the front curbline or at the edge of the street or alley in front of or adjacent to the property being serviced on collection days. B. Walk-In Service. Walk-in service which requires the refuse collector to go more than five feet beyond the curbline or edge of the street or alley is available to property for an additional charge; provided, that the contractor shall not be required to enter a fenced area to collect refuse.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 852, passed June 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
06; the contractor's crew is barred from picking up loose refuse that is not contained this way. 070(B) drops the sorting burden some cities impose: Lakewood does not require garbage and trash to be separated for collection. 090 then lays out three levels of pickup access. Curb service is the default: customers place containers at the front curbline or the edge of the street or alley on collection day. Walk-in service, for a customer who needs the crew to travel more than five feet past the curbline, costs an additional charge, and the contractor is never required to enter a fenced yard to collect refuse.
Drive-in service, where the truck leaves the public right-of-way onto a driveway or private property, likewise carries an added charge. Both the walk-in and drive-in surcharges are waived for a customer who is disabled and unable to comply with the curb-service requirement. 080.
Violations & Fines
The contractor is not allowed to collect refuse that is not in an approved can, container or cart, so noncompliant set-outs simply go uncollected. Beyond that, violating any provision of Chapter 13.06 LMC, including its collection-method requirements, is a misdemeanor under LMC 13.06.220, and the City Manager enforces the chapter through the Public Works Department under LMC 13.06.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to sort my garbage and trash in Lakewood, WA?
What if the garbage truck can't reach my cans at the curb?
Does a triplex need a dumpster instead of trash cans in Lakewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Pickup Rules & Schedules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle pickup rules & schedules.