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

SCC 7.42.040(2)(c) requires solid waste collection companies to offer single-family dwellings, at minimum, three service tiers: weekly mini-can, one-can, two-can, and three-can (or comparable) garbage collection; monthly mini-can and one-can (or comparable) collection; and recycling-only service for households that don't want garbage pickup at all. Every garbage tier sold within the recycling service zone must include recycling collection, since subsection (a) bars offering garbage-only service there and ties combined rates to Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approval. Recycling itself must run weekly for single-family accounts, preferably the same day as garbage, unless the hauler shows the county an alternative schedule achieves equal or better participation, under subsection (b).

Multi-family recycling runs at least every two weeks under the same standard. These service levels apply only within the recycling service zone defined at SCC 7.42.020(4), which the division sets by population density and serviceability under SCC 7.42.030; outside that zone, service levels are negotiated between the hauler and the county rather than mandated. The chapter's combined garbage-recycling rate structure for single-family homes became effective August 1, 1990, per SCC 7.42.080(1), and for multi-family residences the combined rate took effect May 1, 1998, per SCC 7.42.080(3).

Haulers hold their franchise as a 'G permit' collection company regulated by the WUTC under SCC 7.42.020(7), and rate or service changes require advance notice to the county and affected cities under SCC 7.42.060.