Auburn, WA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Auburn residential customers receive biweekly curbside recycling service in a single commingled cart included with mandatory solid waste service under ACC Chapter 8.08. Accepted materials follow the King County and Waste Management regional list and include flattened corrugated cardboard, mixed paper and newsprint, metal food and beverage cans, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastic bottles and jugs marked 1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE). Plastic bags, plastic film, plastic clamshells, styrofoam, takeout containers, pizza boxes with grease, textiles, and small tanglers like hoses and cords are not accepted curbside and must be either thrown in the garbage, returned to grocery-store plastic-film bins, or taken to specialty recyclers. Glass is accepted in the commingled cart in Auburn, though it should be rinsed and bottles placed unbroken into the cart. Recyclables must be loose in the cart, not bagged, and clean and dry. If a cart contains large amounts of garbage or contamination, the WM driver may tag the cart, leave it unemptied, and notify the city for follow-up. Yard and food waste is a separate cart with weekly service April through October and biweekly service the rest of the year, and it accepts kitchen food scraps, yard trimmings, and certified compostable bags but not meat bones or dairy in most programs. Auburn does not have mandatory commercial recycling above state minimums, but businesses are strongly encouraged to recycle to reduce tipping fees.