Federal Way, WA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Federal Way's residential recycling program is operated by Waste Management under the solid waste contract and is included in the weekly garbage subscription rate for single-family homes at no additional cost per FWRC 11.20. Residents receive a 64 or 96-gallon recycling cart and may include mixed paper, cardboard (flattened), newspapers, magazines, junk mail, office paper, glass bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans, empty aerosol cans, and plastic bottles, tubs, and jugs (numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5). Plastic bags, plastic wrap, Styrofoam, textiles, electronics, and food-contaminated containers are NOT accepted in the curbside cart after China's National Sword policy tightened recycling markets in 2018. Federal Way uses single-stream collection, so glass goes in the main cart with paper, metal, and plastic. Yard waste and food scraps are collected weekly in a separate green cart from March through November and every other week from December through February, and this service is included for single-family homes. Multifamily recycling is required but service levels are set by the property manager under FWRC 11.20. Commercial recycling is required for businesses generating more than 4 cubic yards of waste per week under state law RCW 70A.205.045. Contamination of recycling loads can cause the entire load to be rejected and landfilled.