Washington County, OR Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Who must comply
- Every sanitary service certificate holder
- Service required
- On-route source-separated recycling
- Material list source
- Oregon Administrative Rules / DEQ
- Customer notice
- Required under WCC 8.04.344(B)
- Enforcement tool
- Certificate suspension/revocation
- Scope
- Unincorporated Washington County only
Summary
Every certificated hauler serving unincorporated Washington County must provide on-route collection of source-separated recyclable material to all customers, matching the county's Solid Waste and Recycling Administrative Rules and state DEQ material lists, under WCC 8.04.344.
A.All holders of certificates shall provide on-route collection of source separated recyclable material from all customers consistent with the service standards established within the county's Solid Waste and Recycling Administrative Rules. This service shall include, but not be limited to, each of the materials listed in the applicable Oregon Administrative Rules, together with any other materials which may be designated by the Department of Environmental Quality.B.Each holder of a certificate shall provide notices to its customers that comply with all applicable requirements of the county's Solid Waste and Recycling Administrative Rules as well as all applicable Oregon Administrative Rules.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
04's solid waste franchise system, requires every holder of a sanitary service certificate to provide on-route collection of source-separated recyclable material from all of its customers, with service consistent with the standards set in the county's Solid Waste and Recycling Administrative Rules. The materials that must be collected include, at minimum, each category listed in the applicable Oregon Administrative Rules, plus any additional material the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality designates, so the mandatory list can expand as state rules change without a new county ordinance.
344(B) further requires each certificate holder to send its customers notices that comply with both the county's administrative rules and the applicable Oregon Administrative Rules, keeping residents informed of what belongs in the recycling stream and how service works. 120, which bars anyone without a county sanitary service certificate from collecting waste for compensation in the unincorporated area, so the same certificated hauler that handles a household's garbage is the one obligated to run the curbside recycling route. 110, an eight-member citizen board that reviews and recommends changes to the collection and recycling program to the Board of Commissioners. 310 for failing to meet its terms, including this recycling obligation.
Violations & Fines
A certificate holder that fails to provide the required on-route recyclable collection or the required customer notices under WCC 8.04.344 is subject to certificate suspension, modification or revocation proceedings under WCC 8.04.290 through 8.04.310, following a compliance order and hearing process administered by the health and human services department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my trash hauler have to pick up recycling too?
What materials must be collected for recycling?
Is the business recycling rule the same as this one?
What happens if a hauler stops providing recycling collection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon trash & recycling overview
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