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

040(2)(a) is the core rule behind curbside recycling in unincorporated Snohomish County: within the recycling service zone, single-family and multi-family garbage collection may be offered only in combination with recycling collection service, and combined rates are set by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission rather than negotiated directly with residents. That bundling requirement is reinforced by a performance standard in subsection (5)(a): processing and marketing of all source-separated recyclable and compostable materials collected must be handled so that no more than five percent by weight of the collected material ends up landfilled, and a higher percentage can be landfilled only in an emergency or absolute inability to recycle, with the formal consent of the county council.

Subsection (5)(b) requires that plastic recycling and yard debris containers be manufactured with a percentage of post-consumer recycled content when available at a competitive price. Subsection (5)(c) obligates collection companies to run promotional strategies informing customers that recycling service and its charges are included with garbage service, and to regularly explain proper material preparation, collection schedules, and mini-can or yard debris options. Subsection (5)(d) requires haulers to submit their promotional and educational materials to the solid waste management division for review before distribution. Together these provisions mean a resident's garbage bill in the zone always funds a recycling program, the county tracks how much of what's collected actually gets recycled rather than landfilled, and the division has ongoing oversight of what haulers tell customers about the program.