Pasco, WA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

130, Can, container - Scavenging prohibited, bars any person other than an agent of the City or its contractor from scavenging or salvaging solid waste or recyclable materials from waste cans or containers required under the chapter, and specifically states no unauthorized person may take or remove any solid waste placed out for collection, including recyclable materials. Subsection (2) extends this to entering a can, container, or other receptacle to remove material, compact contents, or for any other unlawful purpose, though it carves out City agents and employees, the contractor acting to remove waste or abate a dangerous condition or investigate, and an owner reclaiming personal property inadvertently deposited into the receptacle.

Subsection (3) settles ownership outright: except for those narrow carve-outs, all solid waste and recyclable material is presumed abandoned by the owner the moment it is deposited into the can or container, and title vests in the contractor, who holds exclusive rights to its possession. That means a passerby collecting cans or bottles from a curbside recycling cart, or a competing hauler picking through bins ahead of the scheduled truck, is taking property that legally belongs to Pasco's contractor, not scrap that anyone is free to claim.