Snohomish County, WA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SCC 7.42.040(3)
- Summer frequency
- At least twice monthly, March-October
- Winter frequency
- At least monthly, November-February
- Excluded material
- Wood over 4 in. diameter or 3 ft. long
- Mandatory since
- March 1, 1991 (single-family)
Summary
Within the county's designated yard debris service zone, haulers must pick up bundled or containerized yard debris at least twice a month from March through October and monthly from November through February, per SCC 7.42.040(3).
(3) Within the yard debris service zone, the following services will be provided: (a) Yard debris collection services shall be provided to all single-family dwellings and multi-family structures that request such services... (b) Solid waste collection companies are not required to provide a container for yard debris collection but may do so at their option. Yard debris shall be collected either bundled or containerized... (c) Collection companies shall collect yard debris when properly prepared as specified by the solid waste management division and the collection company. The collection service shall be provided at least twice monthly, from March through October, and monthly from November through February.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through legislation passed August 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
040(3) requires solid waste collection companies to offer yard debris collection to every single-family dwelling and multi-family structure that requests it inside the yard debris service zone, either as an add-on to garbage service or as a stand-alone yard-debris-only subscription. Companies aren't required to supply a container: debris may be collected bundled, in a company-provided container, or in a resident-owned container that meets the hauler's specifications. Subsection (c) sets the minimum cadence: collection at least twice monthly from March through October, and at least monthly from November through February, when material is prepared as the solid waste management division and the hauler specify.
020(6) defines what qualifies: grass clippings, leaves, branches, brush, flowers, roots, windfall fruit, vegetable garden debris, weeds, and other biodegradable material the division director approves, plus clean holiday trees and jack-o-lanterns. It expressly excludes rocks, sod, soil, plastics, synthetic fibers, treated dimensional lumber, woody material over four inches in diameter or three feet long, and pet waste. 030, based on population density and serviceability. 080(2) and (4). WUTC-approved fees may apply to the service under subsection (d).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 7.42 places the collection duty on the licensed hauler, not the resident, so there is no direct fine for a household missing a set-out window. A collection company that fails to provide the required twice-monthly (summer) or monthly (winter) service, or that rejects debris meeting the SCC 7.42.020(6) specifications, answers to the solid waste management division and risks its WUTC G-permit standing. Residents who instead burn or illegally dump yard debris remain subject to the unlawful-burning penalty in SCC 7.35.130 and the litter and dumping penalties in SCC 7.35.120.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is yard debris picked up in unincorporated Snohomish County?
Does my hauler have to give me a yard debris bin?
Can I put tree branches in yard debris pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Snohomish County
Compare Snohomish County to another location·View the Washington trash & recycling overview
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