Seattle, WA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Curbside bundle length
- Longest dimension up to 4 feet
- Curbside bundle weight/diameter
- Up to 60 pounds, 2-foot diameter
- Transfer station branch limit
- Wood or tree limbs up to 8 feet
- Plastic bags
- Barred for yard waste at curb and transfer station
- Mixing rule
- Yard waste can't be mixed with garbage or refuse
Summary
Seattle keeps yard waste out of the garbage stream under SMC 21.36.085: 'Yardwaste shall not be mixed with garbage, refuse or rubbish for disposal.' Curbside yard-waste bundles are capped at 4 feet long under the chapter's bundle definition, while material dropped at a City transfer station can run up to 8 feet, and none of it may go out in plastic bags.
Yardwaste shall not be mixed with garbage, refuse or rubbish for disposal. B.Transfer Station Yardwaste. All yardwaste delivered to the City's transfer stations shall be separated from garbage, refuse and rubbish and deposited in an area designated for yardwaste. Yardwaste shall be defined as set forth in Section 21.36.016, except that yardwaste delivered to the transfer station shall not include wood or tree limbs over eight (8) feet long. C.Plastic Bags and Compostable Waste. Compostable waste shall not be setout at the curb for collection in plastic bags nor shall plastic bags containing yardwaste be deposited in transfer station yardwaste collection areas or transfer trailers. ("Bundle-of-yardwaste" means yardwaste that is placed in a container or securely tied so that none of the yardwaste blows away or falls out upon lifting and so that the yardwaste is not easily broken apart. Its longest dimension may not exceed 4 feet in length; its diameter may not be over 2 feet; and its weight may not exceed 60 pounds. — SMC 21.36.010)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
085 splits yard waste into two tracks. 010's definition of 'bundle-of-yardwaste' caps curbside bundles at a longest dimension of 4 feet, a diameter of 2 feet, and a weight of 60 pounds, tied securely enough that nothing blows away or falls out on lifting. 016. Subsection C bars plastic bags outright for yard waste at either end: compostable waste, including yardwaste, 'shall not be setout at the curb for collection in plastic bags,' and bagged yardwaste can't be dumped into a transfer station's yardwaste collection area or trailers either, paper yard-waste bags or loose/bundled material are the only acceptable formats.
C reinforces the curbside rule for residential customers: yardwaste 'may be set out for separate curbside collection, but shall not be mixed with other solid waste,' meaning a can full of mixed garbage and grass clippings doesn't meet code even if it fits.
Violations & Fines
Mixing yard waste into a regular garbage can violates SMC 21.36.085's separation mandate and SMC 21.36.050.C's parallel residential rule; bagging it in plastic before curbside set-out or transfer-station drop-off violates subsection C outright. Oversized branches, over 4 feet at the curb or over 8 feet at a transfer station, can simply be refused by the collector or the station attendant rather than accepted and billed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put yard waste in my regular garbage can?
How big can a branch be for curbside pickup versus the transfer station?
Can I bag my yard waste in plastic bags?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle yard waste collection.