Tacoma, WA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Free containers
- Up to two 90-gallon carts
- Branch size limit
- 4 ft long, 8 in diameter
- Bags allowed
- None. City container required
- Excluded materials
- Sod, dirt, rocks, animal waste
Summary
Tacoma defines yard waste as ordinary yard-maintenance vegetation and gives residents two free 90-gallon carts for it, but plastic and biodegradable bags don't count as an approved container.
“Yard waste.” Vegetation material generated as a result of normal maintenance of residential yards. These wastes include above-ground cuttings such as grass clippings, pruning cut limbs (up to 4 feet in length and 8 inches in diameter), and clean beauty bark, and food waste. Not included in yard waste are sod, dirt, rocks, and animal wastes. “Yard waste container.” A container provided by Solid Waste Management. Plastic and biodegradable bags are not acceptable yard waste containers. For additional information, see Section 12.09.060.
Z. 12.09.030.Z. (Ord. 25221 § 2, 1992-12-08; Ord. 25583 § 1, 1994-10-11; Ord. 26072 § 2, 1997-05-27; Ord. 26176 § 1, 1997-12-16; Ord. 26339 § 1, 1998-12-08; Ord. 26728 § 2, 2000-11-07; Ord. 26887 § 1, 2001-12-04; Ord. 27138 § 2, 2003-09-09; Ord. 27286 § 1, 2004-11-02; Ord. 27537 § 2, 2006-10-24; Ord. 27555 § 1, 2006-12-05; Ord. 28059 Ex. A, 2012-03-27; Ord. 28093 Ex. F, 2012-10-16; Ord. 28129 Ex. A, 2012-02-12; Ord. 28393 Ex. A, 2016-11-22; Ord. 28499 Ex. A, 2018-04-10; Subst. Ord. 28986 Ex. H, 2024-11-19)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Tacoma Municipal Code § 12.09.030 defines yard waste as vegetation from routine yard upkeep, grass clippings, pruning limbs up to 4 feet long and 8 inches thick, clean bark, and food waste, while excluding sod, dirt, rocks, and animal waste. Residential customers get up to two 90-gallon yard waste containers from Solid Waste Management at no charge under TMC § 12.09.060(A), with additional containers billed at a monthly rate. Only a City-issued container counts as a yard waste container; plastic and biodegradable bags are explicitly not acceptable.
Violations & Fines
Setting yard waste out in plastic or biodegradable bags, or mixing in excluded material like dirt, rocks, or animal waste, means the load isn't collected as yard waste and can be billed or handled as ordinary solid waste instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put tree branches in my Tacoma yard waste cart?
Can I bag my yard waste instead of using a City cart?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
Compare Tacoma to another location·View the Washington trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle yard waste collection.