King County Solid Waste Division: reviews, rating and service info

The King County Solid Waste Division does not empty curbside carts. Private haulers collect garbage in unincorporated King County and most of its cities; Enumclaw and Skykomish run their own. The division runs 10 transfer stations and drop boxes for extra waste, sets their fees, and tells residents which hauler serves them: use its hauler lookup or call 206-477-4466.

Serves: King County, Washington (unincorporated). Not Seattle.

What they do

The division’s service area covers 37 of the county’s 39 cities plus unincorporated areas. Seattle runs its own services, and Milton is part of Pierce County’s system. The division’s facilities take garbage, recycling, yard waste, clean wood, mattresses and appliances from people who live or work in that area.

Find your hauler

The county’s “Who collects my garbage?” page lists haulers by city in a drop-down menu. Several haulers serve unincorporated areas, so the county asks residents there to call 206-477-4466 to identify theirs. A county map shows whether an address is unincorporated.

Set-out rules

Pickup days, times and cart sizes come from your hauler. The county’s own guidance on extras: put extra garbage in a tied bag or a 32-gallon can labeled “garbage” on collection day, and check your hauler’s fee.

Holidays

County code makes each hauler set and announce its own holiday schedule, so ask your hauler. All county stations and the hazardous waste sites close on Thanksgiving, December 25 and January 1.

Bulk, brush and special items

Self-haul to a transfer station or drop box. Garbage costs a $40.25 minimum for up to 320 pounds, then $243.38 a ton. Separated yard waste and clean wood cost a $20.70 minimum, then $129.38 a ton. Mattresses cost $30 each to recycle at Bow Lake, Enumclaw, Factoria, Shoreline and Vashon, or $33.39 as garbage at Cedar Falls, Houghton and Renton. An unsecured load adds $25. ORCA LIFT, ProviderOne or EBT cardholders save $20 per waste type per visit. Cedar Falls and Vashon close Tuesday and Thursday.

Hazardous waste, electronics and drop-off

Household hazardous waste goes free, with no appointment, from any King County resident to Factoria, 13800 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue (Tuesday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.); South County, 35101 West Valley Highway South, Algona (weekdays except Wednesday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.); or the North and South Seattle facilities. The Auburn site is permanently closed. The traveling Wastemobile runs February to October. Residents 65 or older, or with a disability, can book a Wednesday home pickup at 206-296-4692; it skips latex paint, tires, electronics and medicines.

Missed pickup and contacts

A missed curbside pickup is your hauler’s to fix. The division answers at 206-477-4466 (TTY relay 711) for hauler questions, facility hours and fees.

What this is not

Seattle Public Utilities serves the City of Seattle only, and Seattle and Milton residents cannot use King County transfer stations. The county’s hazardous waste sites take waste from any King County resident, Seattle included.

On Trashbagging

King County garbage pickup and county rules, Seattle trash pickup and city rules and Washington (state hub). Guides: paint, lithium-ion batteries, household hazardous waste, mattresses.

Context photo: Shops in Snoqualmie, a city in King County, Washington. Joe Mabel, 2007-09-09. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source. Resized for web.