City guide · Washington

Seattle Trash Pickup Schedule

This Seattle trash pickup schedule covers a city that bills garbage by the size of your cart rather than a flat rate - a "pay as you throw" system that rewards households who make less trash. Composting has also been mandatory since 2015, so food scraps and yard waste are banned from the garbage cart entirely.

Here's how Seattle's collection calendar actually works week to week, what a cart upgrade or downgrade costs, and how the special item program handles anything too big for the curb.

How often is trash picked up in Seattle?

Garbage is collected weekly for single-family homes. Recycling and food/yard waste run on different cycles - recycling every other week, food and yard waste weekly, both on your garbage day.

Garbage carts come in five sizes: 12-gallon Micro, 20-gallon Mini, 32, 64, and 96 gallon.

Find your exact pickup day

Every Seattle address has its own collection day - use the official tool to confirm yours:

Look up your Seattle pickup schedule →

Or use the Recycle It app, or call SPU at 206-684-3000.

Bin placement rules

• Recycling placed loose in the blue cart, no sorting required
• Food scraps and food-soiled paper go in the green cart, not garbage
• Yard waste is banned from the black garbage cart by city code

Seattle Trash Holiday Schedule

Three holidays affect Seattle's collection calendar - when one hits, that day's route and every remaining route that week shift one day later.

What goes in each cart

How much does garbage service cost in Seattle?

Seattle bills garbage by cart size rather than a flat rate, effective April 1, 2026. Recycling has no separate charge, and food/yard waste is billed by its own tier.

Food/yard waste runs roughly $7.50 to $14.30/month depending on cart size. Changing cart size more than once a year costs $35.75.

Special item pickup

Bulky items aren't free and aren't picked up on your regular route - they're a scheduled Special Item Collection. Large furniture, appliances, and TVs run about $30 each; appliances with refrigerant cost about $38.

Small hazardous items like propane canisters, CFLs, or batteries cost $5 per pickup, or $20 for a bundled Special Items box. Utility Discount Program customers get 2 free pickups a year.

Apartments & multifamily buildings

SPU provides collection to multifamily buildings directly through two contracted haulers, Waste Management and Recology - it isn't purely a private arrangement the way some cities handle it. Building owners are required to give residents convenient access to recycling and food/yard waste, though SPU doesn't supply compactor dumpsters - those come from private companies.

Reporting illegal dumping

Report illegal dumping through the Find It, Fix It app, the online form, or by calling 206-684-7587. SPU targets a 10-business-day resolution.

Frequently asked questions

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City contact & resources

Bookmark this Seattle trash pickup schedule and check back whenever a holiday shifts the calendar.

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