Seattle Trash Pickup & Garbage Schedule 2026

Seattle Public Utilities runs a curbside system where single-family households get weekly garbage, weekly food and yard waste, and every-other-week recycling. Seattle also uses a pay-as-you-throw model, so smaller garbage carts cost less, while recycling service is included in the garbage rate. That makes knowing your actual collection pattern important if you want fewer missed pickups and lower bills.

How to Find Your Seattle Trash Pickup Day

Seattle’s official collection-day lookup is the fastest and most reliable way to confirm your garbage, recycling, and food & yard waste service. The city says the calendar will show both your regular pickup days and holiday schedules for your exact address.

1. Open the official collection-day tool. Go to Seattle’s Look Up Collection Day page.
2. View your collection calendar. The city’s calendar shows garbage, recycling, and food & yard waste service tied to your address.
3. Check holiday notes too. Seattle says the calendar includes holiday schedules, but it does not automatically reflect weather delays.
4. Download the Recycle It app. Seattle Public Utilities recommends the app for reminders and solid-waste notices.
5. Call SPU if needed. If you cannot confirm your route online, call (206) 684-3000.

Seattle Trash Pickup Schedule: What Runs When

For single-family residences, Seattle Public Utilities says garbage and compost are collected every week, while recycling is collected every other week. Apartment and condo service can be more frequent, but for typical household curbside service this is the core pattern.

Seattle’s system rewards diversion. If you recycle more and use your compost cart regularly, you may be able to move down to a smaller garbage cart and lower your bill.

Seattle Weekly Garbage Collection Rules

Seattle says garbage is collected every week, and residents are required to have garbage service. Collection must be set out correctly to avoid being skipped.

For regular weekly cart pickup, Seattle tells customers to put carts out by 7:00 a.m., place them so lids open toward the street or alley, avoid blocking sidewalks, mailboxes, or driveways, and remove carts as soon as possible after collection.

Seattle also publishes current garbage cart pricing. The city’s posted residential monthly rates effective April 1, 2025 include $28.25 for a 12-gallon micro-cart and $34.65 for a 20-gallon mini-cart, with larger cart options also available.

Seattle Recycling: Every-Other-Week Collection

Seattle says single-family residents receive one 96-gallon recycling cart for every-other-week collection. Recycling service is included in the garbage rate, so there is no separate added charge for the standard residential recycling cart.

Extra recycling rules Seattle publishes:

• There is no additional charge for extra recycling
• There is a limit of 1 extra unit of recycling per collection day
• Flatten cardboard and break it down to smaller than 4 by 4 feet
• Remove plastic wrap and foam
• Put extra recycling in a cardboard box, paper bag, or personal can

Seattle Food & Yard Waste Pickup

Seattle’s food and yard waste service is collected weekly. The city posts residential compost cart options and rates, including a 13-gallon micro-cart, 32-gallon cart, and 96-gallon cart.

Seattle also says you can set out extra yard waste next to your compost cart on collection day, but there is a charge for that service and no food waste is allowed in extra yard-waste units.

Seattle Extra Garbage and Extra Yard Waste

Seattle lets residents set out extra garbage and extra yard waste on collection day, but the city charges by the unit and has clear size rules.

1. Put extra garbage next to your garbage cart. Seattle says the maximum weight for each extra item is 60 pounds.
2. Know what counts as one extra-garbage unit. It can be a 32-gallon garbage can, one large plastic bag, or a cart too full for the lid to close.
3. Put extra yard waste next to the compost cart. No food waste is allowed in these extra units.
4. Use proper yard-waste containers. Extra yard waste can be a 32-gallon can, a large kraft brown paper bag, an approved compostable bag, or a tied bundle up to 4 feet long and 2 feet in diameter.
5. Label extra waste with your address if needed. Seattle recommends this especially where multiple households cluster carts together.

Seattle’s published extra-service prices say an extra garbage bag, bundle, or 32-gallon can costs $13.95, while an extra yard-waste bag, bundle, or 32-gallon can costs $7.25.

Seattle Bulky Item Pickup

Seattle Public Utilities offers home pickup for large items that are hard to dispose of, including old furniture, mattresses, and appliances. The city says you can schedule this service online or by calling SPU Customer Service.

Seattle’s published bulky-item prices:

• $30 per item for old furniture, mattresses, appliances, and similar items
• $38 for refrigerators

This is usually easier than trying to force oversized waste into weekly garbage service or hauling everything yourself the same day.

Seattle 2026 Holiday Trash Pickup Schedule

Seattle’s 2026 holiday rules are not completely one-size-fits-all. The city confirmed that New Year’s Day 2026 caused the usual Thursday-to-Friday and Friday-to-Saturday shift. Seattle also published a special MLK Day 2026 arrangement where only some service areas had a one-day delay, while other neighborhoods stayed on normal collection that week.

Seattle’s MLK Day 2026 notice specifically said Northeast Seattle and Central Seattle had delayed collections that week, while Northwest Seattle, West Seattle, and South Seattle stayed on normal Monday-through-Friday service. That is why Seattle residents should always check the official calendar or SPU notices instead of assuming every holiday affects the whole city the same way.

What to Do If Seattle Missed Your Pickup

If your cart was out correctly and was not collected, Seattle customers should start with SPU Customer Service. Recycling, compost, and garbage route issues can also be affected by holiday or weather notices, so verifying the day first saves time.

1. Confirm your collection day. Recheck the Seattle collection calendar for your address.
2. Look for service alerts. Seattle says weather-related delays appear in the At Your Service blog rather than in the calendar itself.
3. Make sure your set-out met the rules. Carts must be out by 7:00 a.m., lids opening toward the street or alley, without blocking access.
4. Call Seattle Public Utilities. Contact (206) 684-3000 for pickup issues or service questions.
5. Leave clear identification on extra waste if needed. Seattle recommends putting your address on extra set-out when multiple households place carts in the same area.

Seattle Transfer Stations

Seattle also operates transfer stations for self-haul disposal. The city’s posted hours say stations are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days per week on most days, with a later start of 10:00 a.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. The stations are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, and the North Transfer Station is also closed on the 4th of July.

Frequently Asked Questions About Seattle Trash Pickup

Official Seattle Waste Collection Resources

Need help now? Call Seattle Public Utilities Customer Service at (206) 684-3000. For weather or unusual holiday service notices, check the SPU At Your Service blog.