FAQs

49% – In Washington State, the partnership between public agencies, consumers, and the solid industry successfully recovers 49% of materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

32% – The national average recovery rate is 32%, which is 50% lower than that of Washington State. This means that our state is a leader in diverting materials from the landfill.

14,700 – The solid waste, recycling, and organics industry employs about 14,700 workers to drive trucks, sort materials at Material Recovery Facilities, oversee landfills, and much more.

4.1z carbon net zero – As of the most recent evaluation in 2018, Washington’s solid waste and recycling industry operations are 4.1x carbon net zero after accounting for landfill and collection emissions and the reduction of greenhouse gases from more materials successfully recycled or composted.

75% – In accordance with HB 1799, our state is working to divert 75% of organic waste from landfills by 2030.

87% – Curbside service as the foundation of our state’s successful and accessible solid waste, organics, and recycling infrastructure. 87% of state residents have access to curbside service, and those who don’t may access 108 drop-box locations in their communities.

8 – The average household in our state has an average of 8 monthly pickups of bins for trash (4), recycling (2), and organics (4) ,with service unique to local needs.

$8-10 – The average household’s monthly bill for curbside recycling service, typically part of their local utility bill, is only $8-10.

MYTH: The circular arrows logo means that something can be recycled.
FACT: In order for a material to be successfully recycled, there must be an end-market. This means that unless there is a market to purchase post-consumer materials, it is difficult or impossible for them to be diverted from landfills. The market for post-consumer materials is volatile and was dramatically impacted in 2016 when China and other countries in Asia significantly restricted their markets for post-consumer materials originating from the United States.

“The chasing arrows, though, are often plastered on products that aren’t recyclable at all, particularly products made of plastic, like dog chew toys and inflatable swim rings. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency said that the symbol’s use on many plastic products was ‘deceptive.’” – Grist, “How the recycling symbol lost its meaning” (June 12, 2024)

MYTH: The solid waste industry generates revenue from landfills, creating a disincentive to increase recycling.
FACT: In Washington State, universal service mandates regulated solid waste companies to collect materials at the curb and via drop-boxes. To invest in solid waste infrastructure, solid waste companies have a financial incentive to identify every end-market for selling recyclable materials, rather than sending them to a landfill where they cannot be resold for a profit.

Question: I have a unique item to dispose of. How do I know where to take it?
Answer: Thank you for ensuring proper disposal of your uncommon items. The disposal and recycling process varies by community throughout Washington State, so it is essential to contact your local curbside garbage and/or recycling pickup provider to inquire about the proper disposal methods for your area.

You can find contact information for your provider on your most recent bill, or visit our Members page and click on the logo of your local service provider to be redirected to their website. If your city or county provides your garbage service, please contact their Solid Waste department directly.

To check on the recyclability of your item, access Washington State’s 1-800-Recycle searchable database.

Question: What do I do with old batteries?
Answer: Batteries should never be thrown away in the regular curbside garbage or recycling, as they can pose fire and contamination hazards in trucks, transfer stations, and landfills.

To properly dispose of used or old household batteries, including rechargeable and single-use (AA, AAA, etc.), tape both ends with clear tape and drop them off at a battery drop-off location in your area.

To learn about proper disposal and drop-off locations for other types of batteries, such as rechargeable batteries from cell phones, E-bike batteries, and other high-powered batteries, visit the National Waste & Recycling Association’s Battery Safety website, batterysafetynow.org.

Washington State is currently developing a battery stewardship program, which will be phased in over 2027-2029, as per legislation passed in 2023. Learn more on the Department of Ecology’s website.

Our Member Companies are organizations that offer solid waste management, recycling, materials processing, and composting services to the communities of Washington State.

Our Associate Members are organizations that offer supporting equipment and services to our members.

To learn about membership benefits and requirements for your organization, please email office@wrra.org.

Originally established in 1947 as the King County Garbage Companies Association, the Washington Refuse & Recycling Association has evolved over the decades into the primary trade association representing solid waste and recycling companies operating in Washington State within the regulatory system.

Since its founding, WRRA has worked to inform policies for the safe handling of waste, environmental stewardship, and partnerships with consumers to divert materials from landfills. A major milestone was the launch of curbside service in major cities, such as Seattle.

Modest family-owned companies and publicly traded corporations all worked under the regulatory umbrella of state agencies and local jurisdictions to make recycling increasingly accessible to consumers under this major new approach to solid waste management. Additional major advocacy milestones since its founding include:
• 1961 – Washington State enacted comprehensive legislation regulating the collection and transportation of solid waste, which created the “G-Certificate.”
• 1989 – Waste Not Washington Act
• 2004 – WSDOE Issues “Beyond Waste Plan”
• 2005 – Legislature re-regulates the “collection and transportation of commercial recyclables.”
• 2022 – Organics Management Law is passed, aiming to reduce organics disposal by 75% by 2030
• 2024 – Organics Management Law 2.0 is passed, focusing on residential services by 2030
• 2025 – Organics Management Law 3.0 is passed, addressing bin standardizations and multi-family collection plans
• 2025 – Recycling Reform Act passed, setting up an Extended Producer Responsibility program for consumer packaging by 2030

Question: I have a unique item to dispose of. How do I know where to take it?
Answer: Thank you for ensuring proper disposal of your uncommon items. The disposal and recycling process varies by community throughout Washington State, so it is essential to contact your local curbside garbage and/or recycling pickup provider to inquire about the proper disposal methods for your area.

You can find contact information for your provider on your most recent bill, or visit our Members page and click on the logo of your local service provider to be redirected to their website. If your city or county provides your garbage service, please contact their Solid Waste department directly.

To check on the recyclability of your item, access Washington State’s 1-800-Recycle searchable database.

Question: What do I do with old batteries?
Answer: Batteries should never be thrown away in the regular curbside garbage or recycling, as they can pose fire and contamination hazards in trucks, transfer stations, and landfills.

To properly dispose of used or old household batteries, including rechargeable and single-use (AA, AAA, etc.), tape both ends with clear tape and drop them off at a battery drop-off location in your area.

To learn about proper disposal and drop-off locations for other types of batteries, such as rechargeable batteries from cell phones, E-bike batteries, and other high-powered batteries, visit the National Waste & Recycling Association’s Battery Safety website, batterysafetynow.org.

Washington State is currently developing a battery stewardship program, which will be phased in over 2027-2029, as per legislation passed in 2023. Learn more on the Department of Ecology’s website.

Ever since humans have existed, there has been waste. We’ve come a long way from the days of making piles of refuse outside of our homes or towns. In Washington State, as cities began to establish and grow, small businesses started offering services to the local community to help manage waste. Instead of the efficient trucking systems of today, imagine a horse-drawn cart going up and down the street, collecting materials for the landfill outside of town.

Over the decades, the solid waste industry has been defined by change to meet the growing amount of materials to be collected and standards that uphold environmental stewardship. Appropriate regulations to reduce emissions, protect our waters, reduce litter, and increase post-consumer content requirements have all enabled our state to divert more materials from landfills.

FACT: In order for a material to be successfully recycled, there must be an end-market. This means that unless there is a market to purchase post-consumer materials, it is difficult or impossible for them to be diverted from landfills. The market for post-consumer materials is volatile and was dramatically impacted in 2016 when China and other countries in Asia significantly restricted their markets for post-consumer materials originating from the United States.

“The chasing arrows, though, are often plastered on products that aren’t recyclable at all, particularly products made of plastic, like dog chew toys and inflatable swim rings. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency said that the symbol’s use on many plastic products was ‘deceptive.’” – Grist, “How the recycling symbol lost its meaning” (June 12, 2024)

Right now, what’s recyclable depends on the local jurisdiction. in 2025, Washington adopted the Recycling Reform Act. The RRA will result in a consistent statewide curbside recycling list by 2030.

Until then, residents should consult their local recycling program materials- and when in doubt, throw it out! it’s better to discard an item than contaminate your other recyclables.

FACT: In Washington State, universal service mandates regulated solid waste companies to collect materials at the curb and via drop-boxes. To invest in solid waste infrastructure, solid waste companies have a financial incentive to identify every end-market for selling recyclable materials, rather than sending them to a landfill where they cannot be resold for a profit.

Answer: Garbage, recyclables and organics such as yard waste each go on their own journey after pick-up at your curbside. See the below graphic for information on each journey.

Text content of the info graphic above:

You take the Garbage Out. Then What?

Recyclables: 

1. Trucks pick up recyclables at the curb and drop them at Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF) according to the solid waste plan of the county where your residence is located.
2. At the MRF, recyclable materials like aluminum, cardboard, glass and mixed paper are separated by hand and with advanced equipment that uses magnets and optical sorters to identify and organize materials. 
3. The more recyclable materials collected, the greater the savings to consumers who benefit from lower costs to provide service.
4. Sorted materials are packaged and sent into the recycling marketplace were hundreds of mills and manufacturers worldwide turn them into new products that wind up back in your home.

Garbage

1. Even with full implementation of recycling programs, some waste remains. On garbage day, your trash is picked up at the curb and after being consolidated at a transfer station, it is delivered to a landfill.
2. Landfills are located regionally and typically privately managed. They are specifically engineered to safely contain and isolate trash from the surrounding environment.
3. At modern landfills in Washington state, advanced technology collects methane and converts it into electricity. Ordinary garbage is returned as electricity that powers thousands of households.
4. in other landfills, methane is collected and converted into compressed natural gas (CNG) used to power solid waste and recycling trucks.

Yard Waste

1. Trucks pick up yard waste and landscape debris from your curb which is transported to a sorting and compost facility.
2. At the facility, compostable materials are naturally processed into nutrient-rich mulch, packaged and transported to home and garden retailers.
3. Landscape debris used to take up space in the average landfill. Today ordinary yard waste is processed and returned to your garden.

Answer: Thank you for ensuring proper disposal of your uncommon items. The disposal and recycling process varies by community throughout Washington State, so it is essential to contact your local curbside garbage and/or recycling pickup provider to inquire about the proper disposal methods for your area.

You can find contact information for your provider on your most recent bill, or visit our Members page and click on the logo of your local service provider to be redirected to their website. If your city or county provides your garbage service, please contact their Solid Waste department directly.

To check on the recyclability of your item, access Washington State’s 1-800-Recycle searchable database.

Answer: Batteries should never be thrown away in the regular curbside garbage or recycling, as they can pose fire and contamination hazards in trucks, transfer stations and landfills.

To properly dispose of used or old household batteries-rechargeable and single use- (AA, AAA, etc), tape both ends with clear tape and drop them off at a battery drop off location in your area.

To learn about proper disposal & drop off locations for other types of batteries, such as rechargeable batteries from cell phones, E-bike batteries and other high powered batteries, visit the National Waste & Recycling Association’s Battery Safety Website, batterysafetynow.org

Washington State is currently in the process of developing a battery stewardship program that will be phased in throughout 2027-2029, per legislation passed in 2023. Learn more on the Department of Ecology’s website.

Our Member Companies are organizations that offer solid waste management, recycling, materials processing, and composting services to the communities of Washington State.

Our Associate Members are organizations that offer supporting equipment and services to our members.

To learn about membership benefits and requirements for your organization, please email office@wrra.org.

Originally established in 1947 as the King County Garbage Companies Association, the Washington Refuse & Recycling Association has evolved over the decades into the primary trade association representing solid waste and recycling companies operating in Washington State within the regulatory system.

Since its founding, WRRA has worked to inform policies for the safe handling of waste, environmental stewardship, and partnerships with consumers to divert materials from landfills. A major milestone was the launch of curbside service in major cities, such as Seattle.

Modest family-owned companies and publicly traded corporations all worked under the regulatory umbrella of state agencies and local jurisdictions to make recycling increasingly accessible to consumers under this major new approach to solid waste management. Additional major advocacy milestones since its founding include:
• 1961 – Washington State enacted comprehensive legislation regulating the collection and transportation of solid waste, which created the “G-Certificate.”
• 1989 – Waste Not Washington Act
• 2004 – WSDOE Issues “Beyond Waste Plan”
• 2005 – Legislature re-regulates the “collection and transportation of commercial recyclables.”
• 2022 – Organics Management Law is passed, aiming to reduce organics disposal by 75% by 2030
• 2024 – Organics Management Law 2.0 is passed, focusing on residential services by 2030
• 2025 – Organics Management Law 3.0 is passed, addressing bin standardizations and multi-family collection plans
• 2025 – Recycling Reform Act passed, setting up an Extended Producer Responsibility program for consumer packaging by 2030

Question: I have a unique item to dispose of. How do I know where to take it?
Answer: Thank you for ensuring proper disposal of your uncommon items. The disposal and recycling process varies by community throughout Washington State, so it is essential to contact your local curbside garbage and/or recycling pickup provider to inquire about the proper disposal methods for your area.

You can find contact information for your provider on your most recent bill, or visit our Members page and click on the logo of your local service provider to be redirected to their website. If your city or county provides your garbage service, please contact their Solid Waste department directly.

To check on the recyclability of your item, access Washington State’s 1-800-Recycle searchable database.

Question: What do I do with old batteries?
Answer: Batteries should never be thrown away in the regular curbside garbage or recycling, as they can pose fire and contamination hazards in trucks, transfer stations, and landfills.

To properly dispose of used or old household batteries, including rechargeable and single-use (AA, AAA, etc.), tape both ends with clear tape and drop them off at a battery drop-off location in your area.

To learn about proper disposal and drop-off locations for other types of batteries, such as rechargeable batteries from cell phones, E-bike batteries, and other high-powered batteries, visit the National Waste & Recycling Association’s Battery Safety website, batterysafetynow.org.

Washington State is currently developing a battery stewardship program, which will be phased in over 2027-2029, as per legislation passed in 2023. Learn more on the Department of Ecology’s website.

Ever since humans have existed, there has been waste. We’ve come a long way from the days of making piles of refuse outside of our homes or towns. In Washington State, as cities began to establish and grow, small businesses started offering services to the local community to help manage waste. Instead of the efficient trucking systems of today, imagine a horse-drawn cart going up and down the street, collecting materials for the landfill outside of town.

Over the decades, the solid waste industry has been defined by change to meet the growing amount of materials to be collected and standards that uphold environmental stewardship. Appropriate regulations to reduce emissions, protect our waters, reduce litter, and increase post-consumer content requirements have all enabled our state to divert more materials from landfills.