DNRP > SWD > Facilities > New Disposal Rates

New Solid Waste Disposal Rates

Effective Jan. 1, 2008

Why are the rates going up?

Secure Your Load Vehicles arriving with unsecured loads at public or private transfer stations in King County can be charged an unsecured load fee.

The rate increase will help finance major capital improvements to the county’s aging transfer system infrastructure.  Most of the county’s solid waste transfer stations were built in the mid-1960s and are operating at or over capacity to keep pace with the nearly one million customer transactions and over one million tons of garbage handled each year.

The rate increase will also pay for increased fuel, equipment, and maintenance costs, and the many programs and services offered by King County Solid Waste Division. Despite having implemented operating efficiencies, the Solid Waste Division can no longer absorb these increased costs or delay needed capital projects.  The last rate increase was in January 1999.  Even with this latest rate increase, King County’s disposal fees remain among the lowest in the region.

This rate increase will affect your curbside garbage collection bill. The impact of this change on the average customer with one-can service will be an increase of $0.73 per month.

The rate increase is based on projections of solid waste tonnage and the costs to operate the solid waste management system in the upcoming three-year rate period. Jump to the new solid waste disposal rates.

Recycling through your curbside collection service can save you money

Recycling keeps garbage rate increases at a minimum and helps you reduce the amount of garbage you make. You can save money on your garbage bill by reducing the number and size of your garbage containers by recycling mixed paper, newspaper, cardboard, plastic, yard waste, food scraps and food soiled paper.

Taking part in curbside recycling services is easy to do, just contact your garbage hauler for information about services available in your neighborhood.

Visit the "What do I do with…?" site to learn how to dispose of unwanted items. Visit the Online Materials Exchange to buy, sell or trade reusable household and building materials items.

What do your disposal fees pay for?

Here are some of the many programs and services available to county residents and businesses:

• Ten geographically dispersed solid waste transfer facilities, many of which also accept recyclables
• Waste reduction and recycling programs in your city or community are funded in part by King County grants – such as recycling collection events.
• The award-winning Cedar Hills Regional Landfill – the useful life of which has been extended through operational efficiencies and your recycling efforts.
• A hotline to report illegal dump sites
• Green building resources for homeowners and businesses to increase the efficiency of the energy, water and materials used in residences and commercial buildings
• Assistance to businesses to expand markets for recycled materials
• Workshops on environmental stewardship and conservation in schools
• Assistance with clean up of contaminated sites for reuse and redevelopment

Distribution of Forecast Costs 2008-2010

^* Separated yard waste and wood waste are accepted for recycling at a limited number of our facilities. At most of our facilities, we lack space for separate yard waste and wood waste collection and it is disposed as garbage at the garbage rate.

Learn More

• Download a printable version of the new disposal fees (PDF, 33 K), effective Jan. 1, 2008
• View a list of current disposal fees
• Find your nearest King County transfer station (locations, driving directions, hours, restrictions, recycling information and more)
• Report Illegal Dumping: call 206-296-SITE (7483), toll-free: 1-866-431-7483 or use our online reporting form
• Report Unsecured Loads & Litterers: call 1-866-LITTER-1 (1-866-548-8371)
• Find out how to reuse, recycle or properly dispose of your unwanted items on our “What do I do with…?” Web site

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