Seattle trash & bulky-item rules

Seattle Public Utilities offers curbside Special Item Pickup for furniture, mattresses, appliances and many electronics. The current standard charge is $31 per large item. Older refrigerant-containing refrigerators and freezers made with certain CFCs carry the higher published charge of $39.25 per item.

The utility account holder authorizes the charge. In an apartment building, that usually means a tenant needs to work through the landlord or property manager rather than booking a charge directly to the shared account.

The standard large-item category includes couches, chairs, tables, mattresses, box springs, dressers, cabinets and many other household items. The normal maximum is 300 pounds, 8 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter per item.

Scheduled items should be placed where SPU directs and protected from rain when needed. Seattle specifically advises residents to secure or remove refrigerator/freezer doors with latches before set-out.

Washers, dryers, dishwashers, stoves, air conditioners, computers, televisions and monitors can use the Special Item Pickup program when they meet the published item rules. Electronics should not be thrown into ordinary household garbage or recycling carts.

If a resident prefers self-haul, note that televisions, monitors and many electronics are not accepted as ordinary transfer-station garbage; they need the appropriate electronics-recycling route instead.

Seattle’s North and South Transfer Stations provide another route for general household material. Effective April 2026, the normal garbage disposal minimum is $37. The current special-item rates include $16 per load for up to four vehicle tires and $34 per appliance, maximum two appliances per load.

Refrigerators must be empty and have their doors removed. Because disposal fees can change, a resident with multiple bulky items should compare the transfer-station cost with scheduled curbside pickup before loading a vehicle.

Seattle-area households have permanent hazardous-waste facilities operated for King County residents. The North facility is at 12550 Stone Avenue N. and is generally open Sunday through Tuesday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The South facility is at 8100 2nd Avenue S. and is generally open Thursday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Paint, chemicals, automotive fluids, batteries and other HHW belong at those facilities rather than in a bulky-item pickup. No appointment is normally required for ordinary residential HHW drop-off.

Seattle restricts disposal of several recyclable construction materials at City transfer stations. Asphalt, brick, concrete, metal, new gypsum scrap and untreated wood can require delivery to qualified construction-and-demolition recycling facilities instead of ordinary garbage disposal.

For Seattle, start with the local authority links below. Recheck them before a special trip or unusual set-out because programs, prices and facility hours can change.

• SPU Special Item PickupCurrent item charges, size limits, scheduling and accepted special items.
• Transfer Station RatesGarbage minimum, tire and appliance charges and load limits.
• Seattle Transfer StationsTransfer-station acceptance rules and C&D restrictions.
• Hazardous Waste DisposalNorth/South household hazardous-waste facility locations and hours.