Solid Waste Management COVID-19 updates

Yes. We're not aware of requests to cut back on collection services for solid waste, green waste, or recyclables. We have been made aware of a few notices to customers that service could be delayed, but we are not aware of any impacts to residential collection services. Contact your city, county, or waste hauler with questions or to report problems.

It depends. Several local solid waste departments across the state have elected to restrict self-haul customer access to their transfer stations, drop boxes, recycling centers, and other solid waste disposal facilities while the Governor’s proclamation is in effect. Call your local solid waste facility or go online to determine if any changes regarding self-haul access to solid waste facilities are in effect. Restrictions on methods of payment are also possible where facilities are open to the public. Many jurisdictions where self-haul is allowed while the Governor’s “Stay at Home” proclamation is in effect are also asking residents to delay self-haul trips, if possible.

We recommend that you don’t self-haul at this time. To encourage public compliance with the Governor’s proclamation, a notice is posted on our 1-800-RECYCLE website asking the public to delay self-haul of recyclable materials until after the proclamation is lifted. We also encourage people who cannot delay their household recycling delivery to call and confirm a business or recyclable material drop off location is open to the public.

Some facilities that accept household hazardous waste remain open, but many are temporarily closed to household hazardous waste collection. We encourage you to safely store household hazardous waste until the Governor’s proclamation is lifted. If you are unable to delay a trip to your community collection center, please call ahead to determine if the facility collecting these materials is open.

Possibly. We're aware of several household hazardous waste collection events scheduled for this spring that  are being postponed until after the Governor’s proclamation is lifted. Refer to your city or county solid waste website for updates that impact scheduled collection events.

For the safety of workers and the public, we encourage you to wait until after the Governor’s proclamation is lifted before delivering these materials to collection centers. Many businesses that participate as collection points are closed while the proclamation is in effect. If you are unable to delay your trip, please call ahead to confirm whether the business or facility collecting these materials is open. Some locations are accepting materials only by appointment.

We have cancelled the Ecology Youth Corps summer litter program for 14-to-17-year-olds this summer. This decision is directly related to school closures, recruitment interruptions, and inability to assemble for recruiting and hiring activities. An announcement has been posted on Ecology’s website.  Adult crews will manage the responsibility of clearing our state’s roadways of litter this summer. Currently, all crews are off the road.