Solid Waste Fees To Increase Jan. 1 In King County

ENUMCLAW, WA - Fees for solid waste drop-off will increase beginning Jan. 1, which means residents will likely see an increase in curbside waste pickup bills.

The minimum fee to bring solid waste to a transfer station will increase from $22 to $24.25, and from $129.40 to $144.34 per ton. King County projects that single-family curbside collection customers will see an increase of about 77 cents per month on average based on one trash collection per week. That's due to garbage haulers passing on the cost of the county increase.

The county will use the new revenue to expand recycling services, pay for a new transfer station under construction in Bellevue, and to eventually replace the transfer station in Algona. The county estimates that 70 percent of materials that end up in the landfill could be recycled, and has a goal of increasing recycling by 42,000 tons per year.

King County operates recycling facilities in Renton, Enumclaw, and Shoreline, among other cities around the county. On Nov. 1, the county stopped accepting large quantities of construction and demolition materials at the facilities in Renton, Enumcalw, and Shoreline.

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