Seattle Public Utilities will not pick up garbage, recycling or yard waste on Wednesday, New Year’s Day. Customers with regularly scheduled waste pickup on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will have their waste collected one day later than usual. The city’s Recycling and Disposal Stations will be closed on Wednesday.
Remember, yard waste customers can put out their Christmas tree and holiday greens at no extra charge through Jan 12. (Multi-family buildings can put out one tree next to each food and yard waste cart per collection day at no extra charge.)
Trees should be cut into sections of six feet long or shorter, with branches trimmed to less than four feet to fit into the collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or non-plastic twine. Metal, plastic and ornaments in trees and wreaths must be removed.
Trees that are flocked and/or have tinsel or ornaments will be collected as extra garbage. Customers will need to cut the tree into three-foot pieces and each piece will be charged as extra garbage. Each unit of extra garbage costs $10. Plastic trees are not compostable.
Seattle residents can also drop off holiday trees and greens for free at Seattle Public Utilities’ North and South Recycling and Disposal stations from Dec. 26, 2013 through Jan. 12, 2013. The tree sections must be cut to eight feet or less in length and the trunk must be four inches or smaller in diameter. The limit is three trees per vehicle. Only trees and wreaths without flocking or decoration may be composted free of charge.
Regular residential food and yard waste collection rates resume on Monday, January 13, 2014. The fee for extra yard waste is $4.75 per unit.