City of Bellevue Single-Family Yard Debris + Food Collection Services
The City of Bellevue contracts with Allied Waste for the curbside collection of single-family residential yard debris, food scraps and food-soiled paper. Service rates are determined by the garbage can size chosen. The more you recycle, the less garbage you produce.
Start, Stop, Change Service
- Yard Debris + Food service is included for garbage customers.
- If you are not a garbage customer, Yard Debris + Food service is available for a monthly fee. To sign up, complete the online form or call 425-452-4762.
- To stop or change service, call 425-452-4762.
Find Your Collection Day
- Yard Debris & Food is collected once a week. (See Map)
Prepare Your Yard Debris & Food
- Use the standard 96-gallon Green Yard Debris Cart for all your yard debris, food scraps and food-contaminated paper.
- Review the list of What Goes in the Yard Debris Cart.
- Place your Green Yard Debris Cart out by 7 AM on your scheduled collection day. Put carts within 5' of the curb with lid opening toward the street.
- Excess yard debris can be bundled or placed in paper yard debris bags, customer-owned 32-gallon containers marked "Yard Debris" or approved reusable yard debris plastic bags. Regular plastic garbage bags will not be collected!
- Up to 192 gallons of Yard Debris + Food can be set out weekly. This amount is equivalent to one 96-gallon Green yard Debris Cart (200 lbs. weight limit) + three 32-gallon containers or Kraft paper bags (55 lbs. weight limit each). Materials in excess of the 192-gallon weekly limit will cost extra.
- Additional Yard Debris Carts can be rented from Allied Waste for a monthly charge. To rent an additional Yard Debris Cart, please call 425-452-4762.
- Remove carts from the curb within 24 hours after collection.
Never put yard debris in your garbage! It is unlawful to put yard debris in the garbage. Garbage with yard debris mixed in will not be collected.
Compost Credit is available! Do you compost instead of having yard debris collected? You may be eligible for a monthly compost credit. Call 425-452-4762 for more information.
Buckets and Filters
- Free Food Scraps Bucket
- A free Food Scraps Bucket is available (limited to one per household). The Food Scraps Bucket makes it easy to carry food scraps to the Green Yard Debris Cart. To request a free Food Scraps Bucket, email us or call 425-452-4762.
Replacement Filters for Food Scraps Bucket
Replacement Filters for Food Scraps Buckets are available online at:
Replacement Filter Material that can be cut to size is also available at:
- Bellevue Plumbing
14111 NE 24th St
Bellevue, WA
Phone: 425-641-4222
Please call ahead for availability
Tips for Collecting Kitchen Scraps
For convenience, keep a food waste collection container in or near your kitchen to collect kitchen scraps. Empty this container into your yard cart as needed.
Possible kitchen collection containers:
- Allied Waste Services Food Scraps Bucket.
- Green compostable kitchen bags are widely available. Visit
www.recyclefood.com for retail locations in your community
- Used paper bags. (Fill and put in cart.)
- Reusable plastic or metal container with a tight fitting lid. (Empty into yard waste cart and reuse.
Do not put plastic of any kind in your cart.)
To avoid odors & fruit flies and maintain clean Food Scraps Buckets,
you can:
- Empty food scraps into the yard waste cart daily.
- Wrap food scraps in newspaper or collect them in green compostable kitchen bags
(www.recyclefood.org for retail locations).
- Rinse kitchen container and yard waste cart frequently.
- Line kitchen container with a used paper bag or towel.
- Sprinkle baking soda in kitchen container.
For more help with odors or flies: Contact the lawn and gardening hotline at 206-633-0224.
Approved Yard Debris Bags
Residents can use paper or reusable bags for yard debris (not food waste) collection in addition to yard debris containers.
Following is a list of stores that carry paper yard debris bags in the Bellevue area:
- Home Depot, 325 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005, (425) 451-7351
- Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse, 12328 Northup Way, Bellevue, WA 98005, (425) 646-9031
Following is a list of stores that carry reusable yard debris bags near the Bellevue area:
- City People's Mercantile
5440 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
phone 206-524-1200
- City People's Garden Store
2939 E Madison
Seattle, WA 98112
phone 206-324-0737
- True Value Greenwood Hardware
7201 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
phone 206-783-2900
- PCC Greenlake
7504 Aurora Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
phone 206-525-3586
- Order reusable yard waste bags directly from the Bag Connection.
Call toll-free 1-800-622-2448
Additional Yard Debris + Food
- Storm Debris
- Most storms are not severe enough to warrant the expense of a special collection. If there is a special collection, notification and instructions will be mailed to customers.
- For removal of trees or branches larger than 4" in diameter, please call a tree service company.
Remember! - burning yard debris violates Puget Sound air quality standards and is not allowed in Bellevue.
- Christmas Tree Collection
- Yard Debris customers can set Christmas trees out on their regularly scheduled collection day.
- Trees must be free of flocking, tinsel, ornaments and metal hangers, cut to 4' lengths and tied into bundles less than 2' wide. Use biodegradable string or twine - no nylon, plastic or other synthetic materials.
- Flocked trees are not recyclable and will not be accepted. Put flocked trees in the garbage.
- Haul Yard Debris to the King County Transfer Station (the Dump)
- Yard Debris can be hauled for recycling to one of the two local transfer stations operated by King County Solid Waste Division.
- Call 206-296-6542 for operating hours and directions.
- Home Organic Debris Recycling, Grasscycling, Composting
- Information on home organic debris recycling, grasscycling and composting is available through the City of Bellevue. Visit Bellevue's compost website, email us or call Bellevue Utilities at 425-452-6932 for more information.
