Olympia is located near Seattle at the southern end of Puget Sound and is the capital of Washington State. The Waste Management department of Olympia, under the supervision of the local government, is responsible for providing trash, recycling, organic waste, and yard collection services to residents.
Keeping the environment clean is crucial for a sustainable society, so it is also the residents’ responsibility to keep their area clean by disposing of household trash properly. You simply have to follow the instructions provided by the Waste Management department to keep the environment clean and healthy.
Find Out Olympia Garbage & Recycling Schedule
You can get Olympia’s garbage, recycling, organic waste, and yard collection schedule from “MY SCHEDULE.” Click on the following link to reach the My Schedule page. Enter your complete address into the search bar given in the link, and from there you can get all the service schedules that the Waste Management department will provide on a weekly basis.
https://www.olympiawa.gov/services/garbage___recycling/index.php
If you are having trouble getting your trash service schedule from the My Schedule link, don’t worry because alternative ways to find your trash schedule are available. Click on the link below to get an annual calendar marked with days designated for garbage, recycling, organic waste, and yard collection schedules.
Garbage Collection Time
Place your cart by 6 AM on your scheduled collection day in front of your property. Place the cart in an obstacle-free area that is easily accessible by the trash collection truck. If you place your cart correctly, it will help trash collection trucks pick up your trash quickly and efficiently.
Leave a distance of 3 feet from all other carts when placing your trash cart at the curbside. Place it in a way that its lid opens towards the front of the street. Wheel back your container as soon as possible after your trash cart has been collected.
Do not block sidewalks when placing your cart at the curbside because it could cause problems for people who are moving in wheelchairs on footpaths. Do not overfill your trash cart; place only a closed-lid cart at the curb. If you overfill your trash cart, you will be charged an extra fee for overfilling.
Report Missed Collection
If you miss your trash day or your trash gets missed by the trash collection crew, it becomes difficult to manage your trash until the next collection day. That is why Olympia allows you to report missed collections if you experience them. To report, you can contact the Waste Management department at 360.753.8340.
Also, see What To Do If You Miss Trash Day in Olympia if you find no other solution.
Recycling Collection Time
Recycling service will be provided every other week. Recycling is the best way to minimize the use of resources that require thousands of years to form. The Waste Management department provides regular recycling facilities for certain items.
Acceptable recyclable materials include aluminum, tin or steel cans, milk, juice and soup cartons, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, paper, and plastic containers with numbers 1 to 5.
Place only empty, clean, and dry items in the recycling cart. Do not place any plastic bags in the recycling cart. Instead, place all materials loosely into the cart because plastic bags are not recycled and could cause problems at the recycling plant, slowing down the recycling process.
Organic Waste and Yard Collection
The city will also provide organic waste and yard collection services to its residents. If you wish to schedule your organic and yard pickup, you can contact us at 360-753-2840. Once the Waste Management department confirms your pickup, place your cart at the curbside on the designated day by 7 AM. To reduce litter and odor, you must follow certain instructions when placing your cart at the curbside.
Place newspaper at the bottom of the trash cart. Try to keep your cart in a shaded area so it does not come into contact with sunlight. Sprinkle baking soda on your trash to reduce insects. Put all organic waste, such as food scraps, into a bag and then place it into the cart to reduce litter.
Cut all branches and limbs into lengths of 3 feet, tie them into bundles, and place them at the curbside for collection. Put all leaves and small trash items into biodegradable bags and then place them outside. You can buy these biodegradable bags from grocery stores.
Olympia Garbage Holidays Schedule
Trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day on the following holidays. If you observe the following three holidays on your normal trash collection day, your trash cart will not be serviced. Place your trash cart at the curb on the next business day for collection.
Holidays Schedule
- New Year’s Day
January 1, 2024, Monday
Your trash and recycling will be collected on January 2, 2024, Tuesday. - Thanksgiving Day
November 28, 2024, Thursday
Trash and recycling will be collected on November 29, 2024, Friday. - Christmas Day
December 25, 2024, Wednesday
Trash and recycling carts will be collected on December 26, 2024, Thursday.
Besides these holidays, Olympia will observe several annual holidays that will not impact your trash and recycling collection. However, the trash collection truck may arrive earlier on the morning of your scheduled day, so place your cart at the curbside before 6 AM to ensure your collection.
