You trim a hedge, rake the back lawn, or cut down a few branches, and then you’re standing over the green cart wondering if any of it is allowed. In Seattle, a small mistake can mean an extra charge or a cart that gets skipped. Here’s what goes in, what doesn’t, and what to do when you have more than the cart can hold.
What Goes in Your Seattle Yard Waste Cart
Seattle’s green cart is a shared food and yard waste cart, so it’s meant for compostable material only. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has required food and yard waste service for homes with 1 to 4 units since 2012, and yard debris can’t go in the garbage either.
- Leaves and grass clippings
- Weeds, plant trimmings and garden debris
- Small branches and brush that fit with the lid fully closed
- Food scraps, including meat, dairy, fish and bones
What Does Not Go In
- Plastic bags. Seattle says no plastic in the cart, including as a liner. Use paper or compostable bags approved for the program.
- Pet and animal waste.
- Plastic, metal and glass.
- Trash and anything with toxic materials.
- Anything that keeps the lid from closing.
Not sure about an item? SPU’s “Where Does It Go?” tool is the quickest way to check.
The Lid Rule That Catches People
This is the one that surprises most homeowners. After a tree trim, it’s tempting to stack branches so they stick up out of the cart. Seattle’s rules don’t allow the lid to be left open, and carts propped open by branches have been billed as extra yard waste. Haulers have some discretion, but a cart with branches sticking up several feet is the kind that gets charged. Check SPU’s site for the current extra yard waste rate before you set anything out.
What to Do When the Cart Is Full
- Wait a week. Let the cart get emptied and fill it again. Fine for a trickle, not for a big cleanup.
- Set out extra. SPU allows extra yard waste next to the cart on collection day, usually in compostable bags or lidded containers. It can carry a charge, and SPU has offered free extra leaf pickup in November in past years, so check this year’s terms.
- Haul it yourself. Works for a small load, but you’re paying for the truck, the trip and your Saturday.
- Have someone haul it. For storm debris, overgrown blackberries, a hedge job or a spring or fall cleanup, this is usually the fastest way to get your yard back.
Seattle Yard Waste Removal — What We Haul
Whether it’s a yard in Seattle or a job in Kent, Tukwila, Renton, Auburn, Federal Way, Des Moines, Burien or SeaTac, we take the piles that won’t fit in the cart and don’t need sorting first:
- Leaves, grass clippings and loose garden debris
- Hedge trimmings, brush and branches
- Blackberry brambles and overgrown growth
- Bagged yard waste
- Storm cleanup debris
Big trucks. Low prices. Upfront quotes before we start. See our full yard waste removal service in Seattle.
Need it gone? Call (253) 722-4285 for a free, upfront quote.
How Pricing Works
Volume-based. You pay for the space your yard waste takes up in the truck, not by the bag and not by the hour. The $99 minimum is our floor. Anything bigger, we quote upfront before we load a single thing. See how our junk removal pricing works.
Tips Before You Set Anything Out
- Check the lid. If it doesn’t close all the way, expect to be billed or skipped.
- No plastic bags. Paper or compostable bags only, or a lidded container.
- Don’t cut and bundle for us. If you’re hiring a hauler, leave it as it is. We load it.
- Keep the dirt and trash out. Mixed piles are fine for us, but they can’t go in the green cart.
- Get the quote first. A quick call or a photo gets you a real number before you spend the weekend on it.
Why 99 Junk Removal
Thirty-plus years hauling junk in the South Sound. Big trucks, low prices, upfront quotes. Local crews out of Kent and Tukwila, on the road across South King County every day. You call, we quote, we haul. That’s the whole deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put branches in the Seattle yard waste cart?
Small branches that fit with the lid fully closed, yes. Large limbs, or anything holding the lid open, can be charged as extra yard waste or left behind.
Can I put yard waste in the garbage?
No. Leaves, grass and plant trimmings aren’t allowed in the garbage in Seattle.
What happens if my cart lid doesn’t close?
You can be charged for extra yard waste, and it may not all get collected. Keep the lid shut and set extra material out separately.
Can I use plastic bags for leaves?
No. Use paper or compostable bags approved for the program, or a reusable lidded container.
What if I have far more yard waste than the cart holds?
Setting out extra works for a small overflow. For a big pile, we haul it in one visit. Our minimum is $99, and you get an upfront quote before we start.
Ready to Clear It Out?
Big trucks. Low prices. Honest quotes.
Call (253) 722-4285
