Recology King County Inclement Weather Service Delay FAQS
Due to recent snow and icy road conditions in the Puget Sound region, Recology delayed service for many customers between 12/27/21 – 1/7/2022. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to catch up. In the meantime, below are answers to many of your FAQs about what to do with all your extra waste, when we will be back to collect, and much more.
I have so much extra garbage and recycling. What should I do with it? Will I be charged extra?
Customers who experienced a service delay due to inclement weather will not be charged extras when service resumes. Please bag all extra garbage or place it out in a personal can. Extra recycling can go in a cardboard box or paper bag. Extra yard waste should not contain food waste and can be set out in a paper bag or personal can.
Please note: Please only place out household waste accumulated during the service delay on your first collection following the delay. Fees apply for bulky items such as couches, chairs, and other furniture.
If roads have been cleared, why are we still experiencing a delay in service?
Delays are mostly due to icy conditions earlier in the week. Drivers are working overtime to catch up as quickly as possible. We thank you for your patience and will collect as soon as possible. For service updates specific to your city, please check your city’s webpage at www.recology.com.
You said you would collect extras, but the driver didn’t pick up mine today. They just took what was in my bin. What should I do?
Recology drivers may be required to leave extras behind to allow capacity to serve as many customers as possible. Drivers are working overtime to catch up and, in some cases, are meeting their Department of Transportation limit on hours of operation before routes can be completed. This is due to the extra time required to collect all the accumulated waste from last week and the holidays. Recology will take extras at no charge on your next service day.
What should I do with my Christmas tree?
If your Christmas tree was not picked up this week, please leave it out for your next scheduled service day and Recology will pick it up at no additional charge. For customers that do not have food/yard waste service, please contact our customer service department to schedule your pick-up.
Trees must be under 6’ unflocked, undecorated, and have stands removed.
What should I do if my collection was missed 2 weeks in a row?
Customers who did not receive service for 2 weeks can set out triple the waste on their next collection day at no additional charge. Please bag all extra garbage or place it out in a personal can. Extra recycling can go in a cardboard box or paper bag. Extra yard waste should not contain food waste and can be set out in a paper bag or personal can.
Over the past few years, it has snowed every winter causing garbage service delays. Why doesn’t Recology just put chains on their trucks?
All Recology trucks are equipped with chains. While useful for gaining traction in snow, chains are not effective at preventing collection trucks from slipping on ice or slush.
Recology takes the decision to delay service very seriously. Recology field staff monitors road conditions continually throughout an inclement weather event. Service delay decisions are based on a number of factors including the presence of ice, snow, and slush on the roadways, current and forecasted temperatures, and topography. Prior to snow events, Recology works closely with city partners to align collection routes with emergency plowing routes in an effort to collect as many customers as possible during periods where road conditions may vary throughout a city.
Recology canceled service but UPS, FedEx, and Amazon were out delivering packages. Why can they drive in these conditions and Recology cannot?
Unlike passenger vehicles, delivery trucks, and other service vehicles, waste collection trucks weigh between 35,000 LBS – 60,000 LBS on average. Even with chained tires, collection trucks still struggle to operate safely in icy road conditions due to the frequent start/stop nature of collection service. Additionally, collection trucks spend the majority of their time in residential areas, and special consideration is given to protecting public safety and private property in inclement weather conditions.
Recology resumed service in the neighboring city days before ours. Why did they receive service before we did?
In King County, inclement weather road conditions can vary significantly from city to city and even neighborhood to neighborhood. During inclement weather conditions, Recology assesses road conditions continually in every community we serve to evaluate risk and potential for road conditions to improve. Service delay decisions are based on a number of factors including the presence of ice, snow, and slush on the roadways, current and forecasted temperatures, and topography.
My service was delayed for two weeks and I never received notice from Recology. What does Recology do to let customers know about service delays?
For the most up-to-date information on service delays please visit your city’s webpage at Recology.com. Recology posts frequent updates during inclement weather events and recology.com is your best resource for current information. Updates are posted on Recology’s social media sites. Please follow us @RecologyKingCounty on Facebook and Instagram and @RecologyKC on Twitter. Recology also sends out prerecorded phone messages with specific service updates to customers impacted by service delays. If your service was missed and you did not receive a prerecorded phone call update, please contact us to verify that the phone number we have on file is correct.
My every-other-week recycling service was missed because of the snow. Will I really have to wait 2 weeks for my recycling to be picked up?
Unfortunately, bi-monthly recycling customers will need to wait until their next regularly scheduled service day for collection. Please break down cardboard boxes and paper packaging, and place accumulated recycling next to your cart in a paper box or a bag for collection.
If my service was missed, will I see a credit on my bill?
For customers that were missed, collection will occur on a delayed schedule with extras picked up at no additional charge. Credits will not be issued for the delayed service.