Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Ellensburg
Washington state municipal collections operate on weekly zone-based routes. Specific days are determined by your Organics Recycling Collection Area (ORCA).
State Mandate
Comply with the WA Organics Management Law. E-waste and hazardous materials are strictly prohibited.
Gray Bin (Trash)
Place all garbage inside the gray cart. Yard trimmings and hazardous materials are strictly prohibited from the garbage container.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food wrappers and chip bags
- ✓Styrofoam
- ✓Broken glass (safely wrapped)
Blue Bin (Recycling)
Items must be clean, empty, and placed loose in the blue cart. Never put recyclables inside plastic bags. Glass is completely banned from the curbside recycling carts.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean cardboard and paper
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Aluminum cans
- ✓Clean food and beverage tin cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass bottles and jars
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Shredded paper
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords, wires)
Yard Waste Bin
Place yard debris in the green cart. Extra yard waste must be placed in paper yard bags, 32-gal cans labeled 'Yard', or tied with sisal twine into 4'x2' bundles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Branches
- ✓Plant trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
On-demand
Placement
Place approved bulky items at the curb only on the morning of your scheduled special pickup day to prevent neighborhood clutter.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Large appliances
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large household goods
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste
- ✕ Liquid paints
- ✕ Dirt, concrete, or loose debris
Special pickups incur additional fees based on the item type and size. Residents may also self-haul items to the Ellensburg Transfer Station, where tipping fees are assessed by weight.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Waste Management provides collection service on all holidays EXCEPT Christmas Day and New Year's Day. If one of these two holidays falls on a weekday, service is delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
The one-day delay during Christmas and New Year's applies to all curbside services, including yard waste carts.
Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Labor Day, and other federal holidays do not cause a collection delay in Ellensburg.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Glass Out of the Blue Cart
Unlike some neighboring municipalities, Ellensburg does not accept glass in its curbside recycling carts. To recycle glass, residents must take it to a designated Ellensburg Glass Recycling drop-off location.
Avoid Plastic Bags in Yard Waste
Plastic bags are the worst contaminant for the Kittitas County Compost Facility. They do not break down and severely damage composting equipment. Always use paper yard bags or reusable cans for extra green waste.
No Shredded Paper
Even though it is made of paper, shredded documents cannot be recycled curbside. The tiny strips fall through the sorting screens at the recycling center and contaminate other material streams.
Seasonal Information
Spring and Summer
April - NovemberDuring the peak growing seasons, yard waste collection occurs weekly every Wednesday to accommodate the high volume of grass clippings, weeds, and spring pruning.
Winter
December - MarchDue to dormant plant growth and freezing weather, yard waste collection is reduced to only the first Wednesday of each month. Expect potential route delays if heavy snow creates unsafe driving conditions.
Spring
MayMay marks the annual Ellensburg Recycle Day. Residents can bring hard-to-recycle items, such as batteries, textiles, and sensitive documents, to City Hall for specialized processing and shredding.
About Ellensburg Waste Management
Ellensburg Curbside Waste Collection Overview
In the City of Ellensburg, curbside waste collection is exclusively managed by Waste Management (WM). Residents utilize a color-coded cart system: gray carts are for standard garbage, blue carts are for single-stream recycling, and green carts are for yard waste. While garbage is collected weekly, recycling is picked up every other week. Setting carts out early on collection day and maintaining proper spacing ensures uninterrupted service.
The Kittitas County Compost Facility
Yard waste collected from Ellensburg's green carts is diverted from the landfill and sent to the Kittitas County Solid Waste Compost Facility, located at the Ellensburg Transfer Station. Through natural processes involving heat, moisture, and microorganisms, organic material like yard debris is broken down into nutrient-rich compost. This high-quality soil conditioner is then made available for purchase to self-haulers, closing the loop on local green waste.
Annual Ellensburg Recycle Day
Ellensburg takes sustainability seriously, heavily promoting its annual Spring Recycle Day event at City Hall. This community-driven initiative allows residents to safely drop off items that cannot go in the curbside blue bins. Typical accepted items include old bicycles for refurbishment, small batteries, professional clothing, and sensitive paper documents for professional shredding. It also serves as an educational hub for local composting and e-waste.
Managing Extra Yard Trimmings
Ellensburg strictly prohibits yard trimmings in standard garbage bins because they create unnecessary landfill expenses. For residents with a surplus of leaves or grass that exceeds the capacity of their green cart, WM allows extra units for an additional fee. Extra trimmings must be placed in heavy paper yard bags, 32-gallon cans with handles labeled 'Yard', or tied into bundles with sisal twine measuring no more than 4'x2'.
Ellensburg Transfer Station Guidelines
For self-haulers or those with heavy construction and demolition debris, the Ellensburg Transfer Station on W Green Ave is the primary disposal site. Tipping fees apply based on weight, with a minimum charge of $8.00. Haulers must remember to properly secure their loads; Kittitas County enforces a $10.00 fee for any unsecured loads arriving at the facility to prevent littering along local roadways.
Drop-off Facilities
Ellensburg Transfer Station
2603 W Green Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Materials Accepted
Kittitas County Solid Waste Compost Facility
2603 W Green Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put glass bottles in my blue recycling bin in Ellensburg?
No, glass is not accepted in Ellensburg's curbside blue recycling carts. Mixing glass with other recyclables causes contamination. You must take glass to a designated Ellensburg Glass Recycling drop-off site.
Does Ellensburg collect yard waste in the winter?
Yes, but on a significantly reduced schedule. Between December and March, Waste Management collects yard waste only on the first Wednesday of the month. Regular weekly collections resume in April.
What happens to my garbage schedule if Thanksgiving is on a Thursday?
Your collection will occur as normally scheduled. Waste Management only observes Christmas Day and New Year's Day in Ellensburg. Thanksgiving does not cause a one-day delay.
Can I throw yard clippings in my gray garbage cart?
No, yard trimmings are strictly prohibited from the standard garbage container in Ellensburg. Mixing yard waste with garbage creates unnecessary landfill expenses. Please use your green yard waste cart or haul it to the compost facility.