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Seattle Dump Fees & Landfill Guide for Junk Removal Operators

King County self-haul at $243.38/ton — among the highest in the US. Contract haulers pay $191.47/ton. Snohomish at $160/ton. 6 facilities mapped.

Operator contextUpdated Mar 2026

Use the guidance with your local numbers.

Resource pages explain the planning model, but local disposal rates, labor costs, truck setup, service area, and customer demand still decide the final operating choice.

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Costs

Typical disposal costs

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Facilities

Facilities and transfer stations

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Tukwila (18800 Orillia Rd S, Tukwila, WA 98188)

Bow Lake Recycling & Transfer Station

MSW: $243.38/ton self-haul · $191.47/ton contract haulers. Yard waste: $20.70 flat (sedans) · $129.38/ton (other). Mattress: $30/unit. Unsecured load: $25. Busiest station in the KC system — handles approximately one-third of total tonnage. The 24-hour weekday access is unique and valuable for operators running late-day or early-morning dump runs. Accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, cash, and Apple Pay. Waste charge accounts available through KC SWD at (206) 477-4466. 40-foot maximum vehicle + trailer length. Mandatory recycling sort — cardboard, metal, and yard waste must be separated from garbage. Avoid Saturday mornings — consistently the busiest time. Weekday mornings (Mon–Wed) are least crowded. Mon–Thu 24 hours · Fri 12:00 AM – 11:30 PM · Sat–Sun 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM $40.25 per vehicle (covers up to ~320 lbs) MSW C&D Yard waste/clean wood Mattresses ($30/unit, 6/day max)

MSW: $243.38/ton self-haul · $191.47/ton contract haulers. Yard waste: $20.70 flat (sedans) · $129.38/ton (other). Mattress: $30/unit. Unsecured load: $25.Tukwila (18800 Orillia Rd S, Tukwila, WA 98188)
Bellevue (13800 SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA 98005)

Factoria Recycling & Transfer Station (+ HHW)

MSW: $243.38/ton self-haul. HHW: FREE for KC residents (30 gal limit). The ONLY KC facility with integrated HHW collection — junk removal operators encounter hazardous items (paint, solvents, batteries, propane) on virtually every residential cleanout. Batch-drop HHW here between Eastside jobs. Seattle residents may also use HHW. Same MSW pricing as all KC stations. HHW free for King County residents, limit 30 gallons. Latex paint is NOT hazardous — use PaintCare drop-off locations (free) instead. Station: Mon–Fri 6:30 AM – 4:00 PM · Sat–Sun 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM | HHW: Tue–Fri 8 AM – 4 PM · Sat–Sun 9 AM – 5 PM · Closed Mon $40.25 Same MSW/recycling as Bow Lake HHW: paints, solvents, pesticides, automotive fluids, batteries, fluorescent tubes, propane (FREE, 30 gal limit)

MSW: $243.38/ton self-haul. HHW: FREE for KC residents (30 gal limit).Bellevue (13800 SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA 98005)
Mountlake Terrace (21311 61st Place West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043)

Snohomish County Southwest Transfer Station

MSW: $160/ton + tax. G-Certificated haulers: $149/ton. Unsecured load: $20. Snohomish County-operated — at $160/ton, this is $83/ton cheaper than King County self-haul ($243.38/ton) and $31/ton cheaper than KC contract hauler rate ($191.47/ton). For operators working the north side (Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline border), routing here instead of a KC station saves significant money. G-Certificated haulers pay $149/ton. Open 7 days a week. IMPORTANT: yard waste has been SUSPENDED since September 2022 — not accepted. Trailers over 18 feet restricted before 3:30 PM weekdays and 1 PM weekends. Credit/debit preferred, cash and check accepted. 7 days/week 7:00 AM – 4:30 PM $30 (covers up to 360 lbs) MSW C&D Recyclables

MSW: $160/ton + tax. G-Certificated haulers: $149/ton. Unsecured load: $20.Mountlake Terrace (21311 61st Place West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043)
West Seattle (3881 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106)

West Seattle Recycling (Scrap Metal)

Copper #1: $3.80–$4.30/lb. Copper #2: $3.70–$3.90/lb. Insulated wire: $2.70–$3.30/lb. Brass: $2.00–$3.25/lb. Aluminum cans: $0.24–$0.30/lb. Stainless: $0.17–$0.23/lb. Steel/iron: $0.02/lb (300+ lbs). At $243.38/ton disposal, every pound of metal diverted from the KC scale is worth more here than in almost any other metro. Print the online coupon for +3¢/lb bonus on aluminum, copper, and brass. Does NOT accept glass, plastic, TVs, computers, refrigerators, tires, or catalytic converters. For appliance recycling, Habitat for Humanity Store in Bellevue (13500 Bel-Red Rd) accepts working appliances 10 years or newer — free donation with potential pickup via Resupply partner. Mon–Sat 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM · Closed Sun No minimum — bring any amount Copper (#1, #2, insulated wire) Brass Aluminum cans Stainless steel

Copper #1: $3.80–$4.30/lb. Copper #2: $3.70–$3.90/lb. Insulated wire: $2.70–$3.30/lb. Brass: $2.00–$3.25/lb. Aluminum cans: $0.24–$0.30/lb. Stainless: $0.17–$0.23/lb. Steel/iron: $0.02/lb (300+ lbs).West Seattle (3881 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106)
Rules

Restrictions and paperwork

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Savings

Cost-saving playbook

At $243.38/ton, Seattle has the highest disposal costs in the continental US — making diversion the single most important margin lever. Every pound of yard waste separated ($114/ton savings), every pound of metal sold ($3.80+/lb for copper), and every load routed to Snohomish County ($83/ton savings) directly impacts profitability. ScaleYourJunk logs dump fees per job automatically so you can track your actual blended cost across KC and Snohomish facilities — and quantify exactly how much sorting and routing optimization saves per week.

01

Sorting

Separate yard waste from every load — at $129.38/ton versus $243.38/ton for garbage, yard waste separation saves $114/ton. On a 2-ton load with 30% green waste, that is approximately $68 saved per load. This is the single highest-ROI sorting activity in the Seattle market. Divert ALL metals to West Seattle Recycling or other scrap yards. At $243.38/ton disposal, even low-value steel at $0.02/lb generates net savings of approximately $0.24/lb ($0.02 scrap revenue + $0.22 avoided disposal). Copper at $3.80–$4.30/lb makes metal separation extraordinarily profitable in this market. Donate usable furniture and working appliances (10 years or newer) to Habitat for Humanity Store in Bellevue, Auburn, or Tukwila — free pickup via Resupply partner. Mattresses are NOT accepted. At KC rates, every 100 lbs donated saves approximately $12 in disposal fees.

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FAQ

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King County transfer stations charge $243.38 per ton for self-haul MSW in 2026, with a $40.25 minimum per vehicle. Contract haulers who qualify through KC Solid Waste Division pay $191.47 per ton. Snohomish County's Southwest Transfer Station charges $160 per ton with a $30 minimum. Yard waste at KC stations costs $129.38 per ton — 47% cheaper than garbage. Cardboard and scrap metal recycling is free at all KC stations. Fees are projected to exceed $413 per ton by 2034.

Snohomish County's Southwest Transfer Station in Mountlake Terrace charges $160 per ton — $83 per ton cheaper than King County's $243.38 self-haul rate. On a 2-ton load, that saves $166 per trip. Located at 21311 61st Place West, open 7 days a week from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM. G-Certificated haulers pay $149 per ton. Important: yard waste has been suspended since September 2022 — not accepted at this location. For yard waste, use King County stations at $129.38 per ton.

Bow Lake Recycling and Transfer Station in Tukwila operates 24 hours Monday through Thursday, closing briefly Friday at 11:30 PM and reopening Saturday at 8:30 AM. This is the only facility in the Seattle metro with overnight access — use it for early-morning or late-night dump runs. Weekend hours are 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM at all KC stations. Snohomish County operates 7 days from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Contract haulers pay $191.47 per ton versus $243.38 per ton self-haul — a $52 per ton savings. Contact King County Solid Waste Division at (206) 477-4466 to set up a waste charge account. You must prove eligibility by demonstrating you live or do business within KC's 37-city service area. The account also streamlines scale-house processing. At typical volumes for a junk removal business, the contract rate saves thousands per month.

King County transfer stations offer free recycling for cardboard, scrap metal, and yard waste (which is mandatory to separate from garbage since 2018). Factoria station also accepts household hazardous waste for free, including paints, solvents, batteries, and automotive fluids, up to 30 gallons. Electronics are NOT accepted at transfer stations — use Factoria HHW or Seattle HHW facilities. Latex paint goes to PaintCare drop-off locations for free. At $243.38 per ton, every pound recycled for free instead of disposed as garbage produces significant savings.

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$243/Ton — The Most Expensive Disposal Market in the Continental US

ScaleYourJunk logs disposal costs per job so you can quantify exactly how much sorting, metal diversion, and Snohomish County routing saves your operation each week.

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