Citizens also reminded to get garbage carts to the curb by 7 a.m.
Marlene Feist, Director of Strategic Development, Public Works & Utilities, (509) 625-6505
Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 12:15 p.m.
The City of Spokane will resume curbside yard and food waste pickup on Monday, Feb. 27. Additionally, Feb. 27 marks the beginning of new garbage routes that potentially will change pickup times for customers throughout the City. The City is asking residents to get their carts to the curb by 7 a.m. on garbage day to accommodate the changes.
All residential customers will continue to have the same pickup days for garbage, but trucks may arrive at different times than before. The City decided to revise its garbage routes after it moved its fleet to the new Spokane Central Service Center in the Chief Garry Park neighborhood. The City is eliminating five routes and making the remaining routes more uniform in size.
Meanwhile, the optional yard and food waste service runs from March through November. The 96-gallon green yard waste cart can be filled with all types of yard waste – grass, leaves, pine needles, pine cones, weeds, vines, thatch, plant trimmings, and small branches. Customers can even cut up and throw in the old Christmas tree that’s been parked in their yards for weeks.
Customers also can dispose of food scraps and food-soiled paper in the carts. Acceptable scraps include meat, poultry, fish, beans, dairy products, fruit, vegetables, breads, grains, pasta, eggshells, nutshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, and leftovers. Acceptable food-soiled papers include greasy pizza boxes, coffee filters, paper towels, paper napkins, uncoated paper plates and cups, paper egg and berry cartons, and paper grocery bags with food scraps.
Yard and food waste carts are collected on the same day as garbage and curbside recycling carts. The material is composted at a local facility. The cost of the service is $15.87 a month, with no charge when the service is suspended for winter. City of Spokane Solid Waste Collection customers can add the service by calling the City at 3-1-1.
Yard and food waste also can be recycled at the City’s Waste to Energy facility. The same yard and food waste materials are accepted year-round at the facility, which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
