Larger Recycling Carts Coming In June for Those Who Need More Room

Kirstin Davis, 509.625.7773


Friday, May 21, 2021 at 1:22 p.m.


Updated 02/14/2022

Larger, 96-gallon recycling carts will be delivered in June to residents who have determined they need more room to accommodate their recyclables as a result of the City of Spokane’s new every other week recycling collection schedule.

New, larger carts will be swapped for smaller ones during the first two weeks of June for those who have already requested a larger cart. As part of the switch to every other week recycling, customers were assigned to either the Week A or Week B schedule. Cart swaps will be scheduled for customers’ collection days on their recycling week.

Week A customers will get new carts between Tuesday, June 1, and Saturday, June 5. Remember, this week includes Memorial Day so garbage, yard waste and recycling will be a day late all week with regular Friday customers receiving service on Saturday, June 5.

Week B customers will receive the larger carts the week of June 7 on their regular recycling day.

“Recycling is an important part of the City’s solid waste collection and disposal system that stresses ‘reduce, reuse and recycle.’ The change to every other week recycling collection will allow the City to maintain a robust recycling program, while managing rising costs,” says Marlene Feist, the City’s Public Works Director.

Customers expecting a new cart should leave their smaller recycling carts at the curb after the recyclables are collected until the new cart arrives. If a new cart isn’t received by 5 p.m., please call or contact 3-1-1 online to report. The 3-1-1 call center is experiencing a large volume of calls and wait times are currently longer than normal. Residents are encouraged to use the online services system.

A third-party contractor will be delivering the carts. To make it easier for those workers, make sure your address is visible for the contractor to find you. For those with alley pick up service, please put a sign on your cart with your address on it.

The City’s Solid Waste Collections Department changed to every other week residential recycling collection on May 3. The change to every other week recycling will manage escalating costs for the recycling program without charging customers more. Customers who need a larger cart to manage their recyclables on the new schedule can call or contact 3-1-1 online to request a 96-gallon.

Residents can use the City’s online tool to find out when recycling will occur where they live. Recycling collection continues on the same day of the week, but is now done every other week. Garbage and clean green pickup remain on a weekly collection schedule.

Here is the 2021 calendar that shows the “Week A” and “Week B” recycling schedules through the end of the year. Postcards with a customer’s recycling week identified also were mailed.

As citizens get used to the switch in the recycling collection schedule, the City is encouraging people to think about “Recycling Right.” Here are a few easy steps to consider:

  • Only put in items that are empty, clean and dry. 
  • Make sure items are loose in the cart. 
  • Don’t guess about what goes in the cart.  If it isn’t on the list, don’t put it in the cart.