Washington Your local field guide

Seattle

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34 item guides7 categoriesReviewed September 22, 2026

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Batteries & electronics

7 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Alkaline batteries	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Rechargeable batteries	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in? · What does the battery power?Read conditions before disposal.
Household batteries: check the label	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	Which chemistry or type is printed on the battery? · What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Lead-acid vehicle batteries	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound? · Which vehicle battery is it?Read conditions before disposal.
Computers and laptops	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is the device in?Read conditions before disposal.
Televisions and monitors	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is the device in?Read conditions before disposal.
Cellphones	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	What condition is the device in?Read conditions before disposal.

Paper & packaging

7 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Glass bottles and jars	Curbside recycling / Trash / Verify with the agency	Is it empty, clean, and dry? · What did the container hold?Read conditions before disposal.
Metal food and drink cans	Curbside recycling / Trash / Verify with the agency	Is it empty, clean, and dry? · What did the container hold?Read conditions before disposal.
Plastic bottles, tubs, and containers	Curbside recycling / Trash / Verify with the agency	Is it empty, clean, and dry? · What did the container hold?Read conditions before disposal.
Cardboard boxes	Curbside recycling / Food & yard / compost / Verify with the agency	What condition is the cardboard in?Read conditions before disposal.
Paper, newspapers, and magazines	Curbside recycling / Verify with the agency	Is this ordinary clean paper?Read conditions before disposal.
Plastic bags and wrap	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Foam packing blocks	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	What form of foam is it?Read conditions before disposal.

Clothing & textiles

1 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Clothes, shoes, and linens	Reuse / donation / Verify with the agency	What condition are the textiles in?Read conditions before disposal.

Home & furniture

3 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Large furniture	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	Does the item fit SPU’s bulky-item limits?Read conditions before disposal.
Mattresses and box springs	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	Does the item fit SPU’s bulky-item limits?Read conditions before disposal.
Refrigerators and freezers	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	Does the item fit SPU’s bulky-item limits? · Is it older CFC-containing equipment?Read conditions before disposal.

Paint & chemicals

9 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
House paint	Retailer take-back / Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Which paint type is on the label? · Is the product identified and the container sound?Read conditions before disposal.
Household pesticides	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound? · Is it a household product?Read conditions before disposal.
Hazard-labeled household cleaners	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound? · Does the label say Caution, Warning, Danger, or Poison?Read conditions before disposal.
Antifreeze	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound?Read conditions before disposal.
Liquid paint thinner	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound? · Is it liquid thinner without sludge or other mixed waste?Read conditions before disposal.
Propane and butane tanks	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound? · Is each tank at most 8 gallons, with no more than 5 tanks?Read conditions before disposal.
Unknown or unlabeled chemicals	Verify with the agency	Are there signs of immediate danger?Read conditions before disposal.
Aerosol cans with product left	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the product identified and the container sound? · Does product remain?Read conditions before disposal.
Used motor oil	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	Is this unmixed used oil?Read conditions before disposal.

Lighting

3 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Compact fluorescent bulbs	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the lamp intact?Read conditions before disposal.
Fluorescent tubes	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the lamp intact?Read conditions before disposal.
LED and incandescent bulbs	Trash / Verify with the agency	Can you identify the bulb type?Read conditions before disposal.

Food & yard

4 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Food scraps	Food & yard / compost	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Food-soiled paper and pizza boxes	Food & yard / compost / Verify with the agency	What is on the paper?Read conditions before disposal.
Leaves, grass, and yard trimmings	Food & yard / compost / Verify with the agency	What kind of yard material is it?Read conditions before disposal.
Used cooking oil	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	Is this unmixed used oil?Read conditions before disposal.

Coverage & limits

Household guidance only. Commercial waste, large cleanouts, unconfirmed city boundaries, and other collection services require agency verification.
The Where Does It Go HTML shell was accessible by an ordinary request on September 22, 2026. Its interactive inventory and a bulk-use license were not established; no hidden API or access-control workaround was used.
Individual retailer and charity locations are not certified here. Use the official program directory and confirm that location’s current conditions.
No special event dates are published. Facility details require rechecking after 30 days; rules after 90 days.
The Fire Department battery memo includes older general pickup information. Current SPU pickup terms control our pickup records; the memo is used only for its emergency and damaged-battery guidance.
The legacy Threadcycle link now redirects to a broader county textile directory. Individual provider acceptance is not certified, and county transfer-station textile bins exclude Seattle customers.

Full coverage notes →