King County’s solid waste disposal fees will go up Jan. 1.
The disposal fee at King County solid waste facilities, when tax and surcharge are included, will increase from $129.40 per ton to $144.34 per ton and the minimum fee will increase from $22 to $24.25, according to a county media release. Even with the increase, the rates remain lower than rates charged at Seattle and Pierce County facilities.
The Metropolitan King County Council approved the new fees in September for 2017 and 2018. The county last raised rates in 2013.
Only garbage fees are increasing; fees for recyclable materials, the unsecured load fee and the moderate-risk waste surcharge are not changing at this time. The increase raises the monthly bill for the typical single-family curbside customer by 77 cents per month, or about 4 percent.
The new rate will primarily fund the increased cost of current services, including recycling programs, waste transfer and disposal, while enhancing operations at transfer stations and the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill.
The rate will allow the county’s Solid Waste Division to provide new recycling options at transfer stations aimed at recovering 42,000 additional tons of recyclable materials each year, saving room and extending the life of the landfill, and achieving environmental goals.
King County residents and businesses recycle 54 percent of all solid waste generated, yet 70 percent of what is landfilled could have been reused, recycled or composted.
The increased revenue will also help pay for the new Factoria Transfer Station under construction in Bellevue, and a new facility in south King County to replace the 1960s-era Algona station.
The new rate applies to residents of King County, outside of the cities of Seattle and Milton, which are part of separate solid waste handling systems.
King County operates eight transfer stations, two drop-boxes, the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, and many programs to help customers recycle. Learn more about the Solid Waste Division at kingcounty.gov/solidwaste.
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