Yard waste at the Waste and Recovery Center
Put your yard waste to good use at the Thurston County Waste and
Recovery Center (WARC). Self-haulde yard waste brought to the center
is trucked off-site and turned into compost or fuel.
See WARC
rates, hours, and location.
Items accepted as self-hauled yard waste
- Garden trimmings and prunings
- Grass clippings (as fresh as possible)
- Leaves, needles, and cones (no dirt or rocks mixed in)
- Tree branches and cedar boughs (no size limit)
- Tree stumps and roots (no dirt or rocks mixed in;no stumps over 24 inches in diameter --
view other organizations that accept stumps)
- Beauty bark (no dirt or rocks mixed in)
- Untreated lumber (no paints or stains; nails are OK; no size limit)
- Plywood and particle board (no laminate/artificial wood surface glued to board)
Items NOT accepted as self-hauled yard waste
- No sod (may be disposed of at regular garbage rate of $119/ton)
- No dirt, rocks, gravel, and sludge
- No treated, painted, or stained lumber
- No petroleum-treated or contaminated products
- No manure
- No garbage, plastic, glass or metal
- No food or food-soiled paper—organics that are self-hauled to the WARC are taken to the woody debris area where food and
food-soiled paper can attract vermin and birds and cause serious odor problems. Food and food-soiled papers can be collected in
the curbside organics program because they are processed quickly in a different area.
Learn more about organics collection.
- No problem weeds such as knotweed,
Scotch broom, blackberry, or English ivy.
- No noxious weeds—you must pay to dispose of them as garbage. Certain noxious weeds qualify for free disposal.
Please contact Thurston County Noxious Weeds for more
information about noxious weeds.
Contact us
Call the Solid Waste Hotline at (360) 867-2491 or email ThurstonSolidWaste@co.thurston.wa.us.
Note: Although the WARC facilities are open on weekends and some holidays, staff are not available by phone or email on those days.
