You drag the cart to the curb. Truck shows up. Cart’s emptied. Then what?
The Path of Pierce County Trash
For most Pierce County residents, the routine cart goes through one of the county’s contracted haulers — usually LeMay (now Republic Services in some areas) or Murrey’s Disposal. From there:
- Transfer station. Carts get dumped at a regional transfer station — Tacoma has several, including the Tacoma Landfill and the Pierce County Transfer Station.
- Sorting (limited). Some materials get separated at the transfer station — large metal, obvious recyclables.
- Truck-out. From the transfer station, the bulk goes to a landfill. Pierce County’s primary landfill is the Hidden Valley Landfill in Spanaway, though some loads go to LRI Landfill (also Pierce) or regional sites further afield.
- Landfill. Compacted, layered with soil, eventually capped. Stays there essentially forever.
What Happens to Recyclables
The recycling cart goes to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Pierce County’s MRFs sort by:
- Paper and cardboard — baled and sold to mills
- Plastic (1, 2, 5) — baled, sold
- Aluminum and steel — separated by magnet and eddy current
- Glass — separated; markets are weak right now, often stockpiled or used as construction aggregate
Caveat: “wishcycling” — putting non-recyclable items in the recycling cart — contaminates loads and lowers the value of the whole bale. Plastic bags, food-contaminated cardboard, and “tanglers” (hoses, wire, etc.) cause problems.
Where Larger Junk Goes (Hoss Loads)
When Hoss picks up a load, we sort:
- Reusable → responsible disposal channels
- Metal → local scrap yards (Tacoma Scrap Iron, Schnitzer, etc.)
- E-waste → certified e-waste handlers (Washington’s free e-waste program)
- Refrigerant-bearing → certified appliance recyclers
- Construction debris → Pierce County transfer station for disposal
- General junk → transfer station → landfill
Only the last category genuinely “becomes trash.” Most of what we pick up gets a reuse.
The Cost of Trash
Pierce County landfill tipping fees are in the–the disposal rate range. Curbside service is subsidized by your monthly rate. The total cost of “disposal” is hidden in property taxes, utility bills, and environmental externalities.
What You Can Do
- Don’t wishcycle. Read the local recycling guide.
- Reuse first. If it’s still useful, sell it or set it aside for someone who can use it before the transfer station.
- Recycle metals separately. Scrap yards pay for it.
- Hire someone who sorts. Like us.
Call (253) 553-2978 when the junk piles up.