Small quantities of household liquids such as cooking oils and beauty products are acceptable. SSC is unable to collect hazardous liquids such as pesticides, paints, thinners, solvents, fuels or cooking oils from businesses. Please contact the Disposal of Toxics at 360-380-4640 for safe disposal options or click here.

Commercial establishments can contact the following rendering services for disposal of cooking oils:

Darling International or 800-524-2401

J&S Rendering or 800-562-5058

Collection of burn barrels is classified as a special pick-up. We can only accept empty barrels (no ashes).

For burn barrels with material in them please contact the Northwest Clean Air Agency for instructions or call 800-622-4627.

SSC has many service and collection options available to our customers. Our routes are designed to provide the highest quality recycling and garbage collection service at the lowest possible cost. Each service has a different collection schedule, including every other week, monthly and weekly service. In order to ensure our customers receive the correct recycling and garbage collection calendar, we ask that you contact us and request a calendar at this time.You can also get collection information via your online account. To sign up click here.

Recycling and Garbage Service Questions

What if I lose my recycling bins or they are stolen?

Recycling bins remain the property of Sanitary Service Company, Inc. (SSC). Please do not take recycling bins, FoodPlus! Toters or garbage Toters with you if you move.

Please mark your address on your bins. A replacement fee will be charged for lost or stolen recycle bins. Customers are responsible for any theft, loss or damage in excess of normal use.

If any of your SSC containers are lost or stolen, please contact us to order replacements.

Rates are subject to change and are based on a variety of factors, including the location of your home or business. Please contact us or call 360-734-3490 for complete rate and service information. Thank you!

Preparing Materials For Disposal Or Recycling

How do I recycle compact fluorescents (CFL's)?

Fluorescent lighting, including regular tubes, compact tubes or bulbs (CFL’s), ballasts, High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, UV lamps and mercury-bearing devices, contain mercury and cannot be thrown in the trash.

Recycle all compact fluorescents (CFL’s) at SSC’s main office only. When recycling lighting products, please deliver intact and packaged to avoid breakage

(Tip: save original containers).

SSC - 1001 Roeder Avenue (corner F & Roeder).
A recycling collection box is located at this location. No charge. Items accepted during office hours only. Open weekdays 8AM-5PM. Closed major holidays. Please check in upon arrival and press red buzzer for assistance. (360) 734-3490 or ssc@ssc-inc.com

To recycle, or properly dispose of, other types of lighting, such as fluorescent tubes, ballasts, High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, UV lamps, and mercury-bearing devices, or for questions or more information about recycling and proper disposal options for lighting, check out these resources:

• Disposal of Toxics: (360) 380-4640 or
  http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publication/solidwaste/construction/toxics.jsp

• Puget Sound Energy (PSE):
  http://www.pse.com/solutions/foryourhome/pages/rebatesOnLighting.aspx?tab=5&chapter=1

SSC accepts used motor oil ONLY for recycling. Please do not mix with anything else.

Store in a one gallon (or smaller), sealed, non-breakable container. Clean plastic milk or water jugs work great. Do not use bleach, detergent, or antifreeze containers. Screw on threaded lids tightly. Seal “pop top” style lids with duct tape. Mark container "Oil." Set next to recycling bins (residential) or recycling Toters® (multi-family) for collection. Commercial customers should contact us for options.

Oil & Water Don’t Mix – Separating Oil from Water

1.  Let the oil/water mix stand. The oil will float to the top.
2.  Pour off oil into an approved container (see above). Seal and label as instructed above.
3. Soak up any contaminated water and dispose of in the garbage.

Used motor oil is also accepted for recycling at our Cedarville Transfer Station and Birch Bay Transfer Station. For hours and directions, click here.

For questions or more information please contact us .

Used motor oil accepted in SSC's recycling programs is collected by Thermo Fluids of Sumner, WA. More info about Thermo Fluids at http://www.thermofluids.com/

General purpose alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, etc.) are no longer very toxic and can be thrown away with your regular garbage.

Rechargeable batteries (Ni-Cad, etc.) are accepted for recycling at many electronic stores.

SSC accepts unbroken car, truck, motorcycle and boat batteries for recycling. Please store in a box or bag and set beside your recycling bins or recycling Toter. Leave battery caps on. Batteries are also accepted and at our transfer station recycling centers. For a location click here . For cracked or damaged batteries contact Disposal of Toxics at 360-380-4640 for options.

The following plastic containers can be recycled in our residential and commercial CURBSIDE recycling programs:

Bottles, Jugs, Caps & Rings

Cups, Jars, Tubs, Pails, Buckets & Lids

(max. bucket size for curbside pick-up is 1 gal. with metal handles removed)

All colors and numbers. Labels OK.

Remove lids and caps. Rinse CLEAN and recycle loose or nested together. FLATTEN bottles.

Recycle plastic containers used for these types of products:

Beverages, dairy products, deli foods, sauces/condiments, cooking oils, soaps, detergents, cleaners (kitchen, laundry & garage), snack foods, frozen foods, storage/freezer containers, hair/body care, health/medicine, single-serve cold beverage cups/lids, hot beverage lids, caps and rings.

NO plastic pumps, Styrofoam, tableware/utensils, toys, foam rubber, insulation or any plastic containers that held potentially hazardous materials.

Please contact us about opportunities for recycling larger quantities or other types of plastics such as buckets larger than 1 gallon, pipe, film plastics, agricultural plastics and plant pots/planters/trays, hinged plastics and blister-type plastic packaging.

These items are recyclable, but are not accepted through our curbside recycling program. They are accepted for recycling at our Bellingham Transfer Station & Recycle Center ONLY located at 1001 Roeder Avenue (corner F & Roeder). Hours are Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM. Closed most major holidays. Small fee charged. Please contact us for current rates or questions.

Reminder: these items are NOT accepted through our curbside recycling programs or at any of our other Transfer Stations.

Please brush pots and trays clean and nest together.

Some local nurseries, garden centers and home improvement stores also accept plastic plant pots and trays for recycling.

Yes, SSC accepts film plastics including bags, film, wrap, tarps and sheeting at our Bellingham Recycling Center/Transfer Station ONLY.

IMPORTANT!  These plastic items are not accepted through our residential curbside recycling program. They are only accepted for recycling at the Bellingham Recycling Center/Transfer Station, located at 1001 Roeder Avenue (Corner F & Roeder).  Hours are Monday – Friday 8AM – 5PM. Closed most major holidays. Click here for more info. 

Commercial customers with larger quantities of these items that may be interested in routed collection options should contact Rodd Pemble, Recycling Manager at rodd@ssc-inc.com or 360-734-3490. Click here for info on our commercial services for recycling plastics.

Film plastics accepted for recycling include CLEAN:

• Bags (grocery, newspaper, produce, bakery, deli, dry cleaner, garden, shipping, mail order, storage/freezer, frozen food, etc.)
• Film/Wrap (food wrap, magazine/mail, bubblewrap, poly sheeting/Visqueen, painter’s drop sheets, pallet wrap, etc.)
• Tarps - please cut out metal grommets
• Commercial/Construction – (insulation bags, lumber wrap w/o paper backing, “Super Sacks”, sileage bags, etc.).  Commercial customers with larger quantities should contact SSC at 360-734-3490 for routed collection options.

All types and colors accepted.  Material must be clean.  NO Styrofoam™ or thin foam sheets!  Recommendation: compact (in can or plastic sack) to save money.  Small recycling fee applies.  Contact SSC at 360-734-3490 or ssc@ssc-inc.com for rates or questions. 

Yes. Shredded paper is accepted for recycling. Please bag all shredded paper in a paper bag, then tape shut with a bit of masking tape to prevent it from blowing. Lay sideways in your recycling bin. Place a rock, brick or another recycling bin on top to help prevent wind-blown litter. For more info click here or contact us at (360) 734-3490 or ssc@ssc-inc.com .

SSC also offers confidential data shredding – mobile on-site or drop-off at our Bellingham Recycling Center & Transfer Station located at 1001 Roeder Avenue (corner F & Roeder). For more info click here or contact us at (360) 734-3490 or ssc@ssc-inc.com .

Account Management, Billing & Payment Questions

Can I cancel or put a hold on my service?

Yes. Feel free to adjust your service at any time via your online account or by contacting us. You can put a HOLD on service(s) if you are going away on vacation (min. one month). There is no charge for stopping or starting service.

Charges for extras may be the result of any of the situations listed below. These charges appear on your account in the form of equivalent 30 gallon cans. Extra charges are for each can, per pick-up. Charges for extras may be the results of any of the following:

• Capacity
• Overweight container(s) due to heavy materials.
• Extra bag(s), box(es) or can(s) other than your regular garbage container.
• Special pick-up of containers (non-scheduled collection).

We offer a number of ways to pay your bill.

Auto Pay Plan (check or savings account or credit card)

To sign up for auto pay click here to register online or download an enrollment form.

Online Bill Pay (one-time or recurring payments, deposits)

To pay your bill online, click here to register and manage your account online. Please note: you will want a copy of your most recent SSC bill when registering. You will need your account number and invoice number to sign up. You can find these in the upper left corner of your bill.

For a complete list of all payment locations and account payment options, please click here.

We accept cash (US Dollars), check, debit, VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

To register for our online bill pay option, or to manage your account online, you will need the most recent copy of your SSC bill (dated 9/30/11 or later). The invoice number (and your account number) can be found in the upper left corner.

Electronics (E-Waste) Recycling Questions

What types of electronic items (e-waste) are accepted?

SSC accepts a wide range of electronic products (e-waste) from computers and copiers to TV's and VCR/DVD players. Residential customers click here for detailed lists of what is accepted and fees. All items collected are responsibly recycled or reused.

There are several recycling options for residential and commercial customers:

Curbside Unplugged

Available to City of Bellingham residential and commercial customers (inside city limits) and commercial Toter(TM) recycling customers outside the city limits. See additional questions in this FAQ section that detail how to recycle electronics at the curb. Customers may have a quantity limit per pick-up due to limited truck space. There is no limit on number of pick-ups scheduled however, so customers with larger amounts of items could schedule pick-ups several weeks in a row.

SSC commercial customers outside city limits with our stacking bin recycling service or for those without any recycling service can schedule a special pick-up of electronics. Same recycling fees apply, plus truck time charge.

Special Pick-up

Available to all customers with larger quantities of items or for those that do not want to haul items themselves to our drop-off center. Special Pick-ups must be scheduled and all materials are collected at one time. Same recycling fees apply, plus truck time charge for this option.

Contact us ssc@ssc-inc.com or call (360) 734-3490 to schedule curbside or Special Pick-up. You must schedule a pick-up for curbside collection and obtain an SSC Work Order number. Please do not set electronics at the curb before your assigned date.

Drop-Off

Available to anyone. Drop off location is at the SSC F& Reoder Recycling Center and Transfer Station located at 1001 Roeder Avenue. Hours are Monday - Friday from 8AM - 5PM. Check in near office. Press buzzer at door to left for assistance. Cash, check, debit and major credit cards accepted or charge it to your SSC account. 

For items that are still working, consider donating them to a local charity. 

Our recycling trucks can accept an item (or items in a box) no larger than 20"L x 20"W x 20"H. Electronic items are stowed on racks on the underside of recycling trucks. We appreciate your patience should our truck be full and you have to wait a week or more for pick-up of your electronic item(s).

Large TV's, computer monitors and photocopiers that are over 20"x20"x20" can be recycled via our Special Pick-Up service or by visiting our Bellingham (F&Roeder) Recycling Center and Transfer Station at 1001 Roeder Avenue. Drop-off fees are same as curbside fees. Hours are Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM.

To schedule a Special Pick-Up call (360) 734-3490 or email ssc@ssc-inc.com. Same fees apply, plus truck time charge.

Once you have a pick-up date scheduled, clearly write your SSC Work Order number on a piece of tape and tape to each item or mark directly on each item.

For Category C items (smaller items that will be placed at the curb in a box), please write SSC Work Order number on box. Place box next to your curbside bins on assigned day. Charge(s) will appear on your next bill. No limit on pick-ups. For questions, please contact us at ssc@ssc-inc.com or 360-734-3490.

Mobile Data Shredding Questions

Do I need to remove staples, paper clips and other fasteners?

No.  Our state-of-the-art shred truck can handle these light metals, saving you valuable time.  We do ask that you remove material from ringed binders if you would like the load to be recycled.

No.  Just contact us to schedule service – 360-734-3490 or by email .

Shredded paper is recycled through Northwest Recycling (NWR) – another locally-owned and family-operated business. The paper is baled and shipped to mills regionally and overseas for manufacture into new paper products.

The paper that we shred is recycled so Washington state sales tax does not apply.

Holiday Service and Collection Questions

Does SSC pick-up on holidays?

Yes. SSC crews work all holidays that fall on weekdays. If you regular collection day falls on a holiday, please set out garbage, recycling and/or FoodPlus! (if you subscribe to this service) the night before, or by no later than 6:30AM on your collection day.

Note: Our trucks may be by a bit earlier than usual on holidays due to lighter traffic. Please make sure to have your containers out so we don't miss your pick-up!

For information about seasonal, celebratory or other holiday items accepted in the FoodPlus! program, click here.

Our offices and recycle centers/transfer stations are closed most major holidays. 

Many types of holiday packaging and other seasonal items are recyclable or accepted in our FoodPlus! program, including:

Curbside Recycling—YES, please recycle in your Scrap Paper (white) bin:

• Wrapping paper—No foiled paper please
  
• Paper gift bags—Please remove handles
• Product packaging including paper stuffing, inserts, wraps, boxes, etc.
• Gift wrap cardboard tubes
• All cards, tags and envelopes regardless of how much extra material, like glitter, is on them.