Starting in early 2025, all single-family homes in Bellingham will begin receiving organic waste collection as part of their standard waste service. Adding this service allows Bellingham to reduce waste, lower climate emissions and meet future statewide requirements.
All Bellingham single-family customers of Sanitary Service Company (SSC) living in buildings with four units or less will receive the FoodPlus! organic waste management service. This service comes with a monthly fee, but there are options to manage and potentially reduce costs. Customers already receiving this service year-round will not be affected by the change. The new service will be rolled out one neighborhood at a time, and customers will be notified by SSC before their service begins.
The yellow-lidded FoodPlus! bins are 60 gallons and picked up every other week. Customers can place food scraps, food-soiled papers, yard waste and approved compostable packaging in their bins. Downloadable waste sorting guides are available with more information about what can be added to the bins.
SSC manages residential recycling and waste collection in Bellingham under a contract with the City of Bellingham. In February 2023, Bellingham City Council approved a resolution to add organics collection as a required service for all single-family homes. The resolution also included switching to a single-stream recycling system, which was implemented throughout 2024.
“These improvements to our solid waste collection, along with the City’s ban on single-use plastics, will result in a reduction in the City’s carbon emissions, higher values for our recyclable commodities, and higher quality compost,” Bellingham City Council President Dan Hammill said.
Organic waste, including food scraps and yard waste, makes up about 30% of Bellingham’s landfill waste. Diverting this waste for compost reduces climate emissions and turns the waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that helps plants grow. The FoodPlus! waste material, which is processed into compost locally in Whatcom County, also supports sustainable gardening and landscaping practices.
By requiring organic waste collection, Bellingham is getting a head start on meeting upcoming statewide requirements. In 2022 and 2024, Washington State passed two Organics Management Laws that set goals to divert 75% of organic material from landfills over the coming years. This program puts Bellingham ahead of the curve.
More than 40% of Bellingham residents already participate in the FoodPlus! service, and many have found it beneficial for reducing their overall waste disposal costs. Participating customers can often decrease their garbage collection frequency by diverting their organic waste through the service.
Please contact SSC for customer questions about waste collection services, pick-up frequency, rates and schedules. Find answers to frequently asked questions on the City’s website.
