Solid Waste Group
The City created a Solid Waste Group in the Public Works Department in May 2022 to address the recognized need for more focused attention on solid waste management. The Solid Waste Group is dedicated to upholding Bellingham’s natural beauty by addressing environmental safety and health concerns, water quality hazards, right-of-way obstructions, code compliance issues, and more. We achieve this through waste prevention, waste disposal, and resource recovery. We believe in the promotion of solid waste management best practices through education and development of partnerships with the public.

Waste Prevention
The Solid Waste Group implements and coordinates programs to reduce the amount of solid waste generated in Bellingham, including:
Waste Disposal
The Solid Waste Group removes waste from property owned and managed by the City, such as City rights-of-way (ROW), Parks property, and City habitat restoration sites. Waste issues on public property can be reported using SeeClickFix. This work allows us to protect our greenways and waterways from contamination, benefitting human and environmental health.
Resource Recovery
In areas where Solid Waste Group staff have removed waste, we make efforts to recover the area by using site stabilization techniques and temporary barriers to prevent further damage to vegetation. We coordinate with the City’s Habitat Restoration program and Parks Department when working on City-owned property.

Report an Issue
There are a variety of ways to report an issue on public property depending on what type of issue you are reporting.
- Report waste issues on public property using SeeClickFix.
- Report unauthorized encampments.
- Report abandoned vehicles.
The City does not manage waste on private property. Waste issues on private property are the property owner’s responsibility.
Resources
Contact
For more information, please contact the Bellingham Public Works Department.