Recology King County offers a residential curbside Special Item Recycling program for items that are not accepted inside your recycling container and are hard to properly dispose of otherwise.
Curbside Set-Out Instructions: Place items on top of, or next to your blue recycling cart on collection day. Service for special item recycling collection must be requested by the bill payer on record.
SPECIAL ITEMS FOR COLLECTION
- FLUORESCENT TUBES & BULBS
- MOTOR & COOKING OIL
- STYROFOAM
- TEXTILES
- SMALL APPLIANCES & ELECTRONICS
- BATTERIES
- USED BICYCLES & BIKE PARTS
- PROPANE
- HARDCOVER BOOKS
Fluorescent Tubes & Bulbs
Fluorescent lights contain small amounts of hazardous substances and must be recycled separately from all other recyclables. Please DO NOT put them inside your recycling cart.
Please follow the instructions below:
- Wrap tubes in several layers of newspaper.
- Put bulbs in a plastic bag tied closed (or zip style bag).
- Tubes longer than 4 feet will not be collected.
- Limit: 2 tubes/bulbs per collection, 10 bulbs per year
- Separate motor and cooking oil into different containers and remove any contaminants
- Sealed in leak-free, clear plastic jugs with screw-top lids
- Labeled with name and address
- Limit: 3 gallons per collection per type of oil
StyrofoamTM
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) blocks, such as picnic coolers and packaging used to protect new appliances should have all stickers and labels removed and be secured inside clear plastic bags.
“Insta-Paks” or Styrofoam™ packing peanuts not accepted.

Acceptable items include dry, clean clothing and household textiles (sheets, towels, table cloths, etc.) Place items in a clear plastic bag.
Small Appliances & Electronics
- Items must be 2’x2’x2′ or smaller and less than 60 lbs
- Place items on top of your blue recycling cart on your collection day
- Limit 3 items per pick-up
- Place button and alkaline batteries in a sealed plastic bag
- Place rechargeable batteries in a separated sealed plastic bag
- Tape ends of all batteries with clear packing tape
- Motor vehicle batteries are NOT accepted
- Limit 1/4 gallon per pickup
- All types of clean bikes and bike parts accepted
- Limit 3 bikes per dropoff
- Will no longer be accepted as of 1/1/2022
- Canisters must be empty, small, disposable, camping-style propane cylinders.
- Propane tanks not accepted
- Limit 3 items per pick-up