Northwest Clean Air Agency

The program is available to single-family households in the following Skagit County zip codes:

• Lyman, 98263
• Hamilton, 98255
• Rockport, 98283
• Marblemount, 98267
• Concrete, 98237 (excluding the Town of Concrete)

Existing WM customers are not eligible. The offer is limited to the first 160 new customers who sign up.

The City of Concrete was unfortunately not able to be part of this pilot program due to complexities related to having their own contract with Waste Management. However, if this pilot is successful, there is a possibility we will be able to bring this program to the City of Concrete in the future.  We appreciate your interest.  If you would like to be informed should the program be expanded in the future, please send an e-mail with your contact information to [email protected].

You have 2 options to choose from for the 6-month trial:

• One 35-gallon garbage cart emptied weekly
• One 35-gallon garbage cart emptied every other week

Below are the recommended options depending on the size of your household and the amount of trash you typically have each week:

Evelyn is standing by WM carts so that you can get a good sense of the size of a 35-gallon cart and the amount that will fit inside.

Yes. There are only two options available during the trial period, but afterward you can change to any service level available from WM.

Once you complete the application form, you can expect to receive your garbage cart at your home within 7 business days on the day noted in the chart below for your zip code. Your first pickup service will begin one week later.

During your 6-month free trial period, participants should call Northwest Clean Air Agency at 360-395-9926 or email [email protected] with any questions or concerns about the program or service. To check your collection day or look for alerts about changes to collection due to holidays or weather, visit the WM Skagit County website.

If you are planning to move during the 6-month trial, please call the Northwest Clean Air Agency at 360-395-9926. Your service will be discontinued and your 6-month free trial will be terminated.

If participants need to change service level during their 6-month trial, they should call Northwest Clean Air Agency at 360-395-9926. The only two options available during the 6-month trial are to have a 35-gallon garbage cart picked up weekly or picked up every other week. After the 6-month trial period, participants can change to whatever service level will work best for them.

No. During your 6-month period of free service, you will be limited to:

• No more than 65 pounds of trash per 35-gallon cart.
• No extra garbage that does not fit in your garbage container with the lid closed.
• No bulky items like mattresses, appliances, console televisions, furniture or building materials.
• No hazardous waste such as paint and stains, antifreeze, fluorescent light bulbs, used motor oil,vehicle batteries or aerosol sprays.

More information.

No. Curbside recycling service is not available to households in the program area. If you would like to recycle and reduce your trash volume, you can bring your recyclable materials to the Sauk Recycling and Transfer Station free of charge:
Sauk Recycling & Transfer Station
(No construction/demolition debris accepted)
50796 State Route 20, Concrete
360-853-8810
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

No. Yard waste collection service is not available to households in the program area. Skagit County residents can drop off yard waste for a fee at the Sedro-Woolley Yard Waste Facility, Skagit County Recycling & Transfer Station, or at Skagit Soils (a commercial composting facility).

Place your garbage cart as close as possible to the curb or roadside and at least 3 feet from cars, trees, mailboxes and fences. The cart lid should open toward the street. Please remove all carts and containers from the street as soon as possible after collection.

Place your garbage cart out by 6 a.m. on your service collection day.

If you did not put your cart curbside prior to your pickup day/time, you will not receive service that week and there is no credit provided. If you miss your service day, you cannot put out double the garbage the following week. If so, the driver will not be able to take the extra garbage.

If you are not able to put out your cart on your collection day, you will have to wait until the next pickup day (either the following week or in two weeks depending on your service level) to have your trash collected.

Garbage will not be collected on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day (Dec. 25), and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1). All other holidays will not affect your collection schedule. Weekday holidays will delay collection for customers by one day for the remainder of the week. For example, if a holiday falls on a Thursday, Thursday customers will be collected on Friday and Friday customers will be collected on Saturday.

If there is inclement weather, your garbage collection service could be affected. Please check the WM Skagit County website for alerts about any changes to collection due to weather conditions. WM posts updates early in the morning and will provide details regarding service delays.

No. You may only use the cart provided to you by WM for your garbage.

If your cart is stolen or damaged during your 6-month trial period, please contact Northwest Clean Air Agency at 360-395-9926.

Check the WM website for the most current service rates for your area.

If you decide not to continue with your curbside trash pickup, you will need to opt out of continuing service forty-five (45) days prior to the end of your 6-month free trial by calling Northwest Clean Air Agency at 360-395-9926 or emailing [email protected]. Otherwise, after the trial period ends, the account will be transferred to you and WM will bill you quarterly for ongoing garbage collection service. You can find your opt-out deadline in your welcome letter, or in a letter Northwest Clean Air Agency will be sending prior to your deadline. If you choose to discontinue, your service will be cancelled after your 6-month trial period ends and you will not be billed moving forward.

Burning trash, even just mail, can release harmful chemicals into the air that can impact the health of your family and community. It can also increase the risk of starting a wildfire. By switching to curbside garbage service, you can avoid pollution, and have a more convenient way to dispose of your trash. If you currently drop off garbage at a transfer station, you might also be able to save money by switching to curbside pick-up.

The Northwest Clean Air Agency (NWCAA) is funding this project to help reduce the residential burning of garbage upriver in Skagit County. Burning trash releases toxins into the air that cause pollution, impact human and animal health, and increase the risk of wildfires. To help protect the health of the Skagit County community, this program is giving residents a chance to try curbside garbage collection service for free for 6 months.