You have a heap of rocks in your yard. Or maybe those 20-year-old retaining wall blocks are past their prime. Either way, you’re stumped.
Maybe someone on Facebook Marketplace came and got the blocks, but nobody wanted the rocks or the pile of soil in the corner of the yard. So where do you take it?
Short of finding a contractor to remove it for you, landfills and recycling businesses are your best options. We did the research and found information about how to dispose of these materials in the City of Seattle and the five closest counties in the South Puget Sound region: King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston. Find your county (or city) in the next sections to learn more.
Where to Get Rid of Your Clean Sand, Soil, Rocks, Concrete, and Asphalt
Please note that city or county transfer stations require an ID and residency in that city or county.
City of Seattle
Small amounts of soil or sand can be thrown in garbage bins (but keep weight restrictions in mind). Or they can be taken to city transfer stations. Note that City of Seattle residents have to use city waste stations and cannot use King County waste stations.
Concrete and asphalt, on the other hand, can’t be thrown away or taken to city transfer stations. If the concrete and asphalt are mixed with other debris, they must go to the Mixed Waste Construction & Debris Recyclers.
Large amounts of clean sand, soil, rocks, concrete, and asphalt can be taken to vendors in King County. Check out the King County section below to get links to these vendors.
King County
Sand, Soil, or Rocks
King County’s Solid Waste Division provides a list of locations where you can take clean sand, soil, or rocks. Visit the Landscaping & Landclearing section of the Materials List webpage. Select “Clean soil,” “Clean sand,” and/or “Rocks,” then click the “View selected materials” button at the top of the checklist.
Or you can visit
Concrete or Asphalt
To find locations where you can dispose of concrete or asphalt, go to the Construction and Demolition Debris section of the Materials List page. Select “Concrete” and/or “Asphalt.” Then click the “View selected materials” button at the top of the checklist.
Or you can visit this webpage for concrete or this webpage for asphalt.
Also note that King County waste stations don’t serve City of Milton and City of Seattle residents. City of Milton residents have to use Pierce County waste stations, and City of Seattle residents have to use city transfer stations.
Kitsap County
Sand or Soil
Soil and sand have to be pre-approved by Waste Management. They can be then dumped at Olympic View Transfer Station.
To work on your pre-approval, you can create a waste profile at WMSolutions.com or call 1-800-963-4776.
Rocks, Concrete, or Asphalt
Rock, concrete, and asphalt can be recycled at several area businesses. Type “aggregate” into the Waste Wizard on the Solid Waste Division webpage to see a full list.
Concrete under 1 cubic foot in volume can also be disposed of at Kitsap County garbage facilities. A full list of garbage facilities is available when you type “aggregate” into the Waste Wizard and scroll to the “Concrete Garbage Drop Off” section at the bottom of the page.
Concrete waste over 1 cubic foot in volume must be taken to the Olympic View Transfer Station.
Pierce County
Sand or Soil
Randles Sand & Gravel in Puyallup and Dickson Demolition & Abatement in Tacoma accept clean dirt. Check out their websites for more information.
Pierce County doesn’t list resources for sand disposal on their website.
Rocks, Concrete, or Asphalt
Pierce County provides an active list of companies that accept rocks, concrete, and asphalt for recycling.
Snohomish County
Snohomish County keeps a running list on their Yard/Clean Wood Debris webpage of private businesses that accept clean sand, soil, concrete, and asphalt. Rocks are not mentioned, but you may wish to check with the businesses listed to see if they accept rocks.
Snohomish County waste stations accept up to one full wheelbarrow of clean sand, soil, concrete, and asphalt at local Drop Boxes. Larger quantities can be taken to Transfer Stations. Check out the Special Preparation Items section of the Waste Restrictions webpage for more details.
Thurston County
Thurston County has a “Where Do I Take My?” tool on the Garbage & Recycling section of their website. You can use it to find locations where you can dispose of various materials.
Clean sand, soil, rocks, concrete, and asphalt can be taken to area businesses, which you can find by typing in the material you want to dispose of in the “Where Do I Take My?” tool. Large quantities up to 8 cubic yards can be taken to Thurston County waste disposal facilities, including the Waste and Recovery Center (WARC), the Rainier Drop-Box Facility, and the Rochester Drop-Box Facility.
Small quantities of clean sand, soil, rocks, concrete, and asphalt can be placed in your garbage bin. Make sure to abide by weight restrictions.
Concrete Recyclers in Tumwater also accepts clean soil, concrete, and asphalt. Call in advance to make sure your materials will be accepted.
Where to Take Contaminated Materials
Contaminated materials may contain oil, fuel, or heavy metals. These materials can’t be recycled and need to be disposed of in special locations.
Find your county or city below to find out where to take materials. Please note that city or county transfer stations require an ID and residency in that city or county.
King County & City of Seattle
Contaminated Sand or Soil
Go to the Landscaping & Landclearing section of the Materials List page, then select “Contaminated sand” or “Contaminated soil.” Then click the “View selected materials” button at the top of the checklist. Or you can visit the webpage for contaminated soil or the webpage for contaminated sand.
Contaminated Concrete or Asphalt
For contaminated concrete and asphalt, call or email Teresa Dillashaw of the Special Waste division at Republic Services. Phone: 206-391-1386. Email: TDillashaw@republicservices.com. She can also handle contaminated sand and soil.
No information is specified about contaminated rocks.
Kitsap County
Contaminated sand, soil, concrete, and asphalt have to be pre-approved by WM Solutions and taken to the Olympic View Transfer Station. To work on your pre-approval, you can create a waste profile at WMSolutions.com or call 1-800-963-4776.
Find details under “Contaminated soil and sand” on the Commercial Garbage and Recycling Services webpage.
No information is specified about contaminated rocks.
Pierce County & City of Milton
To dispose of contaminated soil in Pierce County, you need an authorization form. This website has a list of disposal sites (at the bottom of the page).
No information is specified about contaminated sand, rocks, concrete, or asphalt.
Snohomish County
Check out the Contaminated Soils section of the Waste Restrictions section of the Snohomish County website.
No information is specified about contaminated sand, rocks, concrete, or asphalt.
Thurston County
For contaminated sand, soil, and rocks, residents must create a waste profile through Republic Services by calling them at 253-243-4629.
Contaminated sand, soil, and rocks can only be taken to the Waste and Recovery Center (WARC) by appointments made at least one business day in advance. To make an appointment, call the Solid Waste Info Line at 360-867-2491 ext. 0 during business hours. A Specially Handled Waste disposal fee applies.
No information is specified about contaminated concrete or asphalt.
Check out other helpful articles on our blog:
- “Clean v. Minus”
- “Comparing Crushed Rock Sizes & Types”
- “How Do I Make a Gravel Surface Wheelchair-Accessible?”
- “How Many Cubic Yards Do I Need?”
- “Should I Put Landscape Fabric Under Gravel?”
- “What are the Pros and Cons of Using Gravel Grids?”
- “What Does a Cubic Yard Look Like?”
Washington Rock Quarries is a family-owned business that produces rock, sand, and soil products at Kapowsin Quarry and King Creek Pit in Orting, Washington.