Solid Waste & Recycling

The Benton County Solid Waste program is managed by the Benton County Road Department and run in accordance with the Benton County Solid Waste Plan and with the advice of the Benton County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC). The program is operated on a county-wide basis, though it functions in conjunction with activities managed by individual cities in Benton County (please see the Interlocal Agency Agreements section). The solid waste program is funded through county taxes, as well as a coordinated prevention grant (CPG) offered by the Washington State Department of Ecology. We appreciate your desire to dispose of waste in a responsible manner, and we want to do what we can to provide you with the knowledge and tools to do just that.

What is "hazardous waste"?

Hazardous waste is anything that (1) might cause harm or damage if handled incorrectly, such as mercury or certain cleaners; or (2) might leach into the water table if put into our landfills, such as liquid fertilizers, some liquid cleaners, antifreeze, and used oil. Some waste is too dangerous for Benton County's Moderate Risk Waste Facility. These include, but are not limited to, ammunition, radioactive materials, and asbestos. Such waste will need specialized handling. You should contact a company who is licensed and trained in their handling.

Even more questions are answered on our FAQ's page.

City Garbage & Recycling

Each city manages their own garbage and recycling services while Benton County manages Household Hazardous Waste services for all cities within Benton County. Below you will find links to the garbage/recycling pages for each city:

• City of Richland
• City of Kennewick
• City of Prosser
• City of West Richland
• City of Benton City

Moderate Risk Waste Facility (MRWF)

The reconstruction of the County’s maintenance shop, at 1709 s Ely Street in Kennewick to convert into a Moderate Risk Waste Facility (MRWF) has been completed. The last major construction project for the facility was an upgraded ventilation system that can appropriately handle the storage of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and was completed in the fall of 2024.

After the completion of the ventilation system, Benton County Solid Waste applied for a permit with Ben Franklin Health District to open and operate the facility to the public.

Business hours for the facility are Wednesday through Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Public drop-off of MRW may be suspended during times of normal operation for the preparation and loading of MRW for transportation. Days and hours of operation are determined by the County and may be revised as needed at the discretion of the Public Works Manager.

Proper signage and striping are used to direct traffic flow, efficient unloading of vehicles and for site safety and include the following:

• Pavement directional arrows for proper traffic flow.
• Stop sign at the site exit and at drop-off lanes within the facility grounds.
• Materials accepted signs for customer and staff reference near the MRW unloading areas.