All SSC customers will transition to single-stream recycling by spring 2026
by Tori Lehman
Two years after Bellingham transitioned to single-stream recycling, Sanitary Service Company (SSC) customers across Whatcom County will follow suit. The transition will see customers in residential lots of four units or fewer ditch their multicolored bins for three 96-gallon toters for garbage, recyclables and composting by the end of spring 2026.
A composting, garbage and recycling bin sit in a yard at a house in the Columbia Neighborhood in Bellingham, WA., Spring, 2026.
The transition began in 2023 as costs for waste and recycling disposal continue to rise and Whatcom County works to enforce waste reduction and climate emission goals. Single-stream recycling can help improve customers’ participation in recycling, and composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions by diverging organic waste away from landfills.
“The cost of recycling has been ever increasing,” Jennifer Hayden, an environmental health supervisor with the Whatcom County Health Department, said. “Switching from the three bins to single stream cut down labor costs, truck fuel costs and trucks on the road.”
Increase in Recycling Participation
Bellingham has seen an improvement in recycling participation since single-stream was implemented. The recycling rates within the city have increased from 46 percent in 2024 to 55 percent in 2025, according to Stefanie Cilinceon, communications and outreach coordinator with the City of Bellingham. Collection workers within the city of Bellingham are able to use fewer trucks and drive fewer miles with single-stream collection.
Bellingham residents have also seen an increase in cost on their garbage bills. In February 2025, the Solid Waste Utility Tax increased by 5.75 percent. This increase helps fund cleanup sites along Bellingham’s waterfront, like the R.G. Haley and Cornwall cleanup in preparation for the development of Salish Landing Park. (1) This tax is on residents’ bills only within Bellingham city limits.
For all Whatcom residents serviced by SSC, an added composting charge will show on their bill. This charge varies in cost depending on location. While some residents are frustrated by the increased costs, Bellingham resident Rhys Buchthal says the cost is minor in comparison to the benefits of the program.
“I think that $14 to $20 [for composting] is totally manageable,” Buchthal said. “Especially for compost items, instead of having them rot in a trash or waste field and not getting properly disposed of.”
Higher Costs Possible in County
Residents in more rural areas of the county may see a higher cost than Bellingham city residents due to less efficient truck routes.
“With rural garbage collection, your route is not going to fill up your truck. So you’re going to be inefficient in your use of resources, therefore you’re going to charge more.” David Tonjes, a retired professor from Stony Brook University who researched solid waste management, said.
This increased cost cannot be directly attributed to single-stream recycling, but will still be felt by Whatcom residents as new charges for composting appear on their bills.
Low-income Bellingham households are eligible to apply for discounted utility rates, and Bellingham lots with two, three, or four units may also combine their waste collection services to reduce the number of bins at their houses and costs (2). County residents outside of Bellingham can decrease their waste collection frequency to lower costs.
“For the most part, people seem really happy with the convenience of the single bin,” Hayden said.
Quality of Recyclables
While convenience improves participation rates, concerns still linger about the quality of recyclables.
“I might be a little bit too harsh on the public, but I think it’s a lazy system,” Buchthal said. “It seems more of a cost effective choice for the city versus something that is actually beneficial.”
The environmental outcome of single-stream recycling compared to dual-stream is difficult to measure. Multiple factors vary by community.
Dual-stream recycling can result in more recoverable material because cardboard does not get contaminated by liquids left in containers, but also requires more collection trucks which release more emissions. Communities may be putting their recycling bins out more frequently with single-stream, but now put more non-recyclables into the stream. Composting programs divert organic matter from landfills to create fertilizer, but many residents do not participate.
“What I would put in that bin, I just put in my garden,” Buchthal said.
According to Tonjes, increased education on recycling often doesn’t increase the quality of recyclables or participation. Residents who are not participating in composting or recycling programs are unlikely to start participating, even after education on benefits.
“There was no change seen with the people who don’t recycle,” Tonjes said. “But I suppose if you’re not recycling, it’s going to be difficult to change your mind about that.”
Regardless, the City of Bellingham and SSC provide resources to assist customers with recycling and waste disposal. According to Cilinceon, SSC customers have received informational emails, postcards and flyers during the transition. SSC also provides a searchable guide on their website to help customers figure out how to dispose of their trash. (3)
“I think the biggest change is making people care about [recycling],” Buchthal said. “I don’t know if that’s going to change overnight.”
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Tori Lehman is a fourth year environmental journalism major at Western Washington University and spring intern at Whatcom Watch. When she’s not reporting, she’s found bird watching in her yard or strolling through downtown Bellingham.
References:
- https://whatcomwatch.org/index.php/article/construction-of-salish-landing-park/
- https://cob.org/services/utilities/reduced-rates
- https://ssc-inc.com/wastewise-guide/
