The Solid Waste Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks reminds residents that an increase in the solid waste disposal fees goes into effect Jan. 1 to help cover rising costs while modernizing a half-century-old solid waste handling system.

An average residential customer who puts out one can of garbage per week for curbside collection is likely to see an increase of about 82 cents per month in the garbage bill from their hauler to cover the new disposal fees.

The new fee applies to residents of King County who pay for curbside collection service or who use a county transfer station and live outside the cities of Seattle and Milton, which are part of separate solid waste handling systems.

This is just the second increase in a dozen years, and King County’s disposal fee will remain lower than those in Seattle, Tacoma and Pierce County.

King County is in the midst of a modernization program that will update its 1960s-era network of transfer stations to meet the needs of residential self-haulers, businesses and garbage collection companies.

To date, the Vashon, Enumclaw and Shoreline transfer stations have all been renovated or replaced, while construction is well under way on an expanded Bow Lake transfer station.

Current plans are to next upgrade the Factoria Transfer Station once Bow Lake has been completed. Finally, the Algona, Renton and Houghton transfer stations will be closed and two new stations will be built in about 2018.

King County has cut $39 million in solid waste expenses over the past three years – through reduced staffing, changes to operating hours and other efficiencies. These steps were necessary because of an 18 percent reduction in tonnage and a subsequent decline in revenue.

King County operates eight transfer stations, two drop-boxes and the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill.

Learn more about the Solid Waste Division at www.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste.