FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.
When should I put my garbage and recycling out?
In the city limits – by 6:00am
In the county – the night before
2.
Do you pick up on holidays?
YES! Please put your garbage and recycling out the NIGHT BEFORE as we usually come early.
3.
How can I pay my bill?
You have many options for bill payment:
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You can mail your bill stub and check payable to Nooksack Valley Disposal, PO Box 267, Lynden WA 98264.
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You can call our office to pay with a credit or debit card (3% fee with $3 minimum) 360-354-3400.
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You can drop off a cash or check payment at our office 250 Birch Bay-Lynden Road during office hours. Please bring your entire bill with you to the office.
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You can sign up for auto-pay which comes out of your checking account automatically on or around the 20th of the month in which you receive a bill. There is no charge for this service. The form is available on the front page of our website – print that form, fill it out, attach a voided check, and drop it off or mail it to our office. Or click here for link to form.
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To pay online, there is a green “Pay Bill” button in the upper right corner on the front page of our website. That will take you to a 3rd party called DOXO. You can pay with a debit or credit card for a fee or with a checking account. Please note that DOXO payments may take up to 3-5 business days for us to receive in our office. If you are having problems with DOXO, their customer service number is 206-319-0086.
4.
What should I do if my pick-up is missed?
If you miss your garbage or recycling collection, you are welcome to bring it to our self-serve Transfer Station – just check in with the office FIRST. Our address is 250 Birch Bay-Lynden Rd. Otherwise, you can wait until your next scheduled collection day.
5.
What if I have extra garbage or recycling?
Garbage: Our automated trucks are only able to dump what fits inside our blue garbage carts, so if you have extra garbage, you are welcome to bring it to our Transfer Station at 250 Birch Bay-Lynden Road for an additional charge. If you are on a once-monthly or every-other-week county garbage schedule, you may put out your garbage cart on your “off-week,” and we will pick it up for an additional fee that will appear on your next bill.
Recycling: Our recycle trucks and routes are designed to pick up commodities that fit into our recycle bins or other containers similar in size. For cardboard, we can pick up a 2’x3’x1’ stack curbside. If you have more recycling (but still just a “household” amount), you may bring it to the Transfer Station at no charge. If you have larger than “household” amounts, you may need to pay for the additional recycling. Please check-in at the office before dumping at the Transfer Station.
6.
I’m a residential customer - can I cancel my recycle service?
Whatcom County ordinance requires that anyone who has residential garbage service must also have recycling service provided to them, whether or not the service is used. It is listed separately on your bill so the county knows we provide recycling, but there is no way to remove it from your charges.
7.
How can I dispose of hazardous waste (paint, solvents, fluorescent light bulbs, etc.)?
We do not take anything liquid, toxic or hazardous. Please contact the Whatcom County Disposal of Toxics out by the Bellingham Airport 360-380-4640. If you have latex or water-based paint, you can add cat litter to make it a solid. Once it’s a solid, you may throw it away as garbage.
8.
What do I do if my equipment is lost or stolen?
All equipment is property of Nooksack Valley Disposal. If your garbage cart or recycle bins have been lost, stolen or damaged, you may receive new equipment for a replacement fee. Please call our office at 360-354-3400 to request equipment replacement.
9.
How do I dispose of appliances?
You may bring your appliances to our self-service Transfer Station at 250 Birch Bay-Lynden Road – check-in at the office FIRST. Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, water coolers (anything with Freon) are all $55 each. Stoves, ovens, washers, dryers, hot water tanks are all $10 each. Microwaves are $5 each. Dishwashers are mostly plastic and disposed of as garbage.
If you cannot transport an appliance to our location, call our office for information on our 354-JUNK service – either 360-354-3400 or 360-354-JUNK.
10.
Can I recycle scrap metal?
Yes, we have a metal recycle container at our Transfer Station. There may be a fee to recycle metal, so please check in at the office first.
11.
Who do I talk to about my bill?
Please call our office for any billing questions at 360-354-3400. Our business office is open Mon-Fri 8am – 4pm, except on major holidays.
12.
What are your hours?
Business office is open Monday–Friday, 8am–4pm
Transfer Station is self-serve Monday–Friday 8am–4pm & Saturday 9am–12pm
The Office and Transfer Station are closed on major holidays but the trucks still go out for collection.
13.
What restrictions are there for garbage & yard waste carts?
Carts have an 80 pound weight limit. Overweight carts can fall out of the arm of the truck and damage the truck and/or equipment and customers may be responsible for repair charges or equipment replacement.
NO CEMENT OF ANY KIND IN GARBAGE CARTS!! No bricks, sinks, toilets, metal wheels, large chunks of wood (ie: nothing thicker than 4” x 4” or any pieces longer than 2’), etc. These items cause damage to our trucks and customers may be responsible for repair charges.
Your service is based on the cart lid being closed, so if the cart is overfull and the lid is not completely shut, there may be additional charges on your next bill – OR – the driver may not dump it. If the cart lid is completely open, the driver will not dump it as the lid can break when we grab it with the arm of the truck. If there are items sticking out the top or out the side of the cart, we likely will not dump it as those items will not fit in the hopper of the truck.
For additional YARD WASTE restrictions and instructions, please see the Yard Waste Info Sheet under the Recycling Service tab on our website or click here.