North Transfer Station Features

The North Transfer Station was rebuilt as a modern and efficient state-of-the-art facility to meet the growing future needs of Seattle. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) worked with the community through a collaborative design process to create a facility with community amenities and sustainable features. 

Recycling and Reuse Building

The Recycling and Reuse Building is on the right as you enter the Transfer Station. Drive past the pay booths and turn right into the building. The operating hours are the same as the North Transfer Station.  

The North Transfer Station accepts the following items at no charge in the Recycling and Reuse Building.  Please bring only accepted items and review the list of items not accepted in the Recycling and Reuse Building.

Accepted Items:

• Bicycles (partnership with Bike Works)
• Flattened Cardboard
• Scrap Metal
• Motor Oil (only used motor oil and filters, no-cooking oil or oil contaminated with solvents or waste)
• Sharps (non-commercial syringes, needles, and lancets) NOTE: Sharps are not allowed at Household Hazardous Waste Locations
• Batteries (vehicle, rechargeable, alkaline, lithium, and button batteries accepted)
• Mixed Recycling (must be empty, clean, and dry):
  • Glass bottles & jars
  • Rigid plastics
  • Plastic containers
  • Cans
  • Paper  

Not Accepted Items: 

• Window Glass
• Mirror Glass
• Glassware
• Plastic Bags
• Styrofoam
• Foods
• Liquids
• Aerosol Cans
• Paint Cans
• Ceramics
• Bubble Wrap
• Shredded Paper 

Education and Viewing Room

The Education Room, located on the second floor of the North Transfer Station office building, overlooks daily operations on the "tipping floor" below. The room features interactive exhibits that answer questions about recycling and compost, a 10-foot by 5-foot scale model with toy cars to "drive" through the transfer station, a model compactor, photos of garbage collection over the past 100 years, and more.

The Education and Viewing Room is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is ADA-accessible. To ensure the it remains open to all, please follow the below guidelines:

• All children must be supervised by an adult.
• Please be gentle with exhibits, do not break or damage.
• No food or drink allowed.
• No birthday parties, large groups, or events. 

Station Features

• Art: Partnering with Seattle's Office of Arts and Culture One Percent for Art program, artist Jean Shin re-used salvaged reinforcing steel from the old North Recycle and Disposal Station to evoke the historic contours of the site.
• Energy: Photovoltaic solar panels on the station roof produce up to 150 kilowatts of electricity to be utilized on site, enough to power up to 120 single-family homes.
• Water: The station's green stormwater infrastructure includes green roofs and pervious pavement to reduce stormwater runoff.
• Capacity: On a typical day, the station will receive approximately 400 tons of various materials. The station is designed to handle up to 750 tons per day as Seattle’s population grows.
• Traffic: The new station now has two inbound and three outbound scales, long queuing lanes, and a larger tipping floor to accommodate over 50 vehicles in line on site and reduce traffic congestion in the neighborhood.
• Community: East of the new facility, SPU created an open space that not only buffers the adjacent neighbors from the station, but also includes a play area for children, a sports court, an open lawn, walkways, and static exercise stations.