Sanitary Service

What Sanitary Service does

Sanitary Service Company, Inc. (SSC) is a privately held, family-owned waste management company founded in 1929 and headquartered in Bellingham, Washington. It operates as the largest full-service garbage and recycling collection provider in Whatcom County, serving 50,000-plus residential and commercial customers across Bellingham, Ferndale, Birch Bay, Blaine, and unincorporated Whatcom County with a fleet of 90-plus employees. The core product portfolio is organized around three recurring collection services — residential and commercial garbage pickup, curbside recycling (now single-stream), and the FoodPlus! Yardwaste organics program (composted in partnership with Cascade Compost & Soil) — supported by a suite of ancillary services including dumpster/drop box rentals (1–40 yards), junk hauling, storage container rentals, on-site mobile shredding, event and jobsite waste management, and three self-service transfer stations.

Revenue is generated primarily through subscription/recurring monthly fees for curbside services, supplemented by transaction fees for one-time junk hauling and transfer station drop-offs, and quote-based pricing for commercial accounts. Rates are reviewed and approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) outside the cities of Bellingham and Ferndale. The company operates a biodiesel and CNG-powered fleet (the largest alternative-fuel fleet in the county per its own claim), holds 5-Star EnviroStars Tier 3 Champion certification, runs on 100% renewable electricity via PSE's Green Power program, and distributes services through direct curbside routes, commercial account management, three transfer stations, an online self-service portal, a ReCollect-powered mobile app, and phone/email support. Distribution is exclusively domestic within Whatcom County; the company has no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company.

Name

Sanitary Service

Legal name

Sanitary Service Company, Inc.

Website

https://ssc-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sanitary Service Company is a family-owned, Bellingham-based waste management firm founded in 1929 and the largest full-service garbage, recycling, and organics collection provider in Whatcom County, serving 50,000-plus residential and commercial customers with an alternative-fuel fleet and three transfer stations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solid Waste Collection Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Curbside MSW Collection (BPALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Source-Separated Organics (SSO) Collection & Hauling (EUAIAEAA), Source-Separated Organics (SSO) Collection & Hauling (Food/Yard) (BPALAEAA), Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE), Bulky Item & White Goods Collection (EUAIAAAH)

Keywords

• Waste collection services
• Recycling collection
• Organic waste collection
• Solid waste hauling
• Junk removal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Recurring Garbage Collection: Regular curbside garbage pickup services for residential and commercial customers with various container sizes and frequencies (weekly, every other week, monthly).
2. Recycling Collection Services: Curbside recycling collection included with garbage service or as standalone. Single-stream recycling rollout for residential customers.
3. FoodPlus! Yardwaste Collection: Every-other-week organic waste collection (food scraps, yard waste, compostable packaging) for Bellingham single-family homes and other areas.
4. Dumpster & Drop Box Rentals: Temporary container rentals for residential and commercial projects. Sizes range from 1-yard to 40-yard dumpsters and drop boxes.
5. Junk Hauling: One-time junk and bulky item pickup services for residential and commercial customers with no minimum charge.
6. Storage Container Rentals: Secure, all-steel storage containers for short or long-term use delivered to customer locations.
7. Shredding Services: On-site mobile shredding services for commercial customers with certificate of destruction, available weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or as-needed.
8. Transfer Station Drop-offs: Drop box facilities accepting household garbage and recyclables from county residents with per-disposal fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sanitary Service Company (SSC) provides curbside garbage, recycling, and organics (FoodPlus! Yardwaste) collection services to residential and commercial customers in Whatcom County, Washington. The company supplements these recurring services with temporary dumpster/drop box rentals, junk hauling, storage container rentals, commercial shredding, event and jobsite waste management, and three self-service transfer station drop-off facilities.

Product overview

Sanitary Service Company (SSC) is a locally owned waste management company serving Whatcom County since 1929, operating as a full-service garbage, recycling, and organics collection provider. The portfolio is organized around three core recurring collection services — Residential Garbage Collection, Residential Recycling Collection (now single-stream), and FoodPlus! Yardwaste Collection (organic waste/composting) — which are offered to both residential and commercial customers. Supporting these core services are a suite of temporary and specialized offerings: residential and commercial dumpster/drop box rentals, junk hauling services, storage container rentals, commercial event services, jobsite services, and shredding services. SSC also operates three transfer stations (Bellingham, Birch Bay, Cedarville) for self-service drop-off and a digital customer experience including an online bill pay portal, collection schedule tool powered by ReCollect, and a Waste Wise Guide disposal portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FoodPlus! Yardwaste: Organic waste collection service for food scraps, food-soiled papers, yard waste, and approved compostable packaging.
• Toter

Products and services

• Residential Garbage Collection Curbside garbage collection service for single-family homes and multi-family units (up to four units) in Bellingham, Ferndale, and unincorporated Whatcom County. Offers weekly, every-other-week, or monthly pickup with 32-gallon, 60-gallon, or 90-gallon container options.
• Residential Recycling Collection Single-stream curbside recycling collection included with garbage service, providing a 90-gallon recycling Toter with every-other-week collection for bottles, cans, plastic containers, scrap paper, newspaper, and cardboard.
• FoodPlus! Yardwaste Collection Organics collection service for food scraps, food-soiled papers, yard waste, and approved compostable packaging. Collected material is composted at Cascade Compost & Soil in Lynden. Available every other week with a 60-gallon Toter.
• Residential Dumpster & Drop Box Rental Temporary dumpster and drop box rental for residential projects. Dumpster sizes range from 1 to 8 yards; drop box sizes range from 15 to 40 yards. Optional add-ons include wheels, lock bars, and gate service.
• Residential Junk Hauling Curbside junk pick-up service for bulky items, appliances, furniture, mattresses, electronics, remodeling debris, and yard waste. No minimum charge required.
• Residential Storage Container Rental All-steel storage container rental (small 12' or large 22') delivered to the residence for short- or long-term use, with ventilation, lock system, and double barn doors.
• Commercial Garbage Collection Commercial garbage collection for businesses and multi-family dwellings (five or more units) with container options ranging from 60-gallon Toters to 8-yard dumpsters, with customizable pickup frequencies.
• Commercial Recycling Collection Commercial recycling pick-up for recyclable paper, cardboard, bottles, cans, and plastic containers. Container options include stacking bins, 6-yard and 8-yard dumpsters, and cardboard cages.
• Commercial FoodPlus! Yardwaste Collection Commercial organic waste collection for food scraps, approved compostable packaging, and landscape trimmings with weekly or every-other-week pickup options.
• Commercial Dumpster & Drop Box Rental Commercial dumpster rental (1 to 8 yards) and drop box rental (15 to 40 yards) for large disposal needs, including permanent and temporary placements.
• Commercial Event Services Event waste management for public and private events providing garbage, recycling, and FoodPlus! Yardwaste Toters plus cardboard recycling containers for 1-7 day event periods.
• Commercial Jobsite Services Jobsite waste management services including drop box and dumpster rentals, storage container rentals, and garbage and recycling services for construction and demolition sites. Supports all-in-one-box, rubble, landclearing debris, and source-separated recycling.
• Commercial Junk Hauling Commercial junk removal for old equipment, furniture, electronics, construction debris, and yard waste with convenient pick-up and no minimum charge.
• Commercial Shredding Services On-site mobile shredding service for secure disposal of sensitive documents with weekly, every-other-week, monthly, or as-needed pickup options. Provides signed certificate of destruction.
• Commercial Storage Container Rental All-steel commercial storage container rental in small (12') and large (22') sizes for short- or long-term use during renovations, moves, seasonal storage, or special events.
• Transfer Stations (Drop Box Facilities & Recycling Centers) Three drop box facilities and recycling centers accepting household garbage, recyclables, appliances, batteries, scrap metal, yard waste, and shredding drop-off. Locations in Bellingham (Mon-Fri), Birch Bay (Sundays), and Cedarville (Saturdays).

Quantifiable outcome

• 80%+ of business waste recycled through Toward Zero Waste program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cascade Compost & SoilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSC partners with Cascade Compost & Soil in Lynden to process collected FoodPlus! Yardwaste into nutrient-rich soil amendment. The organic waste (food scraps, food-soiled papers, yard waste, approved compostable packaging) is turned into compost sold at local Whatcom County businesses.
• ReCollectcoreTechnology or IntegrationReCollect provides SSC's collection schedule calendar and Waste Wizard tool on their website. The ReCollect widget allows customers to search collection schedules by address and look up proper disposal methods for waste items.
• City of BellinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with City of Bellingham for single-stream recycling pilot program. City mandated organic waste collection for all single-family homes as part of Bellingham's waste management requirements. SSC is rolling out FoodPlus! service to all Bellingham single-family customers.
• Whatcom County Health and Community ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperation on Earthday recycling drop-off events. Partnership for community recycling education and hazardous waste disposal programs.
• PSE (Puget Sound Energy)coreOthers100% of SSC's electricity is generated through PSE's Green Power program. SSC uses over 200,000 kilowatt hours of renewable, domestically-produced, non-polluting, alternative energy annually.
• Sustainable ConnectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSC is a Toward Zero Waste Pioneer in Sustainable Connections' Toward Zero Waste campaign. Partnership includes waste reduction education, community programs, and environmental sustainability initiatives.
• Bellingham Regional Chamber of CommerceminorOthersBusiness membership organization supporting regional commerce. SSC participates in Chamber activities and community events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Heritage Disposal & Recycling: Heritage Disposal & Recycling is a family-owned Pacific Northwest waste and recycling services company serving the Puget Sound region; comparable to SSC in service mix and family-owned, privately-held regional operator profile.
• Bainbridge Disposal: Bainbridge Disposal is a small, locally owned solid waste and recycling hauler serving Bainbridge Island and parts of Kitsap County, Washington; directly comparable to SSC as a Washington-state independent regional hauler with similar residential curbside service profile.
• GreenWaste Recovery: GreenWaste Recovery is a privately held California-based waste hauler with strong organics and zero-waste programs; comparable to SSC in service mix (curbside, commercial, compostables, transfer stations) but operates in a different geography (San Jose/CA Bay Area).

Direct peers

• Recology: Recology is a privately held, family/employee-owned waste hauler with a strong regional presence in the Western US and a deep focus on organics collection, composting, and zero-waste programs — closely mirroring SSC's service mix, sustainability positioning, and local-monopoly structure.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management: Waste Management is the largest waste services provider in North America, offering residential curbside collection, commercial hauling, recycling, and organics at national scale; it competes broadly with SSC for commercial and municipal contracts in Washington and represents the primary potential consolidator.
• Republic Services: Republic Services is the second-largest North American waste hauler with full residential, commercial, recycling, and organics service lines; it competes for large commercial and municipal accounts in the Pacific Northwest and could target Whatcom County.
• Waste Connections: Waste Connections is a major North American solid waste services company built through acquisition of regional haulers; its roll-up strategy directly targets companies like SSC with dominant local market share and recurring residential routes.
• GFL Environmental: GFL Environmental is a Canadian-headquartered diversified waste services company with operations across the US and Canada; competes in residential, commercial, and organics collection, and is a likely acquirer of sub-scale regional haulers.
• Casella Waste Systems: Casella is a regional solid waste, recycling, and resource management services provider in the Northeastern US with growing organics/composting capabilities; comparable to SSC as a publicly-traded mid-market regional hauler with sustainability positioning.

Others

• Cedar Grove: Cedar Grove is a Washington-state commercial composting operator that processes organics for haulers including SSC; it is an ecosystem partner (approved compostable product guidance) rather than a direct competitor but is materially comparable in the organics value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sscinc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sanitary Service