Factoria Recycling & Transfer Station — Attraction in Bellevue

Customers beware ! This facility is not following RCW 46.61.655 correctly and charging people unsecured load fees. First time using this transfer station, went to the website and educated myself on what constitutes a unsecured load and seen the picture examples given. I took a truck load of scrap wood 2x6x5 feet filled just under the bed. the wood was jammed into the bed with no possible way of it shifting any direction. I was charged a unsecured load fee anyways and was told all loads must be tied down and hands me a pamphlet. Didn't argue but did more research after the fact and found this is not true and the pamphlet given does not match the language in the RCW. All loads do not need to be tied down or covered as long as its loaded in a manner that the material can't shift or fly out the vehicle. The Sections below explains what is required to be fastened down. The problem is the person running the scale makes that call and he was wrong and is not applying the law correctly.

(1) No vehicle shall be driven or moved on any public highway unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping therefrom, except that sand may be dropped for the purpose of securing traction. (2) No person may operate on any public highway any vehicle with any load unless the load and such covering as required thereon by subsection (3) of this section is securely fastened to prevent the covering or load from becoming loose, detached, or in any manner a hazard to other users of the highway. (3) Any vehicle operating on a paved public highway with a load of dirt, sand, or gravel susceptible to being dropped, spilled, leaked, or otherwise escaping therefrom shall be covered so as to prevent spillage. Covering of such loads is not required if six inches of freeboard is maintained...

Showed up at 3:57pm, I made it only a few minutes before their 4:00pm Monday-Friday closing time. I was there to recycle a chest freezer that stopped working. I paid the flat $30.00 recycle fee and followed the painted blue line, on the ground, in front of me. I went down around the bend of the road and around the corner until I saw a bunch of other refrigerator sitting there to the left side as I entered a big cover building. The different areas were clearly marked and visible and so it made it easy to dump and go. The gentleman who helped me when I showed up was very polite explained what to do and was very nice. On driving out, the gate was closed so I drove on the scale and a different gentleman helped me, he confirmed what the sign on the gate said, just drive slightly over the white painted line and the gate will open. He was very sweet, and made me smile as I was a bit frazzled with traffic being so bad and worrying about not making it there before they closed and then trying to hurry so they didn’t have to stay late, I was the last of the day. This is my fourth trip to this transfer station since they opened, each visit has been quick and easy. Highly...

Uh, gee. We had one fluorescent tube light to recycle, and the gate attendee told us to follow the blue line, which led to a big recycling place, but none of the containers listed fluorescent tubes. A guy in a truck pointed me to a building outside that was labelled "hazardous waste." I started to walk over there, but a facility person shouted that I had to drive over. I do not like being shouted at. So we did drive over and it looked to me like it was the yellow line we should have followed. I would have been happy to do that if the gate attendee had just told us right. He also could have mentioned to look for the "hazardous waste" building. I think they need to train their gate attendees a little better. And they could work on their signage a bit. First thing, just in case folks are misdirected, like we were, have a sign in recycling that explains if you have a fluorescent, to drive over to "hazardous waste." I mean, hey, here we are, doin'the right thing to correctly handle the mercury-containing fluorescent tube, and some guy shouts at me. I do...