Contracted Residential Trash and Recycling Collection

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In early 2023, Fort Collins City Council adopted a contract for residential trash and recycling collection. The new service will start on September 30, 2024.

The new program is designed to increase opportunities for composting and recycling, provide equitable, consistent pricing across the community, and increase safety and reducing emissions by reducing the number of trash trucks on residential streets.

The project to explore moving to a contracted system has been underway since early 2022, when City staff engaged with community members to understand their goals and risks to avoid in a contracted system and City Council’s goals in a project.  

City staff incorporated that feedback, and staff and outside consultants conducted a competitive purchasing process in mid to late 2022. Waste Management, Republic Services, and Sweetman Sanitation submitted proposals. After reviewing each proposal, City staff moved forward with negotiations with Republic Services as their proposal most closely aligned with the evaluation criteria.  City staff then shared the contract with community members and engaged about the contract prior to the Council voting to adopt the contract in late February 2023.


Who's included in the program

The contracted program includes single-unit and multi-unit residential homes (with seven or fewer units) within Fort Collins City limits. The contracted program does not apply to residential dwellings with more than eight units such as large apartment buildings, condos or mobile home parks or any residence using a dumpster for trash service.

Households outside of Fort Collins City limits or in the Growth Management Area (GMA) would not be part of the contract.

Households that prefer to haul their materials directly to the landfill or to use a hauler other than the City’s contracted hauler will pay a monthly opt-out fee of $11.10 per month.

Homeowners Associations with written contracts for trash and recycling service that are in effect before the City contract is signed (April 28, 2023) can apply for an exemption from the City's contract or can opt into the City's contract. The City will verify HOA contracts comply with the City’s Pay-As-You-Throw requirements. HOAs and haulers will have time to amend contracts to comply with the City requirements if needed. HOAs must add yard trimmings collection to their hauler agreements before Sept. 30, 2024 but do not have to add weekly recycling or bulky item collection.

For more information on requirements for Homeowners Associations, contact Kira Beckham and Linda Hardin.


What's included in the program

For a price similar to what most households paid in 2022 for only trash and every-other-week recycling, the contracted program includes weekly collection of trash and recycling and seasonal yard trimmings (April- November) and two bulky item collections per year.

The contracted program also includes an option for households with a very small amount of trash—XS cart service—and those with a large amount of trash—XL cart service.

Contracted prices for monthly service for weekly collection of trash, recycling, yard trimmings, and two bulky item collections per year are:

  • XS cart service (16 gallons): $11.10

  • S cart service (35 gallons): $ 19.10

  • M cart service (65 gallons): $ 37.10

  • L cart service (95 gallons): $ 55.10

  • XL cart service (2 x 95 gallons carts): $ 109.10

These prices include a $1.35 monthly administrative fee to recover the City’s contract administration cost. More information on this fee can be found in the Solid Waste Collection Program Administrative Fee Study.

If a household chooses not to receive yard trimmings collection, their monthly service price will be reduced by $5—except for the XS cart service price, which is not reduced if a household declines yard trimmings collection.

The charts below show the percentage of households using each trash cart size and compare current-day pricing to the contracted program pricing. The current-day pricing is an average based on bills community members shared with the City (see details in the Trash Bill Analysis). Individual household bills in the current system may differ from the charges shown below.

Trash Cart Size

2022 % of Households with trash cart size

Trash + Recycling Only

Current
Avg.

Contract

Price

$
Change

%
Change

XS

0.5%

$15.93

$11.10

$ (4.83)

-30%

Small

43%

$18.18

$14.10

$ (4.08)

-22%

Med

41%

$32.09

$32.10

$ 0.01

.03%

Large

15%

$42.32

$50.10

$ 7.78

18%

XL

n/a

n/a

$104.10


Trash Cart Size

Trash + Recycling + Yard Trimmings

Trash + Recycling
+ Yard Trimmings + Bulky Items

Current
Avg.

Contract
Price

$ Change

% Change

Current
Avg.

Contract
Price

$ Change

% Change

XS

$33.10

$11.10

$(22.00)

-66%

$39.35

$11.10

$(28.25)

-72%

Small

$35.35

$19.10

$(16.25)

-46%

$41.18

$19.10

$(22.08)

-54%

Med

$49.26

$37.10

$(12.16)

-25%

$55.10

$37.10

$(18)

-33%

Large

$59.49

$55.10

$(4.39)

-7%

$65.33

$55.10

$(10.23)

-16%

XL

n/a

$109.10

n/a

$109.10



What happens now and next

The new service will begin on September 30, 2024. This allows the hauler enough time to purchase trucks, hire staff and prepare for the new service. It also allows the hauler, in partnership with the City, to conduct an extensive outreach campaign to ensure community members can prepare for the service change.

Until then, households will continue using the licensed hauler of their choosing.

Households wanting to start or change service before September 30, 2024, may contact Republic Services, Ram Waste / Waste Connections, or Waste Management.

All households enrolled in the City contracted program will be contacted in the first half of 2024 to set up billing with the hauler, select their cart sizes, request a variance, or choose to opt out of the program and pay the opt-out fee. Households will receive bills for service directly from the hauler and have dedicated local customer service representatives.

Enrolled households will receive new trash, recycling, and yard trimmings carts with the City logo in the fall of 2024. These carts will stay with households even if the City chooses a different hauler later.


Learn more

Check out our FAQs for more detailed information, and view a recording from a virtual information session to learn more about the draft contract, services, and pricing and ask questions.

Ask a question about the contract by commenting on this page or emailing recycling@fcgov.com.


Systems for Trash and Recycling Collection

There are four ways that cities manage trash and recycling collections for households: a pure open market, an open market with licensing, a contracted system, and a city-owned and operated hauling utility. Local government plays an increasing role in the different types of systems, with the largest role in a city-owned and operated hauling utility and no role in a pure open market system.

Fort Collins currently has an open market with licensing for trash and recycling, meaning that many households shop for and choose their own hauler, or haul their own trash and recycling. Haulers have to be licensed by the City and follow specific guidelines. For example, in Fort Collins, haulers must bundle trash and recycling services in a pay-as-you-throw pricing structure, meaning households pay based on the size of their trash cart. Currently, three nationally-owned haulers in Fort Collins service single-family homes: Waste Management, Republic Services (Gallegos Sanitation), Waste Connections (Ram Waste/Timberline Waste).


What we learned from the initial project research

Fort Collins City Council adopted several priorities in late 2021 to reach sustainability goals, including one to explore moving to a contracted system for trash and recycling. Since then, City staff have researched peer communities with contracted trash and recycling systems, the impact to street maintenance costs, vehicle emissions, noise and safety, our community's concerns and priorities when considering a contract, and the variance in curbside collection pricing that currently exists in Fort Collins.

From this research, staff has concluded that moving to a contracted system is the most affordable way for Fort Collins households to make progress on zero waste goals.


Tell us what you think


In early 2023, Fort Collins City Council adopted a contract for residential trash and recycling collection. The new service will start on September 30, 2024.

The new program is designed to increase opportunities for composting and recycling, provide equitable, consistent pricing across the community, and increase safety and reducing emissions by reducing the number of trash trucks on residential streets.

The project to explore moving to a contracted system has been underway since early 2022, when City staff engaged with community members to understand their goals and risks to avoid in a contracted system and City Council’s goals in a project.  

City staff incorporated that feedback, and staff and outside consultants conducted a competitive purchasing process in mid to late 2022. Waste Management, Republic Services, and Sweetman Sanitation submitted proposals. After reviewing each proposal, City staff moved forward with negotiations with Republic Services as their proposal most closely aligned with the evaluation criteria.  City staff then shared the contract with community members and engaged about the contract prior to the Council voting to adopt the contract in late February 2023.


Who's included in the program

The contracted program includes single-unit and multi-unit residential homes (with seven or fewer units) within Fort Collins City limits. The contracted program does not apply to residential dwellings with more than eight units such as large apartment buildings, condos or mobile home parks or any residence using a dumpster for trash service.

Households outside of Fort Collins City limits or in the Growth Management Area (GMA) would not be part of the contract.

Households that prefer to haul their materials directly to the landfill or to use a hauler other than the City’s contracted hauler will pay a monthly opt-out fee of $11.10 per month.

Homeowners Associations with written contracts for trash and recycling service that are in effect before the City contract is signed (April 28, 2023) can apply for an exemption from the City's contract or can opt into the City's contract. The City will verify HOA contracts comply with the City’s Pay-As-You-Throw requirements. HOAs and haulers will have time to amend contracts to comply with the City requirements if needed. HOAs must add yard trimmings collection to their hauler agreements before Sept. 30, 2024 but do not have to add weekly recycling or bulky item collection.

For more information on requirements for Homeowners Associations, contact Kira Beckham and Linda Hardin.


What's included in the program

For a price similar to what most households paid in 2022 for only trash and every-other-week recycling, the contracted program includes weekly collection of trash and recycling and seasonal yard trimmings (April- November) and two bulky item collections per year.

The contracted program also includes an option for households with a very small amount of trash—XS cart service—and those with a large amount of trash—XL cart service.

Contracted prices for monthly service for weekly collection of trash, recycling, yard trimmings, and two bulky item collections per year are:

  • XS cart service (16 gallons): $11.10

  • S cart service (35 gallons): $ 19.10

  • M cart service (65 gallons): $ 37.10

  • L cart service (95 gallons): $ 55.10

  • XL cart service (2 x 95 gallons carts): $ 109.10

These prices include a $1.35 monthly administrative fee to recover the City’s contract administration cost. More information on this fee can be found in the Solid Waste Collection Program Administrative Fee Study.

If a household chooses not to receive yard trimmings collection, their monthly service price will be reduced by $5—except for the XS cart service price, which is not reduced if a household declines yard trimmings collection.

The charts below show the percentage of households using each trash cart size and compare current-day pricing to the contracted program pricing. The current-day pricing is an average based on bills community members shared with the City (see details in the Trash Bill Analysis). Individual household bills in the current system may differ from the charges shown below.

Trash Cart Size

2022 % of Households with trash cart size

Trash + Recycling Only

Current
Avg.

Contract

Price

$
Change

%
Change

XS

0.5%

$15.93

$11.10

$ (4.83)

-30%

Small

43%

$18.18

$14.10

$ (4.08)

-22%

Med

41%

$32.09

$32.10

$ 0.01

.03%

Large

15%

$42.32

$50.10

$ 7.78

18%

XL

n/a

n/a

$104.10


Trash Cart Size

Trash + Recycling + Yard Trimmings

Trash + Recycling
+ Yard Trimmings + Bulky Items

Current
Avg.

Contract
Price

$ Change

% Change

Current
Avg.

Contract
Price

$ Change

% Change

XS

$33.10

$11.10

$(22.00)

-66%

$39.35

$11.10

$(28.25)

-72%

Small

$35.35

$19.10

$(16.25)

-46%

$41.18

$19.10

$(22.08)

-54%

Med

$49.26

$37.10

$(12.16)

-25%

$55.10

$37.10

$(18)

-33%

Large

$59.49

$55.10

$(4.39)

-7%

$65.33

$55.10

$(10.23)

-16%

XL

n/a

$109.10

n/a

$109.10



What happens now and next

The new service will begin on September 30, 2024. This allows the hauler enough time to purchase trucks, hire staff and prepare for the new service. It also allows the hauler, in partnership with the City, to conduct an extensive outreach campaign to ensure community members can prepare for the service change.

Until then, households will continue using the licensed hauler of their choosing.

Households wanting to start or change service before September 30, 2024, may contact Republic Services, Ram Waste / Waste Connections, or Waste Management.

All households enrolled in the City contracted program will be contacted in the first half of 2024 to set up billing with the hauler, select their cart sizes, request a variance, or choose to opt out of the program and pay the opt-out fee. Households will receive bills for service directly from the hauler and have dedicated local customer service representatives.

Enrolled households will receive new trash, recycling, and yard trimmings carts with the City logo in the fall of 2024. These carts will stay with households even if the City chooses a different hauler later.


Learn more

Check out our FAQs for more detailed information, and view a recording from a virtual information session to learn more about the draft contract, services, and pricing and ask questions.

Ask a question about the contract by commenting on this page or emailing recycling@fcgov.com.


Systems for Trash and Recycling Collection

There are four ways that cities manage trash and recycling collections for households: a pure open market, an open market with licensing, a contracted system, and a city-owned and operated hauling utility. Local government plays an increasing role in the different types of systems, with the largest role in a city-owned and operated hauling utility and no role in a pure open market system.

Fort Collins currently has an open market with licensing for trash and recycling, meaning that many households shop for and choose their own hauler, or haul their own trash and recycling. Haulers have to be licensed by the City and follow specific guidelines. For example, in Fort Collins, haulers must bundle trash and recycling services in a pay-as-you-throw pricing structure, meaning households pay based on the size of their trash cart. Currently, three nationally-owned haulers in Fort Collins service single-family homes: Waste Management, Republic Services (Gallegos Sanitation), Waste Connections (Ram Waste/Timberline Waste).


What we learned from the initial project research

Fort Collins City Council adopted several priorities in late 2021 to reach sustainability goals, including one to explore moving to a contracted system for trash and recycling. Since then, City staff have researched peer communities with contracted trash and recycling systems, the impact to street maintenance costs, vehicle emissions, noise and safety, our community's concerns and priorities when considering a contract, and the variance in curbside collection pricing that currently exists in Fort Collins.

From this research, staff has concluded that moving to a contracted system is the most affordable way for Fort Collins households to make progress on zero waste goals.


Tell us what you think

Page last updated: 19 Jul 2023, 03:40 PM