Proposed Rate Changes For Every-Other Week Trash Pick-Up
If you live in Tacoma, every-other-week garbage pick-up is coming to a curbside near you soon. Depending on the day of the week that your trash gets picked up, it could be as early as this March, or as late as November, but it’s going to happen.
When that date comes, you’ll see your garbage can swapped out for twice as much volume – either a can double the size of your current one, or a second can of the same volume. And you’ll see a change in your bill as well. Customers who find that the new larger volume exceeds their capacity will be able to request to downsize again, lowering their costs.
Timeline for impementation (subject to change):
- Monday garbage customers: March/April
- Tuesday garbage customers: June/July
- Wednesday garbage customers: August/September
- Thursday garbage customers: October/November
- Friday garbage customers: April/May
An ordinance up for a first reading this week proposes adjustments to the solid waste rates. According to the Request for Ordinance, a 0% per year change has been recommended, but there will be “some fluctuation” with the implementation of every-other-week pick-up and the accompanying changes in container size.
From what we can tell for most customers, if you do nothing, the amount of garbage that you can dispose of curbside will stay the same, and your rates will go up a few dollars a month. If you can make do with less capacity over the course of a month, you can request a smaller can, and reduce your bill. On the low end, the cost of minimum monthly service will drop – if you can make do with a 30 gallon can every other week, rather than a 20 gallon can once a week, you can save yourself about $7 a month, for 20 gallons less capacity.
On the high end, a customer with a 90-gallon can for weekly pick-up will go from about $100 a month to $105 a month to have two of those cans picked up every other week in 2013, and $110 to have the same pick-up in 2014. If that customer is able to reduce their container size to one 60-gallon plus one 90-gallon can every two weeks, their rates will drop to $91 monthly, or a savings of nearly $20 monthly by 2014 for 60-gallons less waste.
Minimum service levels.
Weekly rates for 2012/2013.
_*Every-Other-Week* rates for 2013-2014*
We’re looking at the proposed revisions to the TMC (pdf). Check our math – are we wrong? How does it look for your household?
Filed under: Legislation, City Government, City Services
25 comments
R Rob February 5, 2013
I currently have a 30-gallon can that is picked up weekly. It looks like in March that can will be replaced with a 60-gallon can that will be picked up every other week for the same price that I pay now. No big whoop.
A Altered Chords February 5, 2013
Just moved to Pt Defiance area in November. The “garbage” can I have is already 1/2 of what I need. 2 weeks ago I put puppy wee wee pads in the recycle bin because I don’t have enough room in the trash can. The city fined me for putting “diapers” in the recycling bin. In the old days they would have been newspapers.
If they city doubles my can size and cuts pick up in half, it still will not cover my trash pick up needs. I guess I’ll have to start running my trash through the dishwasher or washing machine so that I can follow the burdonsome rules of recycling (pristine, sparkling clean food free and waste free plastic and “tin” foil)
Next time I’m allowed to burn anything (need to avoid a burn ban fine), I’ll try burning the wee wee pads by dousing them in kerosene or is it illegal to burn trash but legal to burn marijuana now.
Anybody want a puppy?
L Lynn February 5, 2013
So let me see if I understand. We get less service and pay the same or slightly more. Ok, I am sure that makes sense and they are not ripping us of.
T That Girl February 5, 2013
@ Lynn – As I understand it, they’re giving you the same volume of service overall – the frequency will be cut in half, but your container size will double, so you break even.
I’m actually looking forward to being able to decrease the size of our bin (and our bill). We don’t come close to filling the smallest size now, so being able to decrease the volume on a monthly basis will be a good thing for us.
M Matt February 5, 2013
My household (4 people + 1 dog) barely and irregularly fills the smallest can on a weekly basis. The recycle bin is usually full, but once a month we take non-curbside items to the transfer station (styrofoam blocks, fluorescent bulbs, scrap metal, etc.) We will likely be able to downsize after the switch and save money. Thank you City of Tacoma.
J Jim C February 5, 2013
Whatever. It’s another way for the city to degrade the quality of life here a little more in the quest to save a buck and tell us it benefits us somehow, insulting all of our intelligence. If anything this is going to encourage me to order larger cans so that I don’t run out of room this summer when it’s 95 outside, I’ll pay more but hey, more room for garbage. Kind of defeating the purpose.
T the usual jamie February 5, 2013
@Altered — it is DEFINITELY illegal to burn trash.
R Rob February 5, 2013
It sounds to me like many commenters here would be happier if they just bucked up and paid for the size of garbage containers they need, rather than whining that their trash wont fit in the smaller containers. I know, that makes too much sense.
F fredo February 5, 2013
After people get comfortable with the every-other-week trash pickup schedule then the city will be able to institute the once-a-month trash pickup schedule, to be followed by the once-per-quarter and finally the annual garbage pickup arrangement. The sizes of the container will be increasing in size but you will get the same value and the same cost so what’s the difference?
T tacoma_1 February 5, 2013
Ever since I’ve been able to stick my food waste in with my yard waste, my garbage can is only half full. I don’t see much of a problem here at all. Matter of fact I’ll stick with just the one can and save some money.
N Neighbor Guy February 5, 2013
Our trash rates are based on volume. If you increase your size by 100 percent and decrease pick up by 50 percent, you have no loss of value.
And it still includes free recycling, free yard waste and compost pick up, 2 call-to-haul appointments per year.
When you dive into the surrounding areas, they don’t include many of these things.
Plus, our rates for solid waste aren’t going up for two more years. The other increases are vital to maintain our infrastructure to keep our waterways safe and clean.
F fredo February 5, 2013
“If you increase your size by 100 percent and decrease pick up by 50 percent, you have no loss of value.” neighborguy
So as long as the provided container is made bigger then a reduction in service level represents” no loss of value?” That means if you increase the size of the container by 1000% (10 times the current size) and reduce the pick up frequency by 90% (1/10 the current schedule) then there will be no loss of value. That doesn’t sound true. Is it true?
T tacoma_1 February 5, 2013
Fredo,
No one but you, is suggesting that scenario.
N Neighbor Guy February 5, 2013
fredo,
Right now, I have 60 units picked up every two weeks. When they increase my container to 60 units and they pick it up every two weeks.
Don’t let the math confuse you.
F fredo February 5, 2013
I’m not suggesting a “scenerio,” I’m raising a hypothetical.
If it’s OK to reduce pickup frequency to every other week by doubling the size of the can, then would it be OK to reduce the pickup frequency to once every four weeks by quadrupling the size of the can?
Thats a yes or no question.
By only picking up once per month the city will save vast quantities of gasoline (thus protecting the environment) and the customers will get exactly the same value. What is so magical about “every two weeks?” I thought we were supposed to be conserving scarce resources like gasoline.
H Hannah February 5, 2013
I think it’s great that residents are thinking more dynamically about the services the City does provide in order to decrease their waste (tacoma_1). What is the City doing to expand this program for those of us not living in single family homes/duplexes? I live in a studio apartment and I would love to see my building have access to something equivalent to a yard waste bin.
S SH February 6, 2013
Every two weeks is great. We have the smallest can now and only use half of it.
Going beyond every two weeks (which no one from the city has suggested) wouldn’t be optimal mainly due to the fact that smelly garbage would be sitting in the alley for so long.
How about thinking about the positives of this new schedule? No one is suggesting its going to go further and further. Its every two weeks. Every two weeks is saving gas too.
F fred davie February 6, 2013
“Going beyond every two weeks (which no one from the city has suggested) wouldn’t be optimal mainly due to the fact that smelly garbage would be sitting in the alley for so long.” SH
How do we determine what the “optimal” garbage pick up schedule would be? Do decisions which happen to align with your own preferences therefore become “optimal?” What if the two week scheduling results in “smelly garbage?” Will you suggest that we go back to weekly pickup?
Also, how do you know that no one from the City has suggested the eventual change to even less frequent garbage pick up? Do you work for the city and sit in on all the executive sessions?
S SH February 6, 2013
fred davie is fired up about garbage!
“How do we determine what the “optimal” garbage pick up schedule would be?”
…By doing just what they are doing, trying something different. The city did a test run in certain neighborhoods before deciding this, remember?
“Do decisions which happen to align with your own preferences therefore become “optimal?”
…I should ask you the same thing.
“What if the two week scheduling results in “smelly garbage?” Will you suggest that we go back to weekly pickup?”
…Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Why don’t you give it a try first. What if it works out fine, will you be okay with it?
“Also, how do you know that no one from the City has suggested the eventual change to even less frequent garbage pick up? Do you work for the city and sit in on all the executive sessions?”
…I should clarify, no one has publicly suggested going to less frequent pickup. I choose to not jump to the worst conclusion every time.
I’m glad you are here policing the comments.
R Robb February 8, 2013
This is a great value. I moved last year (just outside of the city limits) and I miss the all of the free services….recycling….yard waste….“the other guys”
charge for EVERYTHING……this plan have real value
R rainlover February 8, 2013
In addition to the positives mentioned above I would like to add less noise. We live in a neighborhood with business, apartment and single family home service. Some days it is constant rumbling in the alley. I am looking forward to the new schedule.
D Dana Caffrey February 9, 2013
In other words, the fees for the trash collection increased. I’m going to review this to see how much more we will incur for our trash. Goodluck to me!
F fred davie February 9, 2013
SH, haha, well I’m not “fired up” about garbage. But I do have a POV about how the city utilities departments conduct business on behalf of the rate payers like myself. And incidentally, thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.
When an utility executive makes a decision … it doesn’t automatically become “optimal.”
I can illustrate this very easily When you decide to eat a bag of potato chips instead of a pan of brownies it doesn’t make your nutritional decision “optimal.”
The city did conduct a “test” for public relations purposes on the every other week program. Was the goal to determine the “optimal” garbage collection program? I saw no evidence of this. Did you?
R Robert Cole February 19, 2013
Although the fees bug me, I do think overall it is a good idea and will positively impact our city. There are positives and negatives to the program, but I do not see any reason at all the fees should not be going down by a marginal percent. Bi-weekly collection (yes I understand the volume with be comparable if not the same) means the city will spend half as much time picking up the same amount of garbage. This means half as much labor and fuel will be used in collections and the monthly fees should reflect that.
On the positive side, I do think forcing the public to pay a bit more attention to it’s garbage and how much we unnecessary garbage we are producing is overall a good idea.
J Jennifer February 26, 2013
Irregardless of the fee schedule, I don’t see the savings. The overall monthy volume of trash will remain about the same. Same monthly number of truckloads and train car loads. If a route picks up one truckload a week, or two truckloads every two weeks, or four truckloads every month, it’s still the same volume, same amount of fuel, same amount of salaries. But by letting it pile up longer aren’t we encouraging vermin and flies etc? Picture any of the garbage strikes. Do you like what you see?