Republic put forward a proposal that will reduce most residents' rates because of the economies of scale of serving our entire city. In addition, recycling service and the bin for recycling will be included in the price of service, which will still be lower than what most residents pay today. On top of that, we will have fewer trash trucks making noise and degrading our streets.
Here is my personal comparison:
Current service:
- $21 per month, based on paying a year in advance and getting a 10% discount.
- I have a 96-gallon bin and, even with a family of 5, never fill it more than two-thirds of the way except when I do yard work.
- Recycling is included, but no bin is provided. My family recycles way more than we make waste.
- There are various rates for large-item pickup, but they are all over $20. I paid $109 to get three items picked up in the last year.
- One large-item pickup day per year by the City at $25 per truckload.
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| My yard on trash day - notice the large amount of recycling |
Republic Services:
- $19.97 per month if I get a 96-gallon bin. $12.48 per month if I get a 64-gallon bin (and I will).
- Extra yard waste pickups seasonally for FREE.
- 96-gallon recycling bin is included in the price, and I can get a second one if I need it.
- Large-item pickup is $15 per item.
- Special FREE large-item pickup days twice per year.
You can see why I like this proposal! To me, giving up the choice of waste carrier is small beans compared to the great deal we will get and the positive changes on our streets. I also like encouraging diversion of waste from landfills to recycling.
In many other cities, people do not have a choice of waste carrier, just like we don't have a choice of electricity company or police department. Some services benefit from standardization across a community. I believe changing Sheridan to a single waste hauler will provide us with many benefits.
I hope you will take a few minutes to compare for yourself, and let me or your councilmember know how it comes out for you. The chart below shows the proposed rates.
A few other notes on the chart:
- EOW = every other week
- YW = yard waste
- The ($6) option in the "Pricing & average price" field is for the smallest-sized bin (32-gallon), picked up every other week instead of every week. This is intended to provide a low-price option for singles and others who may produce very little trash.
- The other rates are $7.80 for 32-gallon, $12.48 for 64-gallon, and $19.97 for 96-gallon.
- Recycling would be picked up every other week.
- The (+$7) is the monthly price for an additional 96-gallon bin for those who produce a lot of waste.
