Garbage rates will increase – the first rate hike in nearly a decade – for Renton businesses and residences under a new solid-waste contract the City of Renton is negotiating with Waste Management.
City officials will present the details of the proposed changes in service to the Renton City Council next Monday night, during which the public can comment.
The council has received earlier briefings as well.
The council could approve the contract at Monday’s meeting, which would include the new rates. However, formal adoption of the new rates would come at a later council meeting.
The new rates will vary among residences. But for the largest single residential category – known as one-can service – the monthly rate will go from $13.44 a month to $18.41 a month. Business rates also will increase.
A key piece of the new contract is an expansion of what residents and businesses can recycle and the ease with which they can do it. Many of the changes were tested in two Renton neighborhoods over the last year, with positive feedback, according to city officials.
Gregg Zimmerman, the city’s public works administrator, said the new garbage contract, including the recycling upgrades, is “better for the environment” and will reduce litter.
The recommended improvements and changes for garbage collection services include:
• Garbage, recyclables, yard waste and food waste will be collected curbside in wheeled-carts for residential customers, reducing litter in the neighborhoods.
• All residential recyclables will now go into a single recycling cart rather than into three bins.
• Collection for residential garbage and recyclables will move to every-other-week service. Current collection is weekly. Collection of yard waste will continue to be weekly. Food waste may be placed in the yard waste carts for weekly collection.
• Recycling more kinds of plastics including all plastic bottles, jugs, containers and tubs.
• Expansion of the recycling program will include poly-coated cartons and boxes such as milk and juice cartons, and ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal.
• Expansion of the food waste collection will include all food scraps including meats, cheeses and dairy.
Under the proposal, the typical “one-can” customer will have a 35-gallon can on wheels for every-other-week garbage pickup, a 96-gallon cart (the container on wheels) for weekly yard-waste pickup and a 96-gallon cart (with wheels) for every-other-week recyclables.
Now, that customer has a 35-gallon can for garbage, a 96-gallon cart for yard waste and three bins in which different types of recyclables are sorted.
According to Zimmerman, the city will do outreach to customers to help make the transition to the new service options.
The current contract, negotiated in 2000, expires in January. The new one is in effect through May 2016.
At last Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, council members were briefed on the nuts and bolts of the agreement, including the size of garbage cans, or carts.
Presentation
A presentation of a proposed solid-waste contract for the City of Renton will be made at a meeting of the Renton City Council at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, at City Hall, 1055 Grady Way S.
