HUNDREDS of thousands of Americans are seeing their trash fees spike up to $543 – a nearly 80% increase – as a city continues to implement a law this month.
The controversial waste collection charges are hitting yet another US city despite attempts last year to block them.
As a key US city continues to implement a trash law, Americans are bracing to pay a fee of $543 for waste collection[/caption]
Beginning on July 1, hundreds of thousands of Americans saw a jump in the price of their city trash collection.
Owners or renters of single-family homes in particular are being impacted by the city regulations, which have slated a wave of annual increases across the next few years.
The City Council voted last June in favor of increasing the cost of solid-waste charges for residents in Fresno – the first hike since 2009.
The monthly cost of standard residential trash service is expected to increase by roughly 78.3% over a five-year period that began on July 1, 2024.
The standard service – which includes a once-weekly collection of 96-gallon trash, recycling, and green waste bins – first increased by $5.50 to $30.87 per month beginning last July.
When July 1 rolled around this year, Fresno residents had to shell out an extra $4.63 for trash collection, which now costs $35.50 per month.
Under the five-year hikes, the subsequent increases will be:
- July 1, 2026: $38.70 per month, an increase of $3.20
- July 1, 2027: $41.99 per month, an increase of $3.29
- July 1, 2028: $45.24 per month, an increase of $3.25
When the $45.24 rate officially takes effect in July 2028, Fresno residents will be paying $542.88 each year for standard waste collection services.
Single-family homes that have the “alternative” service, which includes a smaller 64-gallon trash container as well as 96-gallon recycling and green-waste bins, are seeing their rates spike by over 114% as the city ordinance continues to take effect.
Last July, the first $8.92 increase raised the price of waste collection to $28.12 per month.
At the start of this month, the fee was bumped up by another $4.22 to $32.34 per month.
As the increases continue to take effect, Fresno residents will see the following rates:
- July 1, 2026: $35.25, an increase of $2.91
- July 1, 2027: $38.25, an increase of $3
- July 1, 2028: $41.21, an increase of $2.96
The annual raises are needed because labor, vehicle, and fuel costs have jumped substantially over the last 15 years, according to Brock Buche, Fresno’s public utilities director.
They were implemented starting last year despite efforts to block the collection fee hikes, with nearly 35,000 Fresno homeowners or renters filing protest cards against the move.
GARBAGE GRUMBLE
Another popular city in California is spiking its trash fees.
Over in San Diego, the city began implementing a solid-waste charge starting on July 1.
The new costs came after city officials voted to roll out a $43.60 monthly fee for standard collection.
New San Diego Trash Fee
- $43.60 – Monthly fee per household for three 95-gallon bins
- $523 – Annual cost per homeowner
- 226,495 – Number of single-family homes affected
- 46,000 – Number of formal protests filed against the fee
- 113,000 – Number of protests needed to block the fee
- $3 million – Budget for financial assistance programs
- $4.5 million – Consulting fee paid for cost-of-service study
- 32% – Current waste diversion rate from landfills
- 80% – City’s waste diversion target
- 300,000 – Tons of trash collected annually by the city
- 150,000 – Tons of recycling, compostables, and yard waste collected annually
The charge comes out to $523 annually and applies even if residents generate minimal waste.
It breaks a 106-year-old precedent that San Diego would not charge single-family homes for trash pickup.
The standard plan includes solid waste collection for three 95-gallon containers – for trash, recycling, and organic material like yard waste and food scraps.
As the trash collection fees hit Californians under the new regulations, taxpayers are facing higher monthly payments under a new law that is a “dangerous attack” on Americans.
Meanwhile, three new laws are hitting shoppers from July 1 – see the exact details on how to avoid a “cart” policy with a $2,500 fine.
