Single-Hauler Trash Service
CASE is excited about the possibility of Englewood switching to a single-hauler trash service, and you should be too. Here’s why.
Alley and curbside pick-up.
Englewood residents continue to say loud and clear they want the choice of alley or curbside pickup. Many find it challenging or inconvenient to drag large cans to the curb, while others say the same about the alley. Unfortunately, nearly all trash and recycle haulers now refuse to do alley pick-up. A single-hauler contract with the City can guarantee both options are available.
Much less expensive.
In other cities that switched to a single hauler, bills were slashed. Why? Simple economies of scale, and companies competing for the contract. The buying power of so many homes could give us a much better rate, and companies can offer a lower price for a steady customer base.
Performance standards.
Currently, if your trash company misses a pick-up, the most they may offer you is a bill credit for that week. A single-hauler contract, on the other hand, can specify very strict standards and charge much higher penalties when those standards aren’t met – penalties that can be shared with the homeowner, used to help low-income households and seniors with their bills, or other public benefits.
When a single hauler serves the vast majority of households, they go down the street from house to house, instead of, say, every eighth house. They are far less likely to miss a house.
A trash company that repeatedly fails to meet the standards will not be allowed to keep the contract.
Recycling included at no extra cost.
Many Englewood households have to pay extra for recycling service. With a single-hauler system, we can include recycling as part of the base price. While households won’t be required to recycle, they could if they want to, and price would no longer be an impediment.
Far less wear and tear on roads and alleyways.
Trash trucks are typically the heaviest vehicles regularly operating on residential streets and alleys, and are a major contributor to wear and tear on those streets and alleys. Englewood currently has several different trash companies, and they cause several times the road damage than a single company. Like it or not, we all subsidize these trash companies through our tax dollars to fix the road damage they cause. The most significant step the City can take to minimize trash truck street maintenance impacts is to reduce the number of trash truck miles traveled on our streets.
Less noise.
No one likes to hear loud truck noise all day. One truck instead of several going down our streets and alleys will make our community so much nicer, especially for people who work at home, have young kids at home, are retired, or are at home for any other reason during the day. It would also reduce the number of days per week collection service occurs, meaning more quiet days.
Cleaner air.
Heavy diesel trucks pollute the air we all breathe. Fewer trash trucks and more efficient routes = healthier air = healthier lungs = healthier kids and families = a better Englewood.
Retains flexibility of choice.
CASE recommends that Englewood retain an “opt-out after the first year” Households that want to go back to their current trash service can opt out of the city’s contracted service (but why would you? We’ll have lower costs and higher performance standards.)
Still promotes competition and free market.
In the model Englewood is considering, private trash companies would compete for the bid every five to ten years. High-priced companies or companies that cannot meet the performance requirements will not win the bid or be allowed to continue a contract. The result: lower-priced and higher quality trash service.
Not “big government”
CASE recommends that a private trash company be selected by an open and competitive RFP process. The city would not own the trucks or provide the service – a private company that meets competitive cost and performance standards would. This is how most large private businesses obtain lower-cost trash service.
Highlands Ranch and Denver agree.
Many jurisdictions across the front range have switched to a single-hauler system, because it simply works better. Highlands Ranch, Denver, Thornton, Golden, Commerce City, Louisville, Lafayette and Edgewater all use a single-hauler system.