How Much is a Monthly Garbage Bill

The average American produces 4.4 pounds of trash every day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. And that trash—everything from junk mail to the empty bags from your last Target run—has to go somewhere. With few exceptions, most households hire a collection service and take their trash to the curb.

Furthermore, the service costs to remove your trash depends greatly on where you live as well as the size of your containers, the local competition and other factors. You’ll also pay more for special services such as the removal of unwanted appliances or hazardous waste. Here’s what you need to know to about your monthly garbage bill, extra charges you may incur for additional services and strategies to reduce what you pay.

What is considered trash?

Not all refuse is actually trash. The contents of your kitchen garbage bag aren’t classified the same way as that college-era sofa you want out of your basement is. How your trash is classified determines when it is picked up and whether there is an additional charge for picking it up.

Trash: This is the usual household garbage generated on a daily basis. Think pizza boxes, used dryer sheets, a broken ballpoint pen or a deflated basketball. Usually, these items are tossed in bags, put in trash containers and collected on a weekly basis.

Recyclables: Items that can be recycled vary depending on where you live and which collection service you use. In general, paper, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, soda cans, food cans, glass, certain plastics and cartons can be recycled. Most collection services do not charge an additional fee for recycling.

Yard Waste: Grass, leaves, plant trimmings and tree branches all qualify as yard waste. Many collection services offer a separate yard waste pickup service for an additional fee, usually $5 to $10 per month.

Junk: This is the bulky, heavy stuff that doesn’t fit in traditional garbage containers, such as a broken washing machine or barely-running freezer. Some collection services have designated bulk pickup days for these large items at no additional charge. Others require a special pickup, sometimes for a fee.

Hazardous waste: These items contain materials that can be hazardous, including automotive fluids and products, batteries, electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, garden chemicals, pesticides and paint products. Sharp items like syringes are also considered hazardous. Hazardous waste can be disposed of at specified drop-off locations, or you can arrange for pickup for a fee.

How Do Collection Services Work

Cities and larger towns often provide trash collection for their communities. Other areas rely on providers like Waste Management or Republic Services. Depending on where you live, you may even have a choice between multiple collection services. Typically, areas with competing services have the lowest prices.

Most collection services pick up regular household garbage once a week on a designated day. If recyclable and yard waste service is also available, they may be picked up on the same day or another designated day. Some collection services allow customers to set out large junk items for bulk pickup at no charge on specified days, but most don’t. You’ll usually have to schedule bulk and hazardous waste pickup for a fee.

Disposal of these special items can be quite pricey. For example, a small bulb kit from Republic Services for disposing lightbulbs with mercury costs $91. A medium box that can hold up to 18 pounds of electronics for recycling costs $120 while a 10-yard dumpster for disposing of construction debris costs $611 for nine days. (Prices can vary greatly depending on where you live.)

What Does Monthly Service Cost

Most trash collection services charge customers on a monthly basis although some charge on a quarterly basis. Regardless of how you are billed, expect to pay anywhere from $20 per month to $80 depending primarily on where you live. If you live in a rural area, you will probably pay more since providers have to drive further to reach your property. This requires more fuel and more man hours.

On the other hand, don’t think you’re necessarily going to get a better deal living in a major city. Excessive traffic could put you at the higher end of the pricing spectrum as well because it impacts how long it takes a truck to complete its route. Customers with the lowest garbage bills tend to live in residential neighborhoods in a metropolitan area.

Competition is another factor in how much you’ll pay. If multiple companies provide service in an area, their prices will generally be lower. Not to mention, local taxes, dumping charges and gas prices can influence how much you pay.

Even the size of your trash container affects the bottom line. Most companies offer multiple sizes, typically a 32-gallon container that holds two trash bags, 64-gallon container that holds three bags and a 96-gallon container that holds seven bags. As an example, a 32-gallon container in San Jose costs $39.12, a 64-gallon container costs $78.24 and a 96-gallon container costs $117.36 per month.

Additionally, you will pay a one-time setup fee when you start service. Generally, this fee ranges between $35 and $60.

How to Save Money

There are several ways to save money on your garbage bill. Start by taking the time to understand what options you have when it comes to pick-up frequency and container size. Then, familiarize yourself with the cost for special services, such as bulk pickup. Next, take stock of what you need. Will you routinely have enough yard waste to justify a designated container? Does your two-person household generate enough trash to justify a 96-gallon container?

After you’ve determined what your needs truly are, considering making these adjustments to save money.

Go small. If you have the option, choose the smallest size container that meets your needs. The savings can be substantial. In Spokane, a 20-gallon container costs $12.03 per month compared to $31.43 for a 96-gallon container.

Reduce your trash. If you have less trash, you can get by on a smaller container. For starters, don’t buy bottled water, take reusable bags to the grocery store and repair items rather than tossing them.

Compost. A $7 per month charge for yard waste removal isn’t much, but if you’re not filling the container on a regular basis, it’s not worth it. Instead, consider composting your grass clippings and yard trimmings.

Limit pickups. Some collection services will allow you to have your trash picked up every other week or even monthly. While it may not save you a lot of money (maybe $100 a year, based on where you live and your container’s size), it could make a difference in your overall budget.

Do It Yourself

Think you’re going to save money by doing it yourself? Technically, you can take your trash to the local dump yourself, but you probably won’t come out ahead by much. For example, in Phoenix, any load under a ton (2,000 pounds) is $25. Since standard collection service costs $33.20 per month, you’d have to limit yourself to going to the dump once a month to come out ahead.

During that month, you’d have to store the trash, something which is not only unsanitary but extremely smelly as well. You also have to factor in the inconvenience of taking the trash to the landfill yourself.

All things considered, taking you trash to the dump is probably not worth the hassle. Instead, shop around for the best rates (if this is an option) and pay only for the services you need to limit your garbage bill.