New $3 Clean City Fee Raises Tucson Trash Bills

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson residents and businesses will see higher Environmental Services bills starting Tuesday, as the city rolls out updated rates and a new monthly fee.

The biggest change for most customers is a new $3 monthly Clean City Fee added to all Environmental Services bills.

The city said the fee will fund illegal dumping response and prevention, neighborhood cleanup support and graffiti abatement across Tucson.

Beyond the new fee, residential and commercial service rates are also increasing, along with landfill disposal tipping fees.

The city said the adjustments are based on a Cost of Service Study and reflect rising costs across the board, including fuel, equipment, fleet replacement, landfill operations and employee recruitment and retention.

Environmental Services is a self-funded department that does not draw from the city’s General Fund. Every dollar collected through service fees goes back into running the department, which covers weekly trash pickup, bi-weekly curbside recycling, Brush and Bulky collection, the FoodCycle composting program, Household Hazardous Waste disposal, landfill operations and environmental compliance programs.

The updated landfill tipping fees are also designed to support the long-term operation of the Los Reales Sustainability Campus, including site maintenance, equipment and future environmental compliance needs.

The changes took effect starting Wednesday and will appear on Environmental Services bills beginning that day. Customers with questions about how the updated rates apply to their service can contact the Environmental Services Department directly.