Trash Collection Costs Rising In Middletown Twp.

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, PA —Residents are talking trash.

Township officials said they surveyed nearly 3,500 residents who shared their thoughts on the future of our trash and recycling contract.

Here’s what residents said:

• 48.7 percent prefer to keep the current twice-a-week manual trash collection.
• 43.5 percent favor switching to automated collection once a week.
• 7.8 percent support automated collection twice a week.
• For bulk collection, 61.5 percent support moving to once-a-month bulk collection.
• 38.5 percent favor remaining at once-a-week collection.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the new 5-year contract on Monday with officials stating that Waste Management would be getting the contract. Costs, though, would rise between 20 percent to 75 percent no matter the option.

The township recently received bids from trash and recycling service providers for service to the community for the next five years.

The bids included an option to leave the collection “as is” and several options aimed at controlling costs, such as moving to a once-a-week collection and incorporating an automated collection system.

Township residents pay $401 per household per year to receive twice-a-week manual trash collection.

Bids were received from three companies with Waste Management being the lowest bidder for all options.

• To maintain the existing level of service (twice-a-week manual collection), residents would pay approximately $682-$700 per household per year, a 70-75 percent increase over the current rate.
• If the option for twice-a-week automated collection were selected, residents would pay approximately $644-$660 per household per year, a 60-65 percent increase over the current rate.
• If the option for the once-a-week automated collection were selected, residents would pay approximately $476-$512 per household per year, a 19-28 percent increase over the current rate.

A change to bulk waste was also contemplated in the bids received—the cost for changing collection from one item per week (as-is) to two items per month would be on the lower end of the estimated cost ranges noted above.

Due to the compact streets and difficulty storing large trash carts, the neighborhoods of Tareyton, Hollybrooke, and the Villas at Middletown will remain with manual collection, however, a change to once-a-week collection is possible.