The Elgin City Council is weighing proposals for a new garbage removal contract, one with its longtime provider and the other with a company that would offer a flat rate for trash removal and do away with buying stickers and special bags for landscape waste.
If Lakeshore Recycling Systems’ proposed deal is approved, it would end the city’s nearly 30-year relationship with trash removal goliath Waste Management.
Lakeshore’s bid calls for all residential property owners to pay a flat $24.95 per month for trash and yard waste removal beginning in January 2025, Public Works Director Aaron Neal said.
The mandate that residents use biodegradable bags for their yard waste and purchase a $3.47 sticker for each one used would end.
Currently, Elgin has a tiered fee structure with Waste Management. Single-family homeowners pay $20.58 per month and condo and townhome owners are charged $15.38, Neal said.
Under WM’s new contract proposal, rates would increase to $25.68 monthly for single-family homes and $20.48 for condos and townhomes, he said.
“No matter what direction we go in 2025, there is going to be an increase in our garbage fees,” Neal said at this week’s city council meeting, where the proposed contracts were discussed.
Lakeshore had the lowest bid while providing an environmentally conscious and competitive waste management solution for the city, Neal said.
Its citywide rate would include a cart for organic collection, free yard waste disposal, a choice of cart size offered at escalating prices and electronics picked up at home by appointment. Residents would still need to buy stickers for excess garbage bags, additional garbage cans and bulk items.
With the current contract’s end on the horizon, city staff last year started looking at options for trash removal services and sought residents’ feedback through a survey and a public hearing, said Jennifer Phillips, neighborhood services director. Staff also spoke with members of the city’s Sustainability Commission.
The survey, which generated 2,142 responses, showed that residents were generally satisfied with the current garbage collection system, but many wanted more recycling services, like an organic recycling option, Phillips said.
Based on that information and other feedback, a request for bids was drafted, she said. The most competitive bids were from Lakeshore and Waste Management.
The former started 20 years ago with a goal of creating more sustainability in the service it provides, Josh Connell, Lakeshore’s co-founder and board director, told the council.
The company serves 200 communities with a fleet of vehicles that use alternative fuel, and they’ve invested in electric vehicles, according to its website. They have 11 facilities, with closest to Elgin being in Rolling Meadows and Elburn. It has the most recycling centers in the Chicago area, with 40% of trash diverted from landfills, its website said.
“We’re extremely proud of the recycling infrastructure we’ve built,” Connell said. “We’ve been a heck of a disruptor in the marketplace.”
Waste Management senior public sector representative Vaughn Kuerschner said among the benefits his company brings to the table is having a facility on Bluff City Boulevard in Elgin, meaning garbage trucks don’t have to go far to unload collections and routes can be done quickly. And like Lakeshore, they also use vehicles that operate on alternative fuels, he said.
“(WM drivers) know the city, the residents and the neighborhoods. This level of experience and knowledge is difficult to replace,” Kuerschner said.
Over its 30-year history, Waste Management has worked with Elgin to create a partnership, provide education on recycling and enhance services, he said.
Recycling contamination in the city dropped by 20% over the last few years, which is a notable achievement, Kuerschner said. More than 90% of the materials collected under the current contract were recycled, he said.
Among the enhanced services WM offers are recycling options, city staff noted. Residents can contract to have an organics collection service at a cost of $160 a year. And while yard waste does require a sticker and a special type of bag, once a year the city offers free yard waste pick-up, officials said.
Mayor Dave Kaptain said the biggest complaint he receives from residents is in the fall, when they have to buy yard waste stickers and special bags for fallen leaves and decaying gardens.
Councilman Steve Thoren concurred, saying he has one neighbor who spends as much as $200 every fall for stickers and bags, he said. Having yard waste included in the monthly fee and getting rid of the bagging costs is a positive, he said.
Getting rid of all stickers should be the goal, Councilwoman Tish Powell said. Her belief is the new contract should ensure accessibility to all residents, she said, and for some, buying garbage stickers is expensive.
Lakeshore does require stickers for extra garbage that doesn’t fit in carts, but it does enhance Elgin’s electronics, organic and yard waste recycling, Neal said.
A final decision on the contract will be made by the council later this month.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
