A resident resource on garbage service
Garbage collection is an essential part of daily life. But it doesn't have to come at the expense of our safety, our environment, and our roads. There's a better way to do it: cleaner, safer, and less costly.
It's called unified (or "organized") collection. Instead of several companies sending trucks down the same street on different days, each neighborhood is served by one hauler on one day. Studies and nearby cities point to lower rates, fewer heavy trucks, and simpler service. This page collects what the research shows.
Open collection
Each household picks its own hauler, so several companies may drive the same block, often on different days.
Unified collection
The city divides service into zones. Haulers still share the market, but only one truck serves each street.
The research
Drawn from Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) studies and the experience of Twin Cities communities with organized collection. Years are noted with each figure.
Eco-friendly
Fewer trucks covering the same homes means less diesel burned and less exhaust in the air. The MPCA estimated St. Paul alone could avoid about 2.47 million pounds of CO2 a year with organized collection.
Safety
Garbage day overlaps with school drop-off, bus stops, and kids on bikes. One truck per street instead of several means far fewer heavy vehicles moving through neighborhoods while children are out.
Common sense
Sending several companies' trucks down the same street to reach neighboring houses is wasteful. One truck serving every home on a route is how mail, snowplowing, and street sweeping already work.
1 vs. 2–8TRUCKS PER ROUTE: ORGANIZED VS. OPEN SYSTEMS
Organized cities typically run one truck down each route. In open systems, two to eight trucks from different haulers can cover the same street, often on different days. Every one of those extra trips burns diesel, adds exhaust, and puts another heavy truck on a residential street. Unified collection removes them, and cuts the fuel and emissions that come with them.
MPCA, 2012
1 dayONE PICKUP DAY PER NEIGHBORHOOD
Garbage trucks run through the same morning hours that kids walk to school, wait at bus stops, and bike through the neighborhood. Every truck removed is one less large vehicle with wide blind spots and frequent stops sharing the street with them. When one hauler serves every house on a street, stops are predictable and trucks move slower. It is also quieter: one pickup, one day, instead of engines and compactors all week.
MPCA, 2012
86%SHARE OF ALLEY ROAD WEAR CAUSED BY GARBAGE TRUCKS
One loaded garbage truck has roughly the pavement impact of 1,000 cars. Roseville engineers estimated its streets would last five to ten years longer with less garbage truck traffic, worth $20 to $40 per household per year.
MPCA, 2012; MnDOT axle-load data
1PLACE TO CALL WITH A PROBLEM
One truck, one route, one rate, one place to call. Service standards are written into the city contract, and complaints go to one place. Bloomington reports fewer complaints and fewer missed pickups, since haulers stop at every house in their zone.
Bloomington city staff, 2021
$100POSSIBLE SAVINGS PER HOUSEHOLD PER YEAR
The MPCA found organized systems consistently produce lower monthly rates. Hauling one route efficiently costs less than several companies covering the same streets.
MPCA, 2012
$200–$1,000RANGE RICHFIELD RESIDENTS PAID PER YEAR FOR THE SAME SERVICE
In open systems, neighbors can pay very different prices for identical service. Richfield found the gaps fell hardest on older residents, people on fixed incomes, and non-native English speakers. A unified contract sets one published rate for each cart size.
Richfield city staff, 2021
7 yearsLENGTH OF A FIRST ORGANIZED CONTRACT UNDER STATE LAW
Minnesota law requires the initial organized agreement to last seven years. Residents get stable, predictable rates, and the city can rebid competitively when the contract ends.
Minn. Stat. § 115A.94
Rates
Average monthly rates across Minnesota cities studied by the MPCA, including garbage service, taxes, surcharges, and recycling fees.
| System | 30-gallon | 60-gallon | 90-gallon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | $22.64 | $25.46 | $25.46 |
| Organized | $14.83 | $16.98 | $22.23 |
| Open costs more by | 34.5% | 33.3% | 12.7% |
Nearby results follow the same pattern. In Bloomington, the average bill residents reported under open collection was $26.72; the organized contract rate was $18.50. Richfield estimated 70% to 80% of residents would pay less after switching, with average savings around 15%. Maplewood projected $1.6 million in citywide savings per year.
Fuel and emissions
The MPCA estimated how much more fuel five open-system Minnesota cities used for collection than they would under an organized system.
More haulers sharing a city means more overlapping routes and more fuel. For St. Paul, the MPCA estimated an organized system could avoid about 2.47 million pounds of CO2 per year. In Hennepin County, organized systems must also deliver trash to the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, where waste volumes are tracked.
MPCA, 2009 and 2012; Hennepin County
Common questions
No. Under Minnesota law, the city must first negotiate with all licensed haulers, and each keeps its current share of customers in an assigned zone. Most major haulers in the Twin Cities already operate in organized systems.
Contracts are time-limited and rebid through a competitive process, which keeps rates in check.
Yes. They keep their market share in the first contract, and a city can include support for local businesses in later bid criteria.
Not necessarily. Service levels, including extras like backdoor pickup, are written into the contract, so they can be kept for everyone.
State law requires public notice, at least 60 days of negotiation with licensed haulers, a public hearing, and at least six months before service begins. Richfield negotiated its contracts in about six months.
Nearby experience
SINCE 2016
Residents voted 70% to keep organized collection in 2020, after four years of service. The city bills garbage through utilities and reports fewer complaints.
SINCE 2018
Residents voted 63% to keep the organized system in 2019.
SINCE 2021
Three haulers serve assigned zones. Prices went down for every cart size, and resident feedback has been largely positive.
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