People who live in five cities and counties north of Sacramento will soon be able to get much larger trash receptacles for almost the same price as the smaller ones.
Starting Oct. 1, Recology Yuba Sutter will charge $28.50, or 50 cents more per month, for a 64-gallon container and $29, or $1 more, for a 96-gallon container compared to the smallest 32-gallon size.
Overall, rates will increase by 2.5 percent, or less than a dollar a month.
Recology had previously charged $55 or twice as much for the largest containers in an effort to force people to recycle more. Recology's Dave Vaughan says people instead paid $27.50 for the smallest garbage cans and then threw their excess trash into their recycling bins.
"The prices should be closer because people, if they don't have to make an economic decision, they will make a value decision," Vaughn says.
The changes are coming after Yuba and Sutter Counties, and the cities of Marysville, Wheatland and Live Oak negotiated a new contract with Recology. The Live Oak City Council was the last to ratify the contract with its vote Wednesday night.
Customers may still order as large a recycling and green waste container as they require at no additional cost.
Recology will also start collecting food waste next year, as well as providing graffiti abatement services. Details of those programs have not yet been finalized.
Yuba City chose to put its trash collection out to bid, which Recology won. The two sides are now negotiating a contract.
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