Modesto residents will get food, organic waste pickup up more often. But at what cost?
After hearing residents’ concerns that picking up their trash containers filled with food, yard and other organic waste every two weeks created odors, drew pests and created other problems, Modesto is expected to start picking up these trash containers every week.
But it will cost residential trash customers more. They will see their monthly trash bill rise from $51.25 to $56.01, with $3.14 of the increase for the weekly pickup of organic waste. Businesses and other commercial accounts also will pay more for trash collection.
Residential customers have three 96-gallon containers: a black one for regular garbage, a blue one for recyclables and a green one for organics.
Modesto’s two trash haulers will continue to pick up the recyclables containers every two weeks and the regular garbage containers weekly.
The City Council at its Tuesday meeting is expected to approved these changes, which would take effect Aug. 1.
Modesto instituted the three-container system last year as well as picking up the containers with the organic waste and recyclables every two weeks. The organic container complies with a state mandate for local jurisdictions to keep more yard and food waste and other organic material out landfills to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Food rotting in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Modesto has said it composts the food and other organic waste it picks up.
City officials said last year that picking up the organic containers every two weeks was a pilot program and how often these containers were picked up could change based on the city’s and resident’s experience.
Residential trash customers have seen their monthly garbage bills rise steeply as Modesto complies with the state mandate to reduce greenhouse gases, known as Senate Bill 1383.
About a year ago, these customers were paying $37.45 per month. The City Council then approved a series of increases to comply with SB 1383. Other local jurisdictions also are charging more to comply with the greenhouse gas mandate.
The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St.
This story was originally published June 26, 2023 at 3:48 PM.
