Waste Collection Services

Under the proposed plan, services include:

• Weekly residential trash collection using standardized carts
• Weekly residential recycling collection using standardized carts
• Periodic bulk waste collection (large items like furniture or branches)

Non-regulated solid waste service results in numerous trucks operating on all neighborhood streets throughout the week. This leads to: 

• Safety risks: Heavy 28-ton garbage trucks increase the likelihood of accidents. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported 2,430 garbage truck crashes nationwide resulting in 1,427 injuries and 107 third-party deaths involving pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists in neighborhoods. 
• Road damage: Heavy trucks accelerate the deterioration of roads, especially in newer neighborhoods. A 2014 study sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board found that a residential trash truck has an impact equivalent to 1,279 passenger cars.
• Poor customer service: Residents lack advocacy for service issues, leaving them to navigate problems independently.
• Inefficiency: Vendors cannot achieve economies of scale, which prevents them from offering competitive rates.
• Wide-spread rate disparity: It is common to find moderate rate disparity between neighborhoods and even between households on that same street.
• Higher maintenance costs: Increased road maintenance costs strain the Town’s budget, diverting funds from other essential services like police and parks.
• Environmental impact: The high volume of trucks compound emissions and increase risks of hydraulic and garbage seepage on roads.

The anticipated benefits of a consolidated solid waste service program for the Town of Sahuarita include:

• Public safety: Significant reduction of truck traffic decreases the likelihood of accidents in neighborhoods.
• Road preservation: Centralized waste services will minimize the number of heavy trucks on neighborhood streets, extending the lifespan of roads.
• Service standards: Contracts will establish clear minimum service standards, improving customer experiences and enhancing the overall quality of life.
• Competitive pricing: By leveraging the purchasing power of all households, the Town can secure market-competitive rates, minimize annual rate increases, and offer added benefits like curbside bulk-trash pickup.
• Rate consistency: Eliminating rate disparity between neighborhoods across the community will reduce monthly payments for the majority of Sahuarita households.
• Prevent maintenance costs: Reduced weight and traffic reduces the need for costly maintenance on neighborhood streets. 
• Environment and public health: A Town-operated or managed waste collection service guarantees the proper disposal of solid waste, safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of residents and businesses.

The new service is expected to take effect Sept. 1, 2025. It is the individual resident’s responsibility to:

1.  Turn off autopay with their current provider to avoid being overcharged.
2. Continue to use their old carts on the current service schedule through Aug. 31.
3. Leave their old carts on the curb for collection during the final service week (Aug. 25-29).
4. Review the new service zone map for schedule that will begin Sept. 1.
5. Set up online account for paperless billing (optional) with Waste Connections (520)881-4227

Between Aug. 11-29, new Sahuarita trash & recycling carts will be delivered to all homes, one neighborhood at a time. Residents are asked to please be patient with this process. 

If a neighborhood has already received carts and a home was missed, residents should wait 48-72 hours before reporting to Public Works. After that time, any missing new carts should be reported via the Cart Delivery and Collection Concern Form. Please give 48 hours for the issue to be addressed before resubmitting the form.

Please note: Residents will continue to use old carts on the same service schedule through Aug. 31. The week of Aug. 25-29, residents will leave their carts on the curb. Following waste collection by the old provider, old carts should remain on the curb. All carts will be removed from the curbside by the Department of Public Works at no cost to residents. 

All old carts will be collected by the Town of Sahuarita at no cost to residents during the week of Aug. 25-29. If at the end of that week your carts have not been collected, submit a Cart Collection & Delivery Concern Form. 

Waste Connections will be responsible for collecting payment. You can set up online bill pay by calling Waste Connections Customer Service Line (520)881-4227.

In the future, for the convenience of its residents, town staff will consider options for a combined billing system to include water, wastewater, and solid waste services where permitted and feasible. 

Residents will continue to use old carts on the same service schedule through Aug. 31. The week of Aug. 25-29, residents will leave their carts on the curb. Following waste collection by the old provider, old carts should remain on the curb. All carts will be removed from the curbside by the Department of Public Works at no cost to residents. 

If a neighborhood has already seen cart collection and a home was missed, residents should wait 72 hours before reporting to Public Works. Following the 72-period, all reports for remaining carts should be reported via the Cart Delivery and Collection Concern Form. Please give 48 hours for the issue to be addressed before resubmitting the form.

Under the contract with Waste Connections, residents will benefit from a fixed monthly rate of $22.75, guaranteed for the first four years of service.

Fee Breakdown:

Vendor Rate Yr 1:            $18.18

Bin Finance Charge:      $0.90 (Town will finance the purchase of new bins for the community)

Town Admin Fee:            $2.53 (HR, Legal, Finance, Admin + 1.5 new FTEs for program mgt.)

Fixed Option Charge:    $1.14 (Median cost to account for projected inflation)

                Total:                    $22.75/mo (Yr 1 - 4)

State law allows cities and towns to provide these residential services in one of two ways, either through personnel & equipment (in-house) or under contract with a private-sector provider. Sahuarita recognizes the efficiencies and cost/benefits of utilizing well-established private sector services at this time and elected to enter into Contract No. 250001 for those services. 

Bulk waste collection is included in the monthly bill, whether the service is utilized or not. The community will be broken into zones. One pick-up per quarter per zone will be available to each household with a requirement for each customer to schedule pick-ups advance. Residents may also hire private haulers or bulk waste to meet needs that exceed the limits of the Town’s service.  The service provider, Waste Connections, will notify each residence of which zone they fall in and will provide instructions on how to schedule pick-ups.

For more information or to schedule a pick-up visit: https://www.wasteconnections.com/arizona/town-of-sahuarita/

Waste Connections, in collaboration with Sahuarita’s Public Works department, will provide timelines, set up billing, and offer reminders and customer support for the transition by mail and email beginning in the Spring of 2025.  Additionally, the Town of Sahuarita will continue to provide updates through this FAQ, news media, and social media channels. 

Under the contract with Waste Connections, residents will benefit from a fixed monthly rate of $22.75, guaranteed for the first four years of service. 

All solid waste collection companies operating in town limits were notified of the town’s intent to pursue a centralized program by way of a Town Council-approved resolution (Res. No. 2024-0800 1), approved on June 24, 2024. Every existing provider was invited to submit a bid to be the sole provider for the town. 

The resolution made clear to the public and to private service providers that any open-market contracts signed after the date of the resolution will expire on the service commencement date of the exclusive contract entered by the Town, which is expected Sept. 1, 2025. 

Valid contracts (entered before June 24, 2024) with terms extending beyond the town’s anticipated program rollout date of September 1, 2025, will be allowed to complete that contract term. Upon completion of existing contracts, any renewal options will be null and void, the contract will end, and all properties served under that contract will be brought under the Town’s service program.