Waste Collection Costs Rise in September

Waste collection costs increased by 0.3 percent in September, the fourth consecutive monthly increase, according to new government data.

During the past 12 months the cost of waste collection has climbed 3 percent, according to the latest data from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The index, adjusted on a seasonal basis, reflects contract prices of waste collectors to any buyer – residential customers, commercial and government.

 Nationally, the costs for services for intermediate demand rose 1.5 percent in the past 12 months.

“The continuing rise in the cost of steel continues to affect the cost of heavy equipment purchased by the industry,” said Bret Biggers, director, statistics and standards for the Washington-based National Waste & Recycling Association (NW&RA), in a news release. “On the operation side, haulers gained some reprieve from the four-year low in oil prices and the continued cost decrease in diesel fuel.”

 The cost of various trucks, including the production of waste and recycling trucks, rose between 1.6 and 2.8 percent during the 12 past months, depending upon their size.

However, fuel costs declined during the past 12 months. Diesel fuel, used heavily in collection vehicles, has decreased 7.7 percent from a year ago and is 13.8 percent from its previous high in October 2012.