EREF Study Shows Average MSW Landfill Tip Fee Continues to Rise for 2019

From its database of 1,540 active Subtitle D municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) in the U.S., the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) created a sample of facilities that was used for surveying landfill owners regarding tip fee information for MSW disposal.

Results for 2019 reveal a national average tip fee of $55.36 per ton, compared to $52.62 in 2018, with regional averages ranging from $40.92 (South Central) to $73.03 (Pacific). While tip fees in the Northeast and Pacific regions remain the highest in the U.S., the Pacific saw an increase of $4.57 per ton, or 6.7 percent, for 2019, and rates in the Northeast experienced a $0.86 per ton decrease on average. This year’s largest increases were seen in the Mountains/Plains region (plus $7.14 per ton, plus 16.4 percent) and South Central region (plus $6.12, plus 17.6 percent). The table below indicates average tip fee by region.

MSW landfills often accept a variety of non-MSW special wastes. A recent EREF study found that construction and demolition (C&D) waste is the most commonly accepted special waste at MSW landfills. C&D is accepted at MSW landfills in 41 states and comprises roughly 12 percent of waste buried at these facilities. Given its prevalence, this year’s analysis includes data on C&D pricing at MSW landfills. Nationally, the average tip fee for C&D disposal at MSW landfills was $54.04 per ton. Results show that while the majority of MSW landfills charged the same rate for MSW and C&D, this pricing strategy is not uniform. The cost to dispose of C&D was lower than MSW at 27 percent of sites. At the remaining 16 percent of sites, C&D tip fees were higher than those for MSW.

EREF’s free report, “Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees: April 2019,” shares additional 2019 tipping fee data.