Analyzing Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Tipping Fees

The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) has released its annual

report, "Analysis of MSW Landfill Tipping Fees - 2023," providing a comprehensive analysis

of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill tipping fees across the United States. This report

offers valuable insights into current trends, regional differences, and economic factors

influencing tipping fees.

The 2023 report draws from tipping fee data collected from 342 facilities. Two key

methodologies are used to calculate the national average tip fee: the unweighted average,

which treats each landfill equally, and the ton-weighted average, which accounts for the

amount of waste processed by each landfill.

National Trends in Tipping Fees

The report reveals several important national trends in landfill tipping fees:

• The unweighted average tip fee decreased to $56.80 in 2023, marking a 3% decline

from the previous year's $58.47.

• Similarly, the ton-weighted average tip fee saw a slight decrease to $57.63, down

from $57.73 in 2022.

• This decrease marks the first reduction in average tip fees since 2020, following two

years of increases.

Regional Variations in Tipping Fees

Tipping fees vary significantly across different regions in the United States:

• Northeast: The average tip fee increased by $8.52, reaching $84.44, the highest

among all regions.

• Pacific: Experienced the greatest decrease, with tip fees dropping by $6.74 to

$62.28.

• Midwest: The average tip fee decreased by $4.78, landing at $57.24.

• Mountains/Plains: Saw a slight decrease of $0.98 to $49.86.

• Southeast: The average tip fee decreased by $1.56, settling at $43.18.

• South Central: Experienced a decrease of $3.45, resulting in an average tip fee of

$45.25.

For detailed data and further insights, refer to the full report available here.