NYC Considers Dropping Rate Cap

New York -- According to a recent Crain's New York Business article, New York City waste regulators are considering eliminating caps on trash prices.

Pressure by carters mounted last week when Pennsylvania's governor passed its 2003 budget, which included a $4 per ton tipping increase at landfills. Afterward, several transfer stations in the Bronx and Brooklyn raised their fees by as much as $6 per ton, except to commercial customers, because of a retail cap.

Carters have pushed to end the cap because dumping fees are calculated by weight, and haulers are reluctant to pick up heavier waste produced by restaurants and other food stores. Some even have refused pickup in recent years, according to the article.