Hefty +50% increase in trash rates could hit this Tri-Cities community next year
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- Kennewick's garbage rates may increase 50% in 2026 under initial Waste Management deal.
- The city is weighing cuts to its leaf program, adding larger recycle carts with biweekly pickup.
- Recycling bins will shift from open tubs to lidded carts with 33% more volume.
Kennewick’s cheap garbage rates could soon be a thing of the past.
The monthly cost for a standard 96-gallon garbage cart with recycling services is expected to jump from $20.84 to $32.12, or more than 54% next year.
Additionally, the total monthly cost for a household with two trash carts could jump 82% as the rate for a second bin increases from $2.30 to $9.99. Additional carts after that will set you back an extra $18.
But the city’s recycling program will also get a shot in the arm as it replaces those flimsy recycle bins with larger, covered carts.
That’s according to ongoing negotiations between Kennewick city officials and Waste Management. The current 10-year contract is set to expire on Dec. 31.
A new contract in 2026 could see substantial changes to services for residential customers as costs continue to rise. Waste Management raised rates by 62 cents in both 2016 and 2021.
Options were discussed at a July 22 city council workshop, but the issue likely won’t return to the council for a decision until October.
The council appeared amenable to eliminate its fall leaf collection program while continuing to provide six no-cost transfer station dump coupons to households. In lieu of seasonal leaf collection, residents can deliver them to a transfer station or place them in their garbage for pickup.
The city will also continue to offer free services to Toyota Center and Three Rivers Convention Center next year.
Waste Management will continue its weekly garbage pickup services, but discontinue its end-of-week recycle bin pickups.
The recycling service will also change from a bin to a covered cart, giving all residential customers access to a regular 96-gallon receptacle with pickup every two weeks.
Customers will continue to have the option of a cheaper 35-gallon garbage bin at a monthly cost of $26.48 — or a new mid-range 64-gallon cart for $29.30 — as well as reduced rates for those on low and fix incomes.
Recycling program changes
Neighbors in Pasco and West Richland pay $25.10 and $31.16, respectively, for garbage services only, according to Kennewick council documents. Ed’s Disposal, a division of Basin Disposal, serves those areas.
Residents in Richland, where the city operates its own public solid waste utility, pay $25.20 for garbage and recycling. Those costs are subsidized by a monthly surcharge and high commercial rates.
Tyler Mackay, senior manager of public sector solutions with Waste Management, said an increase in Kennewick’s garbage rates has been a long time coming.
Low fees and high inflation in recent years mean they’re losing about $1.7 million a year in their residential line of business.
One factor in the company’s price deficiencies is the cheap price of adding on garbage carts in Kennewick.
While the city has about 21,500 customers using 96-gallon garbage carts, there are more than 38,000 in circulation.
Most Kennewick customers — about 87% — use either one or two carts, but 8% use three carts and 5% use four or more carts.
Waste Management drivers report that most customers with three or more carts do not frequently use all cans on a weekly basis.
“We have people out there with up to eight carts. To put that into perspective, that’s about two yards worth of garbage per week. And one 96-gallon can services about a family of six for weekly service,” Mackay said.
Proposed leaf pickup, dump coupon changes
New lidded 96-gallon recycling bins will offer 33% more volume and allow customers to “right-size” their garbage waste. In addition to being compliant with new state recycling laws, the larger bins also allow trucks to automatically collect them.
Recyclable materials are collected and sent to Waste Management’s growing and advanced regional recycling facility in Spokane for processing.
The city was also presented with options to cut services in the contract that could save residential customers some dough.
Cutting the fall leaf collection program will save residents about 14 cents per month. Customers already have year-round options available to them, including throwing it in with their regular garbage.
The city could also cut the number of annual coupons from six to two that it gives customers to take a free load to the transfer dump station. That would lower all rates by 41 cents a month.
Figures presented to the council show that of 25,000 customers about 42% participated in 2024 and 29% in 2025 participated in the program. About 14% used the program just once.
Toyota Center and Three Rivers Convention Center receive free service through the contract, amounting to about $40,000 the city is shouldering.
These services are not included in the proposed tax rates, so continuing them at no cost to the event centers would add about 16 cents to all residential customers’ rates.
