TRASH SERVICES:

TO SIGN UP FOR SERVICE AND FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT BILLING, ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE AND QUESTIONS REGARDING TRASH, LANDFILL, OR BULK PICKUP, PLEASE CONTACT REPUBLIC SERVICES AT 602-237-2078. FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ROBERT WISLER.  PHONE: (480) 474-8511 EMAIL: RWISLER@APACHEJUNCTIONAZ.GOV

SERVICE DAYS BY LOCATION:

TRASH – Zone 1 in blue below (North of Scenic St and West of San Marcos Dr): Monday & Thursday

                    Zone 2 in red below (South of Scenic St and East of San Marcos Dr): Tuesday & Friday

RECYCLE – Wednesdays for the entire city. Residents will need to call Republic Services to sign up for recycling and to receive a new recycle bin if you wish to recycle. 

BULK TRASH PICK-UP –  Residents must call Republic Services one week in advance of their zone’s scheduled pick up to be added to the route. Republic Services can be reached at 602-237-2078.

                                            Meridian Rd to Ironwood Dr (yellow below): 1^st Wednesday of each month

                                            Ironwood Dr to Idaho Rd (green below): 2^nd Wednesday of each month

                                            Idaho Rd to Tomahawk Rd (pink below): 3^rd Wednesday of each month

                                            Tomahawk Rd to Goldfield Rd (blue below): 4^th Wednesday of each month

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: Am I required to have curbside trash services at my residence?
A: Yes, upon adoption of Ordinance No. 1483, all covered residences defined as single family homes, duplexes, triplexes and four-plexes are required to have curbside services.

Q: How can the city require me to have residential solid waste services?  Isn’t this illegal?

Arizona State Statute 49-765 allows for local regulation of solid waste collection. Specifically, it states:

“Each county, city or town may establish regulations for private collection of solid waste within its area of jurisdiction, including standards for equipment, hours of operation, license fees and insurance requirements as necessary and appropriate to operate a solid waste collection program... If authorized by statute, each county, city or town may provide for criminal and civil penalties for violation of such ordinances or regulations provided that such penalties do not exceed the penalties authorized by this chapter.”

There is also a requirement per the Arizona Administrative Code Title 18, Chapter 13, Article 3, R18-13-305, “where refuse collection service is available, the following refuse shall be required to be collected; Garbage, ashes, rubbish, and small dead animals which do not exceed 75 pounds in weight.”

The Maricopa County Health Code and the Pinal County Health Code both require solid waste to be collected as well.
 
Q: Can I choose who provides by curbside trash services?
A: Effective April 1, 2020, only Republic Services will provide curbside trash (and recycling if selected) for all covered residences. The city council awarded the contract to Republic Services on December 3, 2019 after the city completed a competitive Request for Proposals procurement process and conducted an evaluation of the three responses received.

You can view the December 3rd council meeting video and minutes at http://apachejunction.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=1627.

Q: What is the cost of trash and recycle pickup?
A: There are two options to choose from depending on what fits your lifestyle and budget.
Option 1: 2 times a week trash pickup only - $12.06 monthly / $36.17 a quarter.
Option 2: 2 times a week trash pickup & once a week recycle pickup - $21.06 / $63.17 a quarter.

Q: Are there any additional or hidden fees in and above the $12.06 and $21.06 monthly rates?
 A: No, these monthly rates are inclusive of all fees.

Q: Is recycling required?
A: No, recycling is optional.

Q: Why is the rate to include recycling more?
Tougher restrictions on recyclables have made them more difficult to sell to foreign and domestic markets.  China and other Asian countries are no longer accepting recyclables which in turn causes the rates to process them to increase.  Many cities in the valley are considering rate increases to recycling services and some cities have ceased recycling altogether as it has become cost prohibitive to continue.

Q: How often can Republic Services raise rates?
A: Under the contract, Republic Services cannot arbitrarily raise rates at any time. They will be obligated to place in writing a request to raise rates to the city. This can only be done one time per year and the request to raise rates is required to be in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for Water, Sewer and Trash Collection (CPI-U). In the last ten years, the highest increase per the CPI-U was 6.05% in 2010, although increases in recent years have trended around 3.5%. City council also negotiated a 5% cap on any annual rate increase. Most residents will most likely still being paying less in years 8-10 of the contract than they do today.

Q: How often will I be billed?
A: Payment is due quarterly, however, there is an option to pay annually to receive a 2% discount. All payments are to be made directly to Republic Services, who can be reached at 602-237-2078.

Q: How long is the contract with Republic Services?
A: The contract is for an initial 8-year term with two 1-year renewal options for a total of 10 years.
The long term contract is what results in lower rates as it provides the contractor the ability to spread assets and fixed costs across the term of the contract such as the newer model collection trucks required plus the new receptacles for reach residence. The term of the proposed contract is among the best practices seen in other municipalities. A shorter term contract would result in higher rates.

Q: Can you provide more details on what bulk trash pick-up consists of and includes?
A: Typical bulk trash items may consist of items that do not fit inside the provided garbage container. Common examples are furniture, appliances, large plastic toys, old grills, brush/branches and refrigerators (Freon must be removed prior to service). There are restrictions on size which will be provided to residents when information about all of the services are published.

Q: How does one sign up for the curbside bulk trash pickup?
A: If a resident has a need for the curbside bulk trash pickup in any given month, they need to call Republic Services to schedule it, a week in advance. This once a month service available to residents is included in the monthly price. The phone number to schedule a bulk pickup is 602-237-2078.

Q: Will Republic Services work with seasonal visitors on a service hold?
A: Yes, seasonal residents can put their services on hold one time a year for up to six months. The service is free but limited to only one time a year. It is important to note that if at any time a residence is occupied, there must be curbside collection services to the home.

Q: What about the HOAs who have a contract with other providers?
A: The city will honor any contracts HOA’s have in place until the expiration date at which time they will need to transition to Republic Services.

Q: How will AJ make it work for residents who generate little to no weekly trash?
A: Residents are only obligated to put out their containers when there is material to be disposed of and they may choose to place their container out only one of the two days per week it is scheduled for pick up. It is important to note that all residential residents in the city share in the cost of these services under the contract which results in the low rates. According to staff research and feedback received from residents, the rates being proposed are lower than any current provider’s pricing.

Q: Can I share services with my neighbor?
A: City code prohibits sharing of services. The only shared services permitted are those covered residences defined as multifamily which may have a dumpsters instead of individual containers for each unit.

Q: Are residential rental properties considered commercial or residential?
A: For the purposes of this contract, single-family, duplex, triplex, and four-plex residential units (rental or owner-occupied) are considered residential and fall under the provisions of the solid waste contract. Only mobile home parks with contracts for solid waste services in place and residential dwellings over 4 units are considered commercial.

Q: If I rent a home or a unit in a duplex, triplex, or four-plex, is it my responsibility or the owner’s responsibility to pay for the cost of trash services?
A: All renters should refer to their lease or rental contract to determine if they are liable for the cost of trash services; whether it is included in their monthly rent or not. Any discussion or negotiation on this should take place between the tenant and the homeowner or landlord.

Q: If I own a 4-plex and only have 4 tenants do I still have to pay for 4 trash containers or can we combine trash?
A: The low rates offered through the contract are based on the assumption that all residential units share in the cost equally. The cost is based on residential units, not the number of tenants within each unit. The number of refuse and recycling containers is negotiable with Republic Services. In addition, Republic Services also offers a 2-yard dumpster available for these multi-unit types of residential properties in lieu of individual refuse containers. A 2-yard dumpster is the equivalent of 4 refuse containers.

Rates for 1x a week dumpster service is based on size and are as follows:

•     2-yard dumpster                              $38.97 per month
•     4-yard dumpster                              $77.92 per month
•     6-yard dumpster                              $116.89 per month 

Q: What is the information for the landfill?
A: The landfill is located at 4050 S Tomahawk Rd., Apache Junction AZ 85119.
They do not have a direct telephone line, but can be reached by calling the Republic Services customer service line, at 602-237-2078.
Republic Services requires hard hats and vests while at the landfill. Residents can wear their own, borrow a set, or purchase a set for $9.

Their rates are as follows:

• Apache Junction Resident Rate - $11.30 for up to 500 pounds, plus additional ADEQ fees.
• Apache Junction Resident Rate for over 500 pounds- prorated up to $45.20 per ton
• Gate Rate - $49.60 per ton (applicable to businesses and non-city residents)