City of Garland News Release:

Additional Container Monthly Service Charge

Effective November 1, 2010, Garland residents who use more than one 95-gallon solid waste container will be billed a monthly charge of $6.10 for each additional container.
 
The additional container charge was established to capture the full cost of collection, disposal and administrative costs for providing additional container collection service. Customers who paid to receive an additional container from November 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010, will receive a credit applied to their utility bill equal to the amount paid.
 
By passing along the cost of additional container service to the customers who use the service, the City will be able to reduce the monthly sanitation base rate from $17.33 to $16.58 for all customers effective November 1, 2010.
 
Should residents no longer need additional containers at their residence, they can call Environmental Waste Services Customer Service at 972-205-3500 or email to ews_customerservice@garlandtx.gov to request the pick up of container(s) or to make other inquiries concerning this matter.
 

 
Those who watch the Council work sessions already knew about the new charge for a second container. Of course, that is a small percentage of the citizenry. Most of those with second containers learned of the additional charge yesterday or today from the letter they received from the Environmental Waste Services Dept.
 
I have received some calls from constituents that are upset by the increase. They called EWS first and learned that many others, hundreds, were also calling.
 
I think the charge is fair. A second container requires a double stop on collection day and potentially means twice as much garbage being hauled away, twice as much landfill being used, more wear and tear on the trucks, more fuel use, yet those homes paid no more than those using half as much. (They did have to buy the second container.) By shifting the costs more fairly, all customers are receiving a rate decrease.
 
A survey of surrounding cities showed that all charge more for having a second container.
 
I know that many with a second container don't use it all the time. For those families, reducing their collection to a single container will garner the lower rate. There can be many reasons for getting a second container but often those reasons are temporary (baby- and kid-related trash, holiday trash, a home business). If the trash that exceeds one container on those rare occasions can be kept until the next week, only one container may be needed, such as Christmas wrappings or after a party or dinner guests. Get rid of the messy trash that can spoil and just hold the cleaner trash until the next week. Doing so would save over $70 per year.