Waste Management outlines 2024 service changes, multifamily outreach and staffing transition

At a May 12 Auburn City Council study session, Waste Management presented its 2024 annual report to council members and city staff, detailing last year’s service disruptions, changes in material tonnages, multifamily and commercial outreach plans tied to the state organics law, and a local staffing change. The presentation was made to the council in person and virtually as part of the study session.

The report matters to Auburn residents and businesses because it explained service interruptions, the company’s community investments and programs to increase recycling and organics diversion — all of which affect collection timing, costs and compliance with the new organics requirements. Council members raised questions about pickup timing, commercial incentives, and how multifamily properties can make space for separate collection.

Waste Management told the council that temporary closures and equipment changes at the King County Alcona transfer station last year caused intermittent service impacts and required extra driving to maintain collections. The company said its crews added significant mileage to reroute and cover missed trips; company materials presented to council estimated roughly 19,000 additional miles per month across lines of business during affected periods. The presenter also noted the November 2024 permanent closure of ARDA, a major glass recycler in Seattle, and said Waste Management arranged alternate disposal so glass collection continued while markets adjusted.

The company described outreach work aimed at multifamily properties, noting a separate internship-based audit and education program that visited 39 multifamily sites with two visits (an initial audit in July and a follow-up visit in August) to reduce contamination and improve recycling behavior. City staff and Waste Management said contamination commonly stems from bagged recyclables and polystyrene foam; the program uses follow-up training and container modifications such as slotted lids to reduce contamination. Council members and Waste Management staff emphasized space constraints and frequent turnover of property managers at multifamily sites as recurring barriers to sustained improvement.

On commercial service, Waste Management said commercial organics outreach will be a focus for the summer internship program to help businesses comply with the recently passed organics management law. The company clarified its tonnage reporting covers only Waste Management customers (open-market customers such as large distribution centers were excluded from the table shown); one presenter pointed out commercial organics tonnage for Waste Management customers rose from 182 tons in 2023 to 269 tons in 2024.

Other services noted: Waste Management continues to offer bulky-item pickup by scheduling by phone (up to four bulky items per year on a chosen date), and the firm reported it had ratified a five-year contract with Teamsters Local 174 in 2024. The company also highlighted community recycling events (two Recycle Right events annually that accept foam, electronics, paper for shredding and textiles) and local programs that share a federal fuel tax credit the company receives: the presentation said the federal compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tax credit generated $33,407 that Waste Management shared with the city to support utility-assistance programs.

Council members raised resident complaints about pickups arriving later than usual in recent weeks; Waste Management staff said drivers sometimes resequence routes for operational reasons or to address traffic, and that absences or fill-in drivers can also change pickup times. Council members also asked about incentives for commercial customers; Waste Management staff said commercial accounts can receive education and may qualify for service adjustments (for example, up‑sizing recycling and down‑sizing garbage) and that drivers often report opportunities when they observe consistent underuse of containers.

Presenters acknowledged operational stressors such as the November storm season and heavier-than-normal transfer-station traffic when King County opened stations for debris drop-off, and they said crews worked extended hours to maintain service during those events. The city and Waste Management also noted a transition in local contacts: Laura Moser, who the presentation credited with nearly 30 years of service representing Waste Management in the area, is retiring; Hanh Kirkland was introduced as the company’s incoming local contract representative.

The presentation closed with city council members thanking Waste Management employees for field-level efforts during a year of disruptions and transition. The session record shows this was an informational presentation; no council motion or vote on service terms or contract changes occurred during the study session.