Bozeman launches year-round residential organics collection; opt-in rollout begins in April

Bozeman City Commission members heard a briefing March 11 on the new citywide organics collection program that will offer year-round weekly pickup of food scraps, yard waste and certain soiled paper for residential customers beginning in April.

The program, presented by Transportation and Engineering Director Nick Ross, is being delivered by the city’s Solid Waste Division with processing handled by local firm Happy Trash Can. Ross said the city would offer customers a choice of a 35- or 95-gallon tote, provide kitchen pails and compostable bags, and offer a requested bear-resistant tote where needed.

Ross said the service will launch on an opt-in basis rather than a bundled mandatory package after a market survey showed a portion of customers would not accept an immediate, bundled charge. “This will be year round organics collection service offered by your Bozeman solid waste division,” Ross said during the presentation.

Why it matters: staff told the commission the program is intended to reduce landfill tonnage and greenhouse-gas emissions, give residents a convenient way to divert organics, and — if customers use it — could reduce the size and cost of their trash tote. City staff said customer mailers would go out March 17, deliveries of organics totes would begin the week of March 24, and billing would start in April.

Program details and cost: Ross said customers can sign up for a full 12-month service or an 8-month option intended for residents who mainly need yard-waste collection during the growing season. The city will provide kitchen pails and compostable bags. Staff estimated the new service will be about $10 per month for organics; officials said that, if customers use the service and reduce their garbage tote size, their overall monthly spending could change by approximately $3 per month relative to current service levels. Ross said the city received about $1.6 million in federal EPA grant funds in 2024 to support the program and completed operational planning in 2024.

Operational notes and outreach: the Solid Waste Division will collect organics; Happy Trash Can will process the material. The city will distribute mailers and billing inserts explaining how to sign up; sign-ups will be available by phone and on a new Solid Waste web page. Staff said the city will initially focus on single-family homes and duplexes and will explore ways to serve more multifamily properties later.

Public reaction and follow-up: commissioners asked about bear-resistant containers, costs, and whether pizza boxes can be composted — Ross confirmed pizza boxes are acceptable when soiled by food. Ross said the city’s education consultant (Nest Collective) produced outreach materials, and staff previewed new tote and truck branding for organics and landfill streams.

What’s next: outreach materials and a website update are scheduled to go live mid-March; tote delivery is slated for the week of March 24 and collections will begin at the end of the month with billing in April. Commissioner questions focused on enrollment, the opt-in rollout, and how the city will expand service to more apartment properties in future phases.

Ending: City staff said residents with questions can call the finance department to sign up or use the new online request-for-service form on the city’s Solid Waste pages once the site launches.