Republic Services annual report: recycling participation low, yard-waste rules and 4% contract increase highlighted

Republic Services representatives delivered the contractor's required annual report to the Highland Village City Council work session on Sept. 23, reviewing residential, commercial and industrial tonnage, recycling participation and program rules.

The report covered October 2024 through August 2025 tonnage figures and participation metrics. Republic Services presenter Jeri Harwell described residential tonnage as “very consistent,” said industrial tonnage can fluctuate with construction and business activity and noted yard waste showed the greatest month‑to‑month variation because of seasonal and weather factors.

Harwell told the council the contract contains a fixed annual price‑adjustment provision. “It is 4%. That's what the contract allows,” she said when asked about price increases. Council members and staff discussed whether other disposal or CPI factors would have resulted in a higher adjustment if the contract lacked the fixed 4% clause.

Nut graf: The presentation clarified how the contractor measures participation and diversion and why some common household practices — such as placing grass in clear plastic bags or using personal containers for green waste — result in nonpickup. Council members pressed for more local contamination and landfill‑fee detail so they can better evaluate program performance and resident impacts.

Details and operational points

- Participation and diversion: Harwell explained participation rates are measured as the proportion of serviceable households that put a recycling cart at the curb. She gave March as an example month with about 42% participation for the serviceable households in that month.

- Contamination and MRF monitoring: Harwell said contamination is monitored at the MRF and in the field; she cited an overall contamination rate at the Plano MRF of 18.4% and said Highland Village does not currently have a city‑specific contamination figure without an audit.

- Yard waste rules and green‑waste processing: Republic Services treats mulch bags as the preferred method for green waste because mulch bags can go directly to the mulch facility. Plastic bags and many personal containers are not accepted for green waste because they either cannot be mulched or create handling, contamination and transport burdens for the mulch facility.

- Bulk pickup and weight limits: The contractor described bulk pickup as a contract item (three cubic yards) and said crews typically operate with two people per bulk truck; items that present safety or lifting concerns are evaluated for special pickup options.

- Misses and driver accountability: The contractor reported about 17 reported “misses” in a recent month and explained that number is small relative to the roughly 20,000 curbside opportunities per month; misses are tracked with field photos and routed to driver accountability and route root‑cause reviews.

- Landfill gate fees: Council asked whether residents use a landfill drop‑off and whether the service is free. Harwell said the hauling company pays landfill disposal costs and that the resident gate fee varies; the presenter said she would follow up with the council to confirm the exact gate fee and report back (amounts discussed during the meeting included $15–$20, which the presenter did not confirm as final).

Council questions and follow‑up requests

Council members repeatedly asked for: (1) an audit or method to estimate Highland Village's city‑level contamination rate at the MRF, (2) a clear explanation about resident landfill gate fees and how the hauling company credits or bills those charges, and (3) improved customer communications about what constitutes acceptable green waste (for example, no clear plastic bags and why mulch bags are preferred). Harwell said she would provide follow‑up information to the council on the landfill fee question and work on adding open‑market recycling figures to future reports.

Ending

Republic Services' representative closed by saying they will provide additional clarification to the council on the landfill fee and contamination figures and will continue to refine reporting and outreach. Council members indicated they want the contractor to return with the requested clarifications and to consider expanded resident education on green‑waste rules and contamination reduction.