Abington weighs two refuse contract options as current deal nears October expiration

Abington Township staff presented options for solid-waste disposal at the Aug. 14 Board of Commissioners working session, warning commissioners that the township’s current contract extension with Reworld (formerly Covanta) expires in October and that a decision will be required in September.

Mike Jones, a township refuse department staff member, told the board the township received competing bids for two operating models: direct hauling (trucks pick up curbside and haul directly to a disposal facility) and the current transfer-station model (curbside trucks dump at the township transfer station and the contractor hauls refuse from that station to the disposal plant). Jones said the township’s current payment for disposal is $79.35 per ton and that the township averages roughly 18,500 tons per year.

Why it matters: The bids show a trade-off between short-term per-ton costs and operational impacts. Direct hauling returned lower per-ton bids in initial responses but would shift vehicle miles, fuel, maintenance and…