City updates residents on transition to Recology as new waste hauler, store to open this winter

City staff and Recology representatives presented a progress report to the Redmond City Council on Oct. 21 about the transition of residential and commercial waste services from Waste Management to Recology, including new service features, outreach plans and operational changes.

Recology’s package: The company said it will open a local Recology store this December that will accept hard‑to‑recycle items (styrofoam, electronics, textiles and light bulbs), host quarterly workshops and provide a staffed local hub for customer service. Recology also described expanded curbside pickup options for special recyclables on regular service days; annual cart cleaning; an optional wildlife‑resistant cart for areas with bears; and a senior/low‑income discount program.

Operational and customer‑service changes Recology staff reported they have been verifying existing service levels and routing with GIS, hiring and training call‑center staff (extended hours), and recruiting drivers. The new fleet will include more fuel‑efficient vehicles, electric support vehicles and technology for route verification. Two full‑time outreach specialists will be dedicated to Redmond and will run contamination‑reduction and multilingual education for multifamily and commercial properties.

Why it matters: The contract change affects every residential and commercial customer in Redmond. City and Recology officials emphasized outreach to multifamily properties (where roughly half the city’s residents live) and the need for managers and tenants to coordinate on service changes.

Questions from council: Councilmembers asked whether Recology accepts more materials than the previous hauler. Recology said its materials acceptance is broader — for example, some rigid plastics like buckets and certain rigid containers — and that the updated processing facility and store will allow expanded acceptance. Councilmembers also asked about how residents will be notified of any service‑day changes; Recology said it will send prelaunch mailings, web notices and automated alerts, and will support customers who miss initial communications.

Next steps: Prelaunch communications and rate notices will go out this fall; the Recology store grand opening is scheduled for December 2025. Outreach and education will continue into 2026 with emphasis on contamination reduction and commercial/multifamily programs.

Quotable: "The Recology store... will be a community hub for recycling, reuse and education," one Recology representative said, calling the site a place for free drop‑off of hard‑to‑recycle items and workshops.

Ending: City staff and Recology said they will continue coordination with the city on route timing, construction‑period transitions, and direct outreach to multifamily properties and businesses to ensure a smooth change in service provider.