Middletown approves five-year single-hauler trash contract; board selects once‑a‑week automated pickup with on‑demand bulk option

The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted on Aug. 12 to award a five‑year contract for residential collection, recycling and yard‑waste services to Waste Management, moving the township from twice‑weekly manual curbside pickup to once‑weekly automated collection with an on‑demand bulk‑pickup system.

Township staff and the firm’s representative framed the decision as a response to market pressures and rising costs. Julie Goulis, who led the bid process, said the township received three bids and that Waste Management was the lowest responsible bidder for the options presented. She told the board the township solicited public feedback, mailed postcards to about 12,250 households and received roughly 3,500 survey responses showing nearly an even split between support for automated collection and support for the status quo.

Supporters of the contract argued its fixed five‑year pricing and customer‑service upgrades would modernize service. A Waste Management…