Waste Management reports near 24% diversion for Liberty Lake, plans SMART Center tours and multifamily outreach
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Summary
Waste Management told the council Liberty Lake generated just under 7,600 tons of collected material in 2025 with an almost 24% diversion rate; WM said it has added acceptance of paper and rigid plastic to-go cups, will offer SMART Center tours, and is monitoring state recycling and organics mandates that could affect services by 2030.
Waste Management representatives Zach Stavros and Mackenzie Borja presented the company's 2025 annual report to the Liberty Lake City Council on March 3 and outlined education and operations plans for 2026.
Zach told the council WM collected just shy of 7,600 tons in Liberty Lake in 2025 and reported a diversion rate of almost 24%. He said mixed paper is the largest diverted commodity and that some commercial recycling volumes may be captured by other haulers and therefore not shown in WM's tonnage. Zach described operational capacity (91 full-time employees in the Spokane Valley site, seven routes dedicated to garbage collection in Liberty Lake) and noted WM added trucks and customer-service staff in 2025 to handle growing volume.
Mackenzie, the education and outreach coordinator, highlighted community events and outreach including SMART Center tours and the high-turnout "Liberty Lake Touch a Truck"; she said WM will schedule virtual and in-person SMART Center tours in 2026 and target multifamily outreach to improve recycling participation. Mackenzie announced WM is now accepting paper cups and rigid to-go plastic cups (and tubs) in the region's recycling stream and said Liberty Lake was among early adopters for nationwide acceptance of these materials.
WM also briefed council on statewide policy developments: the Recycling Reform Act/EPR work that will standardize curbside lists; business organics management (BOMA) rollouts for commercial organics; and ORCA mapping for residential organics collections. WM said many of the state timelines extend to 20271, and mandatory residential curbside organics could be broadly implemented by 2030. WM representatives said the company is preparing operationally (route optimization, equipment purchases) and will monitor Department of Ecology rulemaking and maps that will determine which jurisdictions must comply and when.
Council members asked about cost and measurement. WM said specific per-household costs related to mandatory organics depend on scale and processing capacity; current sample pricing for a 96-gallon weekly collection is $27.61. WM and council agreed staff will coordinate tours and follow-up reporting to better understand local operational implications.
Why it matters: State policy changes and local growth could increase demand for organics and recycling services; WM told council it is "ahead of the curve" operationally but that funding, equipment, and processing capacity will matter as statewide rules mature.
Next steps: WM will make SMART Center tour opportunities available to council and staff, continue multifamily outreach, and provide additional data if the council requests further performance metrics.
