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Brooklyn Park weighs buying recycling carts or issuing RFP after service delays with long-time vendor
Summary
Staff told the council that Waste Management has provided recycling service for 25+ years; council asked staff to gather vendor pricing and RFP options, including whether the city should buy its own carts or split services to encourage competition.
City staff briefed the council on the municipal curbside recycling program and options for the city's contract with Waste Management, which has provided service to Brooklyn Park and partner communities for more than 25 years.
Staff said the current combined program (serving roughly 45,000 households in partnership with Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope) benefits from lower rates because Waste Management owns the existing carts. That advantage, staff said, creates a price gap that can discourage new bidders from offering comparable pricing unless the city owns carts or the bid specifications are structured differently.
Staff shared preliminary vendor pricing for city-owned carts of roughly $1.10 to $1.55 per household per month amortized over about five years; they said vendor financing or bond financing could be used to spread the cost. Staff also said only about 10% of residents are signed up for organics collection now, which makes splitting the organics service a smaller lift for a bidder.
Council members asked whether residents are complaining enough to justify a full RFP; multiple members said they rarely hear complaints, and several suggested a cautious approach given upcoming budget pressures (fire station, PFAS treatment and other capital needs). Staff noted that contract extensions of up to four years are allowed under council policy, and that a one-year extension could buy time while staff solicited RFP pricing and clarified cart ownership options.
Council members asked practical questions — including whether the city could buy existing WM carts and put new labeling on them — and about the total cost across partner cities (staff said purchasing carts would be in the millions across four cities). Staff said they will return with vendor quotes and a neutral RFP approach that could allow bidders to propose either owning or supplying carts.
What’s next: The council directed staff to collect vendor pricing, explore RFP language that is neutral on cart ownership and report back; no contract extension or purchase was approved at the meeting.
