Renton, WA— After public comment from drivers, residents, and company representatives, and an initial split vote on whether to extend the current contract, the Renton City Council voted 6–1 to approve a new 10-year agreement with Recology King County.
The City’s contract with Republic Services will expire in March 2027. According to the procurement timeline presented to the Utilities Committee on March 2, Recology is scheduled to begin service on April 1, 2027. The agreement is projected at $241 million over ten years and will cover garbage, recycling, and compost collection through March 31, 2037. Solid waste services are funded through customer utility rates.
Rate Changes Presented at Utilities Committee
During a presentation to the Utilities Committee, staff shared projected rate comparisons for 2027 under the proposed Recology contract. Those materials showed residential rates for a standard 35-gallon cart increasing from approximately $32 per month in 2026 to about $38 per month in 2027, or about $6 more. The City states it will be a $4.46 increase. For commercial customers using a four-cubic-yard container, rates were shown increasing from just over $450 per month to about $550 per month.
Councilmembers referenced these projections during debate and discussed how percentage increases were being interpreted. The committee presentation also compared projected rates to neighboring cities, suggesting that while rates would increase, they remain competitive within the regional range.
Workforce Transition Provisions
The Recology contract includes provisions related to current collection workers serving Renton routes.
According to the Utilities Committee presentation, Recology must give hiring preference to collection workers who serviced City routes under the previous contractor and were displaced as a result of the new agreement. Workers will become represented by Teamsters Local 117 or 174 and are to be kept whole regarding pay and benefit accrual rates earned as of the date of displacement. The contract also requires reimbursement of COBRA health care payments during the transition period.
Public Comment Reflected Mixed Views
Public comment included speakers from both companies, as well as residents.
Several Republic Services drivers urged the council to approve a two-year extension of the current contract. Some expressed concern about whether new drivers would know their routes as familiarly as current drivers. Residents supporting an extension cited financial impacts and service experience.
Recology representatives, including company leadership and a lead driver, spoke in support of the new contract. A vice president described Recology as a “100% employee-owned” company and stated that drivers would be able to keep their current routes.
Republic Services representatives reiterated their request for a short-term extension and stated their commitment to improving outreach and communication.
Council Discussion and Vote
Earlier in the day the Utilities Committee issued a majority report recommending a two-year extension with Republic Services and a minority report supporting staff’s recommendation to approve the Recology contract.
Councilmember Kim-Khánh Văn moved to adopt the majority report. Councilmembers then debated cost, service performance, and contract stability. Some members emphasized concerns about rate increases, while others said rates would increase under either option and focused on long-term service improvements. That motion failed on a 3–4 vote.
Following the failed motion, Councilmember James Alberson moved to adopt the minority report and approve the Recology contract. That motion passed 6–1.
Recology will begin providing solid waste services in Renton on April 1, 2027.
Corrected March 13, 2026: An earlier version of this article estimated the monthly rate increase at about $6, based on the city’s published rate increase charts. The City of Renton’s official Instagram account posted on March 9 that the actual increase for residents is $4.46 per month. The article has been updated to reflect the city’s stated figure.
