Multiple providers for residential garbage pickup? (HOA, how much, home)
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I was surprised to find out that there are multiple competing residential garbage pick services in Holmdel, NJ (and in other nearby cities).
Capitalism and competition is great, and I generally supported deregulation of electricity and natural gas providers. However, in case of electricity and natural gas, the competing companies all use the same "infrastructure to deliver" -- the last mile to customer.
In case of garbage, each company's truck has to go on all the roads. This increases truck traffic, noise, etc... how is it competitive to have different companies haul my weekly trash and my neighbor's weekly trash?
Anyone (CaptainNJ?) know how this situation developed historically? Why doesn't the city have multiple companies bid, and the best bidder picks up the garbage from entire city? Or break city into multiple neighborhoods, and award separate contracts for each neighborhood?
Overlaying multiple trash companies on same street/neighborhood seems terribly inefficient...
I guess one way to find out if the competition is helpful is to compare what people are paying vs what they pay if its one company for everyone. this is another situation where my HOA covers garbage removal so I don't know the cost (I could check the community's financials to get a cost for the community).
I was surprised to find out that there are multiple competing residential garbage pick services in Holmdel, NJ (and in other nearby cities).
Capitalism and competition is great, and I generally supported deregulation of electricity and natural gas providers. However, in case of electricity and natural gas, the competing companies all use the same "infrastructure to deliver" -- the last mile to customer.
In case of garbage, each company's truck has to go on all the roads. This increases truck traffic, noise, etc... how is it competitive to have different companies haul my weekly trash and my neighbor's weekly trash?
Anyone (CaptainNJ?) know how this situation developed historically? Why doesn't the city have multiple companies bid, and the best bidder picks up the garbage from entire city? Or break city into multiple neighborhoods, and award separate contracts for each neighborhood?Overlaying multiple trash companies on same street/neighborhood seems terribly inefficient...
well, if it was socialism the one company chosen would be the most expensive and they would have paid off the politicians necessary to be selected as the one company.
i checked my community financials to work up a per home per month cost of just under $20. this is kind of like brady's socialist paradise model without the corruption. we basically get bids and take the lowest price (im sure considering quality of work) and use one provider for everyone in the community.
I pay $31 per month for twice a week pickup of a very large (60 gallon, IIRC) container, but there are other providers in the area that charge much more. It pays to find out which trash haulers service your area, and to get a quote from each one.
I pay about $35 per month for twice a week pick up. This also includes an additional charge for backyard pickup which my town requires.
Some towns in NJ do have trash pickup arranged by the town. And while in general, I'm opposed to things like this, trash pickup is something that is necessary to be done this way for the reasons the OP pointed out. There is more waste in having multiple companies drive my street, multiple times a week than there would be in a local government contract with a specific company. Also, the companies that have contracted with towns tend to have a more efficient system. Everyone gets the same large trash can that the truck can pick up and empty with a robotic arm operated by the truck's driver.
I really should sell my extra trash can space to neighbors or at least coordinate to use the same company. My wife and I produce one bag of trash maybe once every other week and still could fit another bag in the trash can. In other words, 75% of the time I have paid for them to come, the can is empty, and the 25% of time it is not, it is only half full.
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