Garbage: Comparing Trash Haulers in West St. Paul

Thanks to Southview Animal Hospital and Zak’s Auto Service  for their support.

Prices for residential trash collection can vary wildly in West St. Paul, meaning residents need to be proactive to save money. We explore the different options, research average prices, and compare customer experiences.

Why it matters: The average monthly bill for weekly trash and recycling pickup is $51. Though our research found extremes, ranging from a low of $23 to a high of $104.

How it works: Residential trash service is privately run, though the City of West St. Paul limits the number of licensed trash haulers, only allowing four. Currently those four are Highland Sanitation, Republic Services, Triangle Rubbish, and Waste Management.

Why limit haulers: The four-hauler limit is an attempt to balance pollution and wear and tear on streets with allowing for healthy competition.

Changes?: City-wide organized trash collection—used by Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Maplewood, and others—came up as a topic for West St. Paul City Council last November. But Council members had little interest, so the existing private system will likely continue.

Trash Hauler Comparison

We called the four licensed trash haulers in West St. Paul to get quotes for residential trash and recycling service. Here’s a look at the quoted prices and extras:

	Highland	Republic	Triangle	Waste Management
Monthly price (64-gal trash, recycling & taxes)	$33.95	$28	$27.43	$41
Introductory pricing?	No	Yes	No	Yes
Additional fees?	No	Fuel surcharge included	No	$8.50 admin fee
Setup fee?	No	No	No	$25
Cancellation fee?	No	$39/bin	No	$25
Online discount?	No	Yes	No	Yes

Note: Triangle’s quote was for a 38-gallon recycling bin; Highland charges the same amount for recycling, regardless of bin size.

Real Numbers From West St. Paul Residents

Average bills: But those quoted prices were often misleading. We talked to 34 residents and looked at their actual bills to compare prices (focused on monthly price for weekly trash and recycling pickup, including all regular taxes and fees). We found a vast range.

Customer service: We also conducted an online survey to rate customer service. 165 people responded, rating their overall experience on a scale from one to five, with one being “terrible” and five being “amazing”:

Notes on customer service:

• Haulers: Highland dominated among residents who responded, taking over half the market share (57% of respondents). The other three haulers split the remainder—Republic with 17%, Triangle with 14%, and Waste Management with 12%.
• All fives: A full 100% of customers surveyed rated Triangle’s overall experience as “amazing.”
• Terrible: Only four people rated their overall experience as “terrible.” Two were Republic and two Waste Management customers.
• Rising prices: Many residents commented that prices seem to keep going up.
• Every other week: Multiple Waste Management customers complained about every other week recycling pickup, though they do offer weekly pickup.

How to Save Money on Trash Service

When you’re ready to take out the garbage, there’s a lot you need to know. There are a ton of variables that can make it hard to compare prices. Here are a few tips that might help:

• Complain: If your trash bill is too high, call and complain. Many residents reported calling and getting lower prices. In one case, a resident reported getting their bill cut in half.
• Beware of fees: Republic and Waste Management specifically tack on extra fees such as fuel surcharges. These costs are frequently included in their quotes (and are included in our average prices), but it can make it harder to compare prices. Highland has a $1 fee for paper bills.
• Cost to switch: If you plan to switch haulers, be aware that both Republic and Waste Management charge fees to cancel your service.
• Variable: Both Republic and Waste Management seem to have highly variable pricing. In our sampling, they both had extreme swings in pricing, whereas Highland and Triangle had much more stable pricing.
• Organize: It’s possible to get a discount if a majority of your block has the same hauler. However, we’ve heard reports that those discounts don’t always last or aren’t extended to new neighbors who move in. The City of West St. Paul has resources to help with block organization. Triangle does not offer this discount.
• Bin size: While most haulers quote different prices for different bin sizes, there was little correlation between size and price when we looked at actual customer bills. In fact, the most expensive price we saw had the smallest bin size. One of the cheapest prices we saw from one company had the largest bin size. It might get you a lower quote, but it may not last.
• Annual payment: While most haulers do quarterly billing, in some cases you can do annual billing and get a discount. For example, Triangle offers a 5% discount for annual payment.
• Timing: Another way to save money is to go to with every other week pickup, though it didn’t always seem to impact price when looking at actual customer bills.
• Other discounts: Waste Management offers to waive the admin fee with auto-pay and paperless billing. Customers said Triangle offers a senior discount.
• Contracts: Both Republic and Waste Management offer contracts. In some cases you could get a cheaper rate with a two-year contract, but it wasn’t always clear what prices required a contract and what didn’t. Looking at bills, it was entirely unclear who had a contract and who didn’t.
• Ownership: Both Triangle and Highland are locally-owned haulers, which might contribute to differences in cost and customer service.
• Availability: But small can have its own problems. While Triangle has the lowest price and the best customer ratings, getting service is tricky. Triangle is currently short on 65-gallon bins. We also had a hard time getting someone from Triangle on the phone, and multiple residents reported the same problem.

Data Disclaimers & Disclosures:

• Price data came from looking at specific bills in January 2024 and the monthly cost of trash and recycling pickup for 34 residents (Highland: 11, Republic: 12, Triangle: 5, Waste Management: 6). This is not a statistically proper sampling of the city, so results may vary. Prices include taxes and any regular fees. Note: Waste Management charged several customers a one-time $20 recycling sticker fee based on Dakota County ordinance. Highland charged many customers a $2 credit card processing fee. Since these variables didn’t apply to all customers or all bills, we didn’t include them.
• Customer service data came from an online poll conducted in January 2024. This is not a scientifically accurate poll, so results may vary.
• Full disclosure: At the beginning of this research, Republic was my trash hauler. After a January 1 price increase, they were charging $97 per month. Calling to complain dropped it to $61. Calling around, I got significantly lower quotes and switched to Highland at $34 per month. Triangle offered a lower price, but did not call me back. Republic also charged a $107 cancellation fee.
• Thanks: To everyone who shared their bill or participated in our poll, thank you!

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