Solid Waste Rate Adjustment

• Where can I find the approved solid waste rates?

  The full rate exhibit of the solid waste rates are here.

• Why is the City adjusting solid waste rates?

  This restated and amended agreement ensures the City compliance with Senate Bill 1383 and other unfunded State recycling mandates. This agreement expands civic services and programs to assist residents and businesses. The agreement also includes enhanced quality control measures that ensure quality services are being provided by CR&R Environmental Services. The City’s previous contract provided basic solid waste services under a rate schedule that was increasingly difficult for the franchise hauler to sustain economically due to high labor and equipment costs, capital requirements and increasingly stringent and difficult regulatory demands impacting the solid waste marketplace in California. Additionally, rates have not been sufficient to ensure the financial certainty needed for stabilizing rates in the long term and ensuring that the contractor can make future commitments for labor and equipment needed to provide quality service.

• What updates are in this restated agreement?

  The amended and restated agreement includes the following notable terms:

  1. Includes indemnification clauses protecting the City on State solid waste mandates to ensure CR&R provides protection for the City avoiding the potential fines of $10,000 per day for noncompliance with SB 1383.

  2. Ensures the City shall meet the procurement requirements in SB 1383 in the form of compost, mulch, and recycled natural gas for vehicles.

  3. Provides three full-time compliance coordinators tasked with assisting businesses with solid waste compliance until compliance is reached.

  4. Provides funding for street road mitigation repairs.

  5. Adds four solid waste collection events and an additional second compost giveaway annually.

  6. Expands edible food recovery services to maintain compliance with SB 1383.

  7. Provides additional bulky item collection opportunities for all residential customers at no extra charge. In addition, commercial customers will now receive an initial amount of bulky item collection at no extra charge. 

  8. Offers customers an online platform to accept service requests and request a refund for missed service.

  9. Offers youth programs focusing on recycling at public locations such as the City’s libraries.

• When will the new agreement go into effect?

  The approved agreement authorizes solid waste collection and street sweeping services with CR&R Inc. for 10 years beginning March 1, 2024.

• How does this adjustment help ensure that the City adheres to California’s current solid waste legislation?

  The amended and restated Franchise Agreement ensures city residents and businesses are compliant with State Law by expanding and enhancing required services. There are currently four mandates that are not funded by the State, so costs must continue to be funded through solid waste rates charged to residential and business customers. This adjustment helps ensure the City's compliance with the following legislation:

  1. AB 341: Mandatory Commercial Recycling (AB 341)
  2. AB 1826: Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (AB 1826)
  3. AB 1594: Green Material Used as Alternative Daily Cover (AB 1594)
  4. SB 1383: Short-Lived Climate Pollutants: Organics Waste Methane Emissions Reductions (SB 1383)

   

  For additional resources on compliance assistance please visit cityoforange.org/solidwaste or contact CR&R at (714) 372-8272.

• What is being done towards increasing the efficiency and reliability of CR&R Inc.’s services?

  The new economics of this contract will allow for further replacement of solid waste equipment and improved vehicle maintenance for the length of the Franchise Agreement.  There are also additional quality control provisions that accompany the contract to ensure safety and efficiency. This agreement also allows customers the ability to be refunded for missed or substandard service.