Dive Brief:
- The commissioner of Clark County, NV told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she believes an ongoing franchise agreement with Republic Services is costing the government money. Republic gives the county 4% of gross monthly revenue from tipping fees at Apex—the county's only landfill—but many haulers are now taking their waste elsewhere due to allegedly high disposal costs.
- Per a 2005 amendment to the contract, Republic is allowed to collect construction and demolition waste while setting tipping fees for its competitors. The company has not disclosed what rate it charges itself.
- A 2015 study commissioned by three of Republic's competitors also indicated that the company may be charging the county more for dumpster service than it does for private customers. Republic currently has exclusive rights to collecting municipal solid waste from county businesses.
Dive Insight:
Multiple haulers interviewed said they're now driving two-and-a-half hours away to the Western Elite landfill in Lincoln County where tipping fees are lower. The manager of one company said it would cost him nearly $300 more to dispose of a full 25-ton truck at Apex versus Western Elite. Apex's posted gate rate is $37.54 per ton, though this can be lower for high-volume customers.
In response to these claims, Tim Oudman, market vice president for Republic Services in Nevada, told the Review-Journal that the company is within its rights to set rates based on what the market will allow. He also said one reason landfill prices have gone up is that Republic needs to recoup its major infrastructure investments at Apex and the closed Sunrise landfill. Oudman declined to disclose details on dumpster pricing.
The 2,200-acre Apex landfill is considered to be one of the country's largest and is estimated to have enough capacity to accept waste until the year 2482. Republic's recently opened $35 million recycling facility is also one of the largest single-stream recycling operations in the country.
