Dive Brief:

• The Labor Department announced that waste hauling costs increased by 0.3% in September.
• This marks the fourth consecutive month hauling costs have risen. 
• According to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, collection costs recorded over the entire year show prices increasing at an annual rate of 3%.

Dive Insight:

The Labor Department index illustrates contract pricing for residential customers, commercial businesses, and government entities. On a national level, costs expanded 1.5% within a 12-month timeframe. 

Bret Biggers, the director of statistics and standards for the National Waste & Recycling Association (NW&RA), attributed rising prices with the higher cost of steel that is used to make equipment for the industry. In addition, waste firms that have been paying slightly higher prices for trucks, whose costs rose between 1.6% to 2.8% in the past 12 months.