Beginning April 1, 2024, the City of North Bend began a new contract for garbage and recycling collection with Recology Waste Zero. The process of selecting our new collection service began in 2022 and was facilitated by Epicenter Services.
How Recology was selected as the City’s new service provider: The City’s 11-year contract with Republic Services expired on March 31, 2023. In preparation for this change, the City began a rigorous procurement process in 2022. The work it takes to procure a new city contract for solid waste collection can take several years.
Upon moving through the procurement process, the City recognized that an increase in rates was unavoidable regardless of the selected service provider. The procurement in 2022 resulted in three bids for solid waste services:
- Waste Management
- Recology
- Republic Services
Of note, Waste Management was most costly. Between the two other bids provided by Recology and Republic Services, there was an approximate three percent difference in cost, with Republic being slightly less. However, the Council carefully reviewed all contracts, considering resident feedback from recent years that reflected citizen dissatisfaction with Republic’s service. Residents reported a recurring lack of support during winter storms and out-of-state union strikes, notably during 2019 and 2022.
The Council wanted a better level of service than Republic Services was providing, and Recology’s solid performance in contract compliance, customer service, community outreach, and education in other communities provided the increased service residents felt was lacking. To learn more about selecting Recology as the City’s new garbage and recycling collection provider, read the March 21, 2023 City Council Agenda Packet.
A brief historical overview on the City’s original contract with Republic Services: The City of North Bend was able to extend its original, uniquely lower cost contract with Republic Services twice, in 2019 and 2021. The contract was originally procured following the 2008 recession, when inflation was dramatically lower compared to today’s economy. For years, North Bend residents have benefitted from lower cost garbage and recycling services compared to most neighboring cities.
Recology as the City of North Bend’s new service provider: On March 21, 2023, the Council approved a 12-year contract with Recology. Recology is an established provider serving 11 cities in the region.
New benefits for North Bend customers include:
- Increased service requirements during labor interruptions
- Credit for services missed after one week of service interruption
- Inclement weather benefits
- Free collection of unflocked, undecorated holiday trees
- Discounted bulky item collection
- Access to the Recology Store/Collection Center in Issaquah
- Local call center with 2-way texting
- More reliable service and lower emissions with new vehicles
- Additional performance fees for unsatisfactory hauler performance
- Additional recycling & composting education
- A 12-year contract which translates to lower rates for customers
- A cap at 5% on inflation-related annual adjustments
We appreciate the community's cooperation and patience during this change. Learn more about your new collection service by visiting Recology’s North Bend webpage. Ways to connect directly with Recology include:
- Calling North Bend Customer Service, at (425) 448-6220
- Emailing North-Bend@recology.com
- Stopping by the Recology Store in Issaquah, located at 317 NW Gilman Blvd, #22
- Texting Recology, at (206) 369-8604
Learn more about the process of selecting the City's new garbage and recycling collection service provider by reading commonly asked questions from our community, with answers from the City. Find "2024 Garbage and Recyling Contract FAQ" by visiting the City's Utilities Billing webpage.