Select Board approves new trash & recycling contract with Republic Services

Oct 19

(8-9 minute read)

For residents looking to stay up to date on key town matters, this recap highlights major takeaways from the Select Board meeting held on Thursday, October 16, 2025.

Watch the full meeting here on RCTV’s Youtube page.

Review the full Select Board packet.

Key takeaways

Trash and recycling proposals reviewed: DPW Director Chris Cole presented two proposals for the town’s next trash and recycling contract, set to begin in July 2026, from Waste Management (WM) and Republic Services, with representatives from both companies present.
Republic Services selected: The Board voted 4-0 to approve a contract with Republic Services, which offered the desired services at the most competitive price. The contract includes weekly trash and recycling collection, and reduced fees for burnable bulk and small metal item pickups.
Transition plan: The first year of the contract will feature weekly recycling pickup, with plans to transition to bi-weekly recycling the following year to control costs and give residents time to adapt.

Review of services

The Select Board reviewed a detailed comparison of the two proposals, which can be found on Page 3 of the Select Board packet. While Waste Management offered lower pricing on bulk item pickups, Republic Services provided the best overall contract for standard residential collection.

During the meeting, the board member negotiated with Republic to lower the cost of bulk item removal - from $75 to $30 for small burnable items and from $80 to $40 for small metal items.

Board members were divided on the question of weekly versus bi-weekly recycling collection. Members Carlo Bacci and Karen Rose-Gillis supported moving to bi-weekly recycling to save money, while Melissa Murphy and Chris Haley supported weekly recycling to maintain current services for residents.

The Board ultimately agreed on a compromise: maintain weekly recycling during the first year of the contract, with an option to move to bi-weekly collection afterward. This approach allows flexibility depending on future budget considerations, including a potential override in 2027.

Weekly trash, weekly recycling (no bulk/metal): $2,289,279 in FY27
Weekly trash, bi-weekly recycling (no bulk/metal): $1,872,913 in FY27
Weekly recycling adds about $416,000 annually, with a 5% increase expected in FY28

DPW Director’s notes

DPW Director Chris Cole noted key differences between the proposals:

Republic’s plan would use two trucks for residential trash, dumpster service, and bulk items, while WM proposed separate trucks for residential and bulk collection.
This operational difference could result in more frequent trips to the Re-World incinerator in Haverhill, though Mr. Bacci noted this may not be significant if bulk collection is limited.

Mr. Cole also reminded the Board of past challenges with Republic, referencing “Trashgate” in 2022, when the company took over JRM’s contract and service delays occurred across town.

The FY27 budget anticipated a 20-25% increase in solid waste costs, which the bi-weekly recycling proposal aligns with. Town Accountant Sharon Angstrom confirmed that higher-cost proposals would not be financially sustainable.

Additional notes

The new contract includes liquidated damages for service lapses, with fines ranging from $100 per missed pickup (if not resolved within 24 hours) to $5,000 per incident for improper materials collection. Missing pickup for an entire street of up to 30 houses could result in a $3,000 fine to Republic. The full list of liquidated damages can be found on Page 21 of the Select Board packet.

Each household was issued one trash cart and one recycling cart this past spring, with multifamily units issued extra carts as needed.