CHART: Waste Collection Index, Cost of Collection Rose in August
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2014 /3BL Media/ — The cost of waste collection increased 0.8 percent in August 2014 on a seasonally adjusted basis—the third consecutive monthly increase, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index reflects contract prices of waste collectors to any buyer—residential customers, commercial and government.
The full BLS report is available at www.bls.gov/ppi/ppidr201408.pdf.
Over the past 12 months, the cost of waste collection has increased 2.7 percent. Nationally, the costs for services for intermediate demand rose 1.6 percent.
“Haulers have experienced a mixed set of costs,” said Bret Biggers, NW&RA’s director of statistics and standards. “The steel market influenced the garbage and recycling truck indexes, driving up the cost to the hauler. At the same time, haulers have seen their costs of diesel fuel abate to an extent.”
The cost of various trucks, including the manufacture of garbage and recycling trucks, increased between 1.6 and 3.9 percent over the past 12 months, depending upon their size.
However, fuel costs decreased over the same time period. The price of diesel fuel—used heavily in collection vehicles—has decreased 3.9 percent from a year ago, falling 11.5 percent from its previous high in October 2012.
While tipping fees remain substantial costs for haulers, changes in their costs—at both landfills and material recovery facilities (MRFs) —are currently not being collected by BLS. NW&RA has requested for BLS to collect and publish these costs.
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The National Waste & Recycling Association is the trade association that represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that collect and manage garbage, recycling and medical waste, equipment manufacturers and distributors and a variety of other service providers. For more information about NW&RA, visit www.wasterecycling.org.
