CHART: Waste Collection Price Index Rose in September, According to Bureau of Labor Statistics
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2014 /3BL Media/ — The cost of waste collection increased by 0.3 percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis, the fourth consecutive monthly increase, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The full BLS report is available at www.bls.gov/ppi/ppidr201409.pdf.
Over the past 12 months, the cost of waste collection has increased 3.0 percent. Nationally, the costs for services for intermediate demand rose 1.5 percent in the past 12 months. The index reflects contract prices of waste collectors to any buyer – residential customers, commercial and government.
“The continuing rise in the cost of steel continues to affect the cost of heavy equipment purchased by the industry,” according to Bret Biggers, NW&RA director, statistics and standards. “On the operation side, haulers gained some reprieve from the four-year low in oil prices and the continued cost decrease in diesel fuel.”
The cost of various trucks, including the manufacture of garbage and recycling trucks, increased between 1.6 and 2.8 percent over the 12 past months, depending upon their size.
However, fuel costs decreased over the past 12 months. Diesel fuel, used heavily in the collection vehicles, has decreased 7.7 percent from a year ago and is 13.8 percent from its previous high in October 2012.
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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.
