Garbage collection services change today, but users shouldn’t notice

Mon., Nov. 17, 2014

By Kip Hill kiph@spokesman.com (509) 459-5429

Spokane County and its cities have been shuffling for more than a year preparing for a change in ownership of garbage collection services.

Officials say if all goes according to plan, you won’t notice any changes when the system shifts, starting today.

“We sat down with the county,” said Steve Wulf, regional manager of Sunshine Disposal and Recycling, which has contracted with the city of Spokane Valley to collect its trash. “The goal for both of us was to make this as seamless as possible.”

(Editor’s note: This graphic contains an error. Wherever it says “47 cents for each additional pound over a ton,” it should say “47 cents for each additional 20 pounds over a ton.”)

For those who set their garbage on the curb, there will be no changes. Trucks will still come along on their scheduled days and collect trash. For Valley and Liberty Lake residents, where that household trash winds up will be changing. Sunshine will collect the garbage at its landfill site, 2405 N. University Road.

All other municipalities will remain on the regional system, which deposits trash at the Waste-to-Energy Plant at 2900 S. Geiger Blvd.

Self-haulers will be welcome at all four metro-area facilities, including the Waste-to-Energy Plant and Sunshine’s depot as well as the existing transfer stations at 3941 N. Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley and 22123 N. Elk-Chattaroy Road in Colbert. Neither the county nor Sunshine will assess an extra fee for users outside their service area who want to drop off trash.

The hours will change at the county-owned facilities on Sullivan and in Colbert. There, the stations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., 7 days a week. The Sunshine facility and Waste-to-Energy Plant will remain open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, excluding some holidays.

The cheapest option for those looking to deposit regular household waste will be Sunshine’s renovated facility, at $98.15 per ton and a $15.20 minimum charge. The Waste-to-Energy Plant, which will continue to be operated by the city, is slightly more expensive, charging $99.50 per ton and a $15.23 minimum charge. The two transfer stations owned by the county will charge $104.59 per ton through Dec. 31, then will charge $101 per ton beginning Jan. 1, with the same minimum $15.23 charge as the Waste-to-Energy Plant.

The Sullivan Road and Colbert transfer stations will accept single-stream recycling, the only facilities in the area to do so. Recyclable items must be sorted at the Sunshine landfill and Waste-to-Energy Plant.

Other changes will be behind the scenes. Those who violate dumping laws in areas run by the county (everywhere except Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley) may be assessed civil penalties under new measures designed to give the laws teeth. Individuals who violate the county’s dumping laws may be fined $50 in addition to facing a potential criminal misdemeanor, while businesses could be tagged $500 for violations.