PALMER TWP., Pa. – The Palmer Township Board of Supervisors awarded a solid waste and recycling contract Monday night at the municipal building.
Republic Services won the five-year contract for the “collection and transport” of solid waste and recyclables.
The new contract will maintain the township’s current level of service with weekly collection of solid waste and recycling on the same collection day, using township-issued carts.
In addition, the service includes four bulk item pickups per year, two yard waste collections each year (one in the spring and one in the fall), curbside Christmas tree collection, and an annual metal and appliance pickup.
Among the six bids the township received, Republic offered the lowest bid for the five-year period at $1.459 million, edging out the next lowest bidder, Whitetail Disposal, by $38,000. The third lowest bidder was Waste Management, or WM, at $1.6 million. The other bidders were Anthracite Waste Services, Sanico and J.P. Mascaro & Sons, the latter of which had the highest bid at $2.461 million.
Acceptance and disposal contract
On Feb. 2, supervisors awarded a contract for the the “acceptance and disposal” of solid waste to WM. That five-year pact has an annual $469,200 annual value with a $68 cost per ton. The $68 fee is a 32% increase from the township’s current deal, according to Director of Public Services Phillip Godbout.
The township received one other bid, from Mascaro, which had a $917,000 annual value with a $133 cost per ton amount.
The board also awarded the “acceptance and processing” of recyclable materials contract at that meeting to Mascaro. The deal, for five years, has an annual $193,534 value with an $87.97 cost per ton.
Cost
As part of the Monday night’s new contract award, supervisors approved an adjustment to the quarterly refuse fee. This is the township’s the first rate change since 2020, Godbout said, increasing from $80 per quarter to $120 per quarter to reflect current market conditions and the cost of maintaining the same level of service over the five-year term.
This means the total annual cost will increase per household from $320 to $480, which represents a 50% increase. In addition to hauling and disposal, that rate supports operation of the township recycling and composting facilities, as well as fall leaf collection.
Since last year, township officials cautioned residents that they should expect to see an increase in trash fees, given significant market changes over the past several years.
Palmer is not alone in seeing such hikes in cost. In 2024, Emmaus residents saw their rates increase from $375 to $490-$495. In Allentown, the annual rate went up from $415 to $605.
Industry experts say the combination of increased labor and operating costs, as well as reduced landfill space, have contributed to the rise in costs.
The township’s current contact with WM ends April 30.