Photo from Waste Management website
The Shelby County Commission on July 27 voted to renew the county’s garbage collection contract with Waste Management for unincorporated parts of the county and approved a cost increase that is embedded in the contract.
Starting Oct. 1, the increase for residential customers with one cart and one pickup each week will be $1.16 more per month — from $24.89 to $26.05. Residential customers with two carts will see their cost rise by $1.73 more per month — from $36.90 to $38.63, and residential customers with one cart being picked up twice a week will see their cost increase by $1.71 — from $36.49 to $38.20.
The cost of optional additional carts will go up 60 cents per month — from $12.80 to $13.49, and the cost for yard waste removal will rise $7.54 per month — from $160.45 to $167.99.
The county’s contract with Waste Management allows for annual price increases based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index average cost of water, sewer and trash collective services in U.S. towns. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ calculated Consumer Price Index increase for such services from May 2025 to May 2026 was 4.7%.
In other business Monday, the Shelby County Commission increased the mail-in processing fee for motor vehicle license renewals from $2 to $3 due to the increased cost of postage and substantial increases in the costs associated with processing mail renewals, including envelopes, software, printing and folding equipment and other direct administrative costs comprising the mailing procedure.
That fee has been $2 since 1987, and the increase takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, county officials said.
