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Standard service rates
Garbage
Your monthly waste collection charge is based on the size of your garbage container. You can choose the size that best fits your needs. To change sizes, call your garbage company. Garbage is collected every other week.
| | 20-gallon | 35-gallon | 60-gallon | 90-gallon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $38.40 | $43.80 | $48.85 | $55.70 |
| Weight limit | 60 pounds | 85 pounds | 135 pounds | 175 pounds |
Find rates for every-four-week garbage service and the Westside Terrain Charge area under Rates for all available services.
Recycling and compost
Weekly collection of recycling (paper, metal, and plastic), compost (food and yard waste), and glass recycling is included in the price of garbage service.
| | Recycling (paper, metal, and plastic) | Compost (food and yard waste) | Glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container | 60-gallon blue roll cart | 60-gallon green roll cart | ~15-gallon yellow bin |
| Weight limit | 135 pounds | 135 pounds | 35 pounds |
Financial assistance
Having trouble paying your garbage bill? The City of Portland offers a garbage bill discount for income-qualified customers. The discount is a flat amount, regardless of the size of your garbage cart.
You may also qualify for free additional services:
- Health-related waste: If your household produces extra waste for medical reasons, you can request a larger garbage bin at no extra cost.
- Disability assistance: If you can't roll your bin to the curb, you can request your garbage company collect it from your yard or driveway.
Apply for a garbage bill discount
Extra services
If you rent your home, ask your landlord before setting out extra items, since the charges will show up on their bill.
| | Extra garbage | Extra yard waste | Holiday tree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $7.00 per bag or can | $4.25 per bag, bundle, or can | $5.45 per tree |
| Weight / size limit | 32-gallons / 40 pounds | 30-gallon paper yard waste bag / 40 pounds | 6 feet maximum height |
| Instructions | Set next to your garbage bin on your garbage collection day. | Set next to your green compost bin. | Set next to your green compost bin. |
Have extra cardboard or recycling? There is no additional charge for setting out extra cardboard or recycling. Find out how to properly set out recycling that doesn't fit in your bin.
Request a clean bin: Contact your garbage company to request a clean garbage, compost, or recycling bin. They will drop off a new bin and pick up your old one for $18.35.
Bulky waste collection
For oversized items that don’t fit in your garbage bin, contact your garbage company to schedule a special pickup. Rates are set by the city based on item size. If the item is still usable, consider donating it or giving it away instead.
Rates for all available services
Current rates for all available garbage, recycling and compost services, including on-call service, smallplexes (2-4 residential units), special requests:
View rates for curbside collection of bulky waste that doesn't fit in your garbage bin.
Westside terrain area rates
A Westside Terrain Charge applies to properties in Portland’s hillier westside where low street connectivity, larger lots, and narrow, windy roads increase the costs to collect garbage, recycling, and compost.
To determine if your property is within the Westside Terrain Area, look up your address in Portland Maps. In the Garbage & Recycling section (under “Utilities”), you’ll see “Westside Terrain Area?” followed by “Yes” or “No.”
View Westside Terrain Area rates in the full rates sheet:
What your bill pays for
39% pays for collection of garbage, recycling, and compost. This includes the costs to pick up garbage, recycling, and compost, including salary and benefits for truck drivers, vehicles, fuel, carts, and other collection equipment.
25% pays for garbage disposal and processing of recycling and compost. This includes fees paid to transfer and dump garbage at the landfill (these fees are set in part by our regional government, Metro), to process yard waste and food scraps at a commercial compost facility, and to sort your recycling at a Material Recovery Facility.
19% pays for Garbage and Recycling Companies’ administrative costs. This includes salary and benefits for administrative staff, plus billing, office space, utilities, and other overhead costs.
9.5% pays for Garbage and Recycling Companies’ operating margin. The rate is set so that the system-wide fees allow for an overall targeted operating margin, which includes company profits and taxes. Individual companies are not guaranteed an operating margin unless they continue to provide service for a competitive cost.
8% pays for City of Portland administrative costs. This covers the cost to oversee and regulate the waste collection system; to implement recycling, waste reduction, and sustainability programs in accordance with state and regional requirements and City goals; and to help pay for collection of garbage from public trash cans.
How rates are set
Every year, the City of Portland sets residential garbage, recycling, and compost collection rates based on a thorough evaluation of the costs of providing these services.
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability conducts a rate review to establish fair and equitable rates for franchised garbage and recycling companies to charge for collection of residential garbage, recycling, and compost. The rate review is required by City ordinance and includes analysis by an economist and an independent Certified Professional Accountant (CPA).
To determine the cost of providing service, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability evaluates multiple factors, including labor, equipment and fuel costs, the average weight of garbage in each can size, disposal charges for solid waste and compostables, and the market value and cost to sort recyclables. The City’s franchise agreement ordinance for garbage and recycling service requires rates to recover actual costs plus the City’s franchise fee and the targeted operating (profit) margin. The rates are presented to City Council for review and adoption.
Have a question about a service or fee you don’t see here? Contact us for assistance or look in the full residential garbage and recycling rules.