S.F. residents to see a 24% hike in trash fees

San Francisco’s city board overseeing waste management approved a 24 percent increase to residents’ trash collection rates on Wednesday, a hike that’s set to take place over the next three years. 

The final rate is not yet known, but Recology’s current rate for basic service (three bins) is $47 per household. The increase would bring this to about $53 for the upcoming 2026 rate year, though the refuse rate administrator said the new rate could be slightly different because marginal adjustments were approved by the board on Wednesday and have yet to be applied. 

The rates are set in stone for the next three years. The next rate-setting process will start in September 2027. 

The decision marks the end months of back and forth between Recology, the private company that has a monopoly over the city’s trash collection, and the city’s Refuse Rate Board, a designated body within the city controller’s office that has overseen the rate-setting process since 2022. 

The board was created in the wake of a corruption scandal. Mohammed Nuru, the former director of the Department of Public Works, the agency formerly in charge of setting the city’s trash collection rates, agreed to an inflated rate increase in return for favors from Recology. 

Recology’s proposal sparked fierce pushback from residents. Homeowners associations and tenants groups — who typically disagree on policy — have banded together in a team of rivals to oppose the increase.

“I could throw this garbage away myself and make money,” said Sean, who introduced himself as “a small property owner,” at the meeting, which stretched for over three hours. “I’m here to plead with you guys and tell you that it’s difficult for us, and it’s just getting more difficult, especially for the mom and pop guys.”

Aaron Peskin, the former president of the Board of Supervisors, who helped place Proposition F on the ballot, the legislation that created the rate-setting board, also came to the meeting to speak out against the rate hike. “I’m here today as a ratepayer, on behalf of a coalition of tenants, residential property owners and homeowners to formally protest these proposed refuse rate increases for eight years 2026 through 2028.”

But the increase is going through regardless. Board Chair Carmen Chu, after thanking the public for their comments, said it was “not realistic that we will not have any rate increase.” Recology has seen lower revenue than expected over the last couple of years, explained Chu, in part because it overprojected how many people would live in the city. And, as with any other service, the cost of doing business has risen. 

“The rate application before you is the cost to perform the services,” said Evan Boyd, Recology’s regional vice president. He added that the cost of service in San Francisco is in line with elsewhere, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Oakland. 

In January, Recology initially sought a rate increase of 32 percent over three years. Last month, the refuse rates administrator found that proposed rate too high and countered with 28 percent instead, which fell again after more technical adjustments and negotiations. 

The final rate is set to be published by Thursday on the Office of the Refuse Rates Administrator website.