Three Cart Program

The solid waste service fee is a monthly charge to residents that opt out of the City's Three Cart Program. Only those residents that voluntarily choose not to be part of the City's Three Cart Program will receive the fee. The monthly fee will appear on residents' Lafayette water utility bills starting Nov. 2023. 

The fee will increase each year on Jan. 1 based on the local consumer price index (CPI). From November–December 2023  the solid waste fee will be $15.63. There is no way to predict what the fee will be on Jan. 1, 2024, as the increase will be based on a 12-month average of CPI percentage change from the year before. 

This fee was adopted by Council with the expansion of the City's Three Cart Program in November 2020. In recognition of existing contracts outside of the program, homeowner associations that were not already a part of the program were given a three-year grace period before a solid waste service fee would be imposed on their residents. The three-year grace period ends November 2023.

 Joining the City’s program is optional, but residents and homeowner associations are encouraged to participate to avoid the monthly solid waste fee and enjoy the benefits of participating in the City program, including the spring compost giveaway event, composting of Christmas trees, an annual hard-to-recycle event, and weekly compost collection (starts October 2022).

The fee will primarily be used to administer residential solid waste collection for Lafayette residents and cover costs related to the City’s waste diversion. Besides helping cover those costs, the fee can also be used to for costs related to the City’s waste diversion program, such as educational outreach efforts related to compost, or recycling, or other solid waste topics.

If you are a resident in a homeowner’s association (HOA) please contact your property manager or HOA board to encourage them to switch over to the City's program through Republic Services. 

When switching to the City program, the City and our partner Republic Services need a minimum of three months’ notice to provide adequate communication to residents and deliver carts to ensure a smooth transition. 

The HOA will need to provide the City with: 

• A complete list of addresses in your community (by water meter – the City’s Three Cart Program gets billed to residents on their Lafayette water utility bill)
• Cart choice (Individual household or group (by water meter) cart choice selection)

All communication about collection day, the annual calendar, and what to place into each cart will be mailed directly to the resident. Residents will directly communicate with Republic Services’ customer service on all questions regarding collection, community events, and cart size changes. 

Informational meetings

The City will be hosting an informational meeting on Nov. 2, 2022 to provide a comprehensive overview of transitions, requirements, etc. in partnership with the City’s hauler, Republic Services. 

HOA boards and property managers

We encourage HOA boards or property managers to contact sustainability@lafayetteco.gov to learn more. Staff is available to attend HOA board meetings to provide a tailored approach to your community. 

Benefits of the Three Cart Program

Environmental benefits of the City's Three Cart Program include: 

• fewer trash trucks in neighborhoods (lessening traffic, reducing road damage, and decreasing noise and air pollution)
• supporting the City's waste diversion goals
• less material going to our local landfill by increasing participation in recycling and composting

Encouraging all residents to be a part of the same program helps keep the cost lower and helps ensure equal access to programs through the City partner, Republic Services. Customers will also receive benefits at no additional cost such as:

• collection of five bulky items at an event every fall
• a bulky item collected curbside every quarter 
• curbside branch and leaf collection event twice a year 

Residents will also receive free compost at an annual event, access to a local hard-to-recycle collection event, and be able to place Christmas trees for removal during the months of January-March.