Three Cart Program
The Three Cart Program is a three-cart, volume-based waste collection system:
- Recycle
- Compost
- Trash
The pay-as-you-throw rate structure incentivizes residents to recycle and compost as much as possible while reducing the material placed in garbage carts that will end up at our local landfill.
Visit our Residential Rates page for the October 2021-September 2022 Three Cart Program Rates.
All Lafayette residents who opt out of the City's Three Cart Program through Republic Services will be issued a monthly waste service fee on their Lafayette water utility bill starting Nov. 1, 2023. These changes were adopted by Council as part of Ordinance No. 21, Series 2020.
Learn about the Solid Waste Service Fee
Stay tuned for 2023 informational meeting details
Homeowner association board members, managers, and residents are encouraged to attend to learn about the solid waste service fee, why changes were adopted, and how to transition to the City program.
For any immediate questions, please contact: sustainability@lafayetteco.gov.
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
- Cart choice (Individual household or community cart selection)
- Individual households can select their own cart sizes if they receive an individualized Lafayette water utility bill.
- HOAs that have one central water utility bill for all their residents must provide a community cart selection, individuals may not select their own cart sizes.
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 continue to host informational meetings in 2023 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.