Chapter 28: Solid Waste Collection

In most American communities, the municipal role in the removal of household refuse has grown considerably since the 18th and early 19th centuries, when that task, according to one authority, was left to “unreliable contractors, scavengers, and the pigs” (Yates, 1977, p. 70). Although refuse collection is a popular candidate for intergovernmental and private contracting, even cities choosing one of those options remain heavily involved. They still specify service scope and quality, monitor contract compliance, and retain ultimate responsibility for services.1 In either of the two predominant modes of municipal involvement—direct service delivery or contracting—the municipality has need for a system of performance monitoring.