Changes In Trash Services for St. Charles Residents

Trash pickup for St. Charles residents will go to once a week next year but the price will drop under a new contract with Allied Waste.

The cost per household will drop to $14.48 a month from the current $18.03 charge. Items to be recycled will continue to be picked up once a week.

The three-year contract allows increases of 5 percent a year in 2010 and 2011.A city committee chose Allied over the only other bidder, FWCD, a partnership of Fred Weber Inc. and Christian Environmental Services. Allied, formerly known as Midwest Waste, has collected St. Charles' trash since 1995.

Plans call for Allied to provide new carts for recyclables of either 65 gallons or 35 gallons, depending on the resident's choice. Those will replace smaller recycling bins distributed in the past.

The city also will require multi-family buildings to begin using Allied under the new contract after their current arrangements with other haulers expire. No freedom of choice here.