The Corvallis City Council and Benton County commissioners have garbage on their minds. Garbage collection rates, that is.

Allied Waste is proposing a 10 percent increase in residential garbage rates for Corvallis residents. County rates, which vary based on the volume and frequency of collection, could rise between 6.8 and 12.7 percent.

Over half of the increases would cover the cost of adding automated trucks and collection carts for curbside recycling service.

“Instead of having someone have to get out and dump the red bin, they’ll have a truck with an arm that will pick it up automatically,” said Steve Rogers, Corvallis public works director.

Of the anticipated 10 percent city rate increase, 6 percent would go toward the recycling program, 3 percent for a cost of living increase and 1 percent more to cover rising landfill charges. County rate increases reflect a similar breakdown.

Tipping rates at the Coffin Butte landfill increased in July by nearly 7 percent, which translates into a 1 percent net cost increase for Allied Waste trash collection. The company is passing that on to residential and commercial customers. Industrial customers pay the actual disposal cost charged by the landfill.

Carol Dion, general manager for Allied Waste of Corvallis, said rates at the Coffin Butte landfill hadn’t previously risen since 2005. Allied Waste last raised garbage collection rates 3 percent in 2006 to reflect higher fuel costs.

If the recycling program is approved, each customer would receive a medium-sized wheeled cart for commingled recycling. The automated collection would begin the week of Jan. 21, with recycling pickup continuing on the same day as garbage collection.

Adding the automated system in the county will allow about 240 homes to begin curbside recycling. Allied currently picks up recyclables from 1,500 homes outside city limits.

The recycle cart is almost twice as big as the cart most Corvallis residents use for garbage collection. Dion said many people use the company’s smaller 35-gallon cart for weekly collection. The big recycling container, she said, might encourage people to find more items to recycle instead of tossing them in the trash.

“I’ll say we hope people will fill it,” Dion said. “With the system we have now, the bins get full and people might just think they’d throw that junk mail away. Now we have capacity.”

Public comment will be heard on the proposed change at both the City Council and county commissioners meetings.

If approved, the increased rates would go into effect in 30 days for Corvallis customers and by Dec. 1 for people in the county.

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