The City of Columbia offers commercial (non-residential) recycling services. Businesses can receive dumpsters or roll carts to store recyclable material behind their building and the container(s) would be emptied by a Solid Waste Utility vehicle. The monthly rates are based on material type, container size and collection frequency (see tables below). For example, mixed fiber recycling can be disposed using a 95-gallon roll cart that is emptied one time per week and the cost would be $22.19/month. If you want the roll cart emptied three times per week, it would cost $49.81/month. The cost for recycling is less than the trash rates, so you can save money on your utility bill by adding recycling services and reducing your trash services. Please contact us for help, if needed.
Businesses who do not already have Solid Waste services by the City of Columbia should complete a Property Damage Waiveropens PDF file (sign, print, return).
What we collect
***Commercial recycling rates are added to the monthly utility bill. When you add recycling, please consider reducing trash services!
Mixed Container Collection:
All Plastics (#1-7), except Styrofoam and plastic film/bags
Aluminum Cans
Glass Bottles and Jars
Metal Food Cans
Mixed Container Monthly Rates
CUBIC YARDS
1X PER WK
2X PER WK
3X PER WK
4X PER WK
5X PER WK
6X PER WK
EXTRA COLLECTION
2
$88.73
$138.54
$199.22
$270.77
$353.18
$446.46
$93.50
4
$99.69
$175.01
$268.45
$380.00
$509.67
$657.44
$147.05
6
$116.08
$220.82
$352.72
$511.79
$698.04
$911.46
$213.35
8
$129.71
$261.80
$430.11
$634.65
$875.43
$1,152.44
$277.95
ROLL CART
$22.19
$34.64
$49.81
$67.69
$88.30
$111.61
$23.80
Mixed Fiber Collection:
Cardboard
Office Paper
Newspaper and Inserts
Catalogs and Magazines
Phone Books
Brown Paper Bags
Boxboard and Chipboard
Mixed Fiber Monthly Rates
CUBIC YARDS
1X PER WK
2X PER WK
3X PER WK
4X PER WK
5X PER WK
6X PER WK
EXTRA COLLECTION
2
$88.73
$138.54
$199.22
$270.77
$353.18
$446.46
$93.50
4
$99.69
$175.01
$268.45
$380.00
$509.67
$657.44
$147.05
6
$116.08
$220.82
$352.72
$511.79
$698.04
$911.46
$213.35
8
$129.71
$261.80
$430.11
$634.65
$875.43
$1,152.44
$277.95
ROLL CART
$22.19
$34.64
$49.81
$67.69
$88.30
$111.61
$23.80
Cardboard-only Collection:
> 90% Cardboard
< 10% Mixed Fibers
Cardboard-only Monthly Rates
CUBIC YARDS
1X PER WK
2X PER WK
3X PER WK
4X PER WK
5X PER WK
6X PER WK
EXTRA COLLECTION
2
$83.51
$130.39
$187.50
$254.84
$332.40
$420.20
$88
4
$93.82
$164.71
$252.66
$357.65
$479.69
$618.77
$138.40
6
$109.26
$207.83
$331.98
$481.68
$656.98
$857.84
$200.80
8
$122.08
$246.40
$404.81
$597.32
$823.94
$1,084.65
$261.60
ROLL CART
$20.88
$32.60
$46.88
$63.71
$83.10
$105.05
$22.40
Food Waste Collection:
Fruits and Vegetables
Bread and Grains
Coffee Grounds and Tea Bags
Meat Products
Eggs and Dairy
Garden and Yard Waste
Food Waste Monthly Rates
CUBIC YARDS
1X PER WK
2X PER WK
3X PER WK
EXTRA COLLECTION
2
$88.73
$138.54
$199.22
$93.50
4
$99.69
$175.01
$268.54
$147.05
ROLL CART
$22.19
$34.64
$49.81
$23.80
***Only food waste (no compostable or biodegradable napkins, plates, cups, etc.)
Are there any financial incentives for businesses to add recycling?
Yes. –The commercial recycling services cost 15-20% less than commercial trash services. When a business adds recycling, they are reducing the amount of waste entering their trash dumpster. Therefore, they can reduce the size of the trash dumpster or the number of collects per week to offset the cost of recycling. A business can even save money on their solid waste bill if most of their waste generated is recyclable. Please call the Contact Center for more information: (573) 874-6291.
What recycling service makes the most sense for my business?
The most common recycling service that businesses choose is cardboard-only. This dumpster can include some office paper and newspapers, but > 90% of the material should be cardboard. This service costs less than other types of recycling because the material is mostly pre-sorted. The mixed container recycling is popular for restaurants and bars, and food waste recycling is a new option that we are promoting. Please keep in mind that you can always change the dumpster size or collection frequency at no cost. Some businesses experiment with different recycling options for 1-2 weeks before deciding on a more permanent service.
Does it matter if there is no recycling symbol on a plastic item?
No. –The City of Columbia recycles all plastics except Styrofoam and plastic film/ bags. This means that if you can identify those two exceptions, it does not matter what type of plastic you are trying to recycle.
Should caps be removed from glass or plastic bottles?
The caps or lids on glass bottles/ jars are made of metal. These are not recyclable and should be disposed as trash. This is different from plastic bottles, where the caps should be left on the container to recycle both items. The plastic bottle and cap are often different types of plastic, but they can now be separated mechanically at the processing facility. –The labels can remain attached to glass or plastic containers.
