Waste Management is the exclusive hauler for the city of Rolling Hills Estates.

Upon the conclusion of a 13-year exclusive franchise agreement with Waste Management, the City Council approved a renegotiated exclusive franchise agreement with Waste Management, effective October 1, 2018, for residential and commercial solid waste, recycling, organic and construction debris collection services.

The State of California continues to implement new recycling regulations and diversion goals, which have affected the costs associated with solid waste collection service. In order to meet these new requirements, the City of Rolling Hills Estates’ Municipal Code established that collection services be exclusive with any contractor that enters into an agreement with the City.

The City’s Solid Waste Collection Services Franchise Agreement (See Article 1.19 and 3.01.) grants the exclusive right to Waste Management to provide  collection services, which is defined under as including Single Family Dwelling Collection Service, Commercial Collection Service and Temporary Construction and Demolition Debris Service.

The collection days are Monday, Wednesday or Thursday depending on the neighborhood you live in. Residential waste, recycling and green/organic waste will still be collected all on one service day. 

Click here to view route changes.

Check out Waste Management's Winter 2022 Newsletter

 The City is excited to share that organic waste recycling is here!

At its April 13 meeting, City Council approved an amendment with our contracted waste hauler, Waste Management, to address the need for an organic waste recycling service. In 2017, organic waste comprised two thirds of California's waste stream (18% food). We are happy to begin introducing you to this new service which will help reduce greenhouse gases produced by kitchen waste and remain in compliance with California State regulations.
 
Months of planning and discussions culminated into an amendment that will see minimal rate changes to our three service areas-- Residential, Manure Collection, and Commercial businesses. Residents will see an increase +/-$3 per month for regular service. Manure customers will recognize an increase between $8-$20 per month based on size and frequency of collection, after recognizing a rate freeze from July 2020 to June 2021. Commercial rates are set comparable to the market rate, now also having landscape greenwaste service available as well as continued organic waste recycling. Rates effective July 1, 2021 can be viewed below.
 
Passed by the California legislature in 2015, organic waste recycling has been required for commercial businesses and multifamily dwelling units since 2016. The State requires that residential users begin organic waste recycling by January 1, 2022. In partnership with Waste Management, the City will be rolling out the program by providing food waste pails for all residents by the end of June 2021, for July 1, 2021 implementation. The ease of the new process is also worth noting, and will require little effort- placing food waste in a paper lined pail, and adding to your current green waste cart! It's that simple!

To report missed pick up, visit here: https://www.wm.com/us/en/support/missed-service/report-a-missed-pickup-form

For more information about the services offered by Waste Management, visit www.keepingrheclean.wm.com.

Should any questions or concerns arise please contact the City of Rolling Hills Estates at (310) 377-1577 OR  Waste Management at (800) 774-0222.

Click here to download your Residential, Manure, Commercial and Construction Rates or see the rate sheets below: 

Residential & Equestrian Customers

Residents in the City benefit from a higher level of service than residents in surrounding communities. In addition to the standard collection of garbage, green waste, and recycling containers, the following are provided to residents in the City.

• Up to four green waste carts and unlimited recycling carts at no additional charge
• On-call curbside collection of bulky items up to four times a year (Click here to schedule your bulky item pick up today)
• At-your-door special collection for household hazardous waste (Click here, to schedule your easy and convenient home collection services)
• Residential collection occurs once per week on Wednesday to reduce collection vehicle traffic and provide a uniform Citywide schedule
• On-Premises Collection Service (additional charge or free for those that qualify)
• Manure collection program (additional charge)
• Enhanced public education and outreach events
• Uniform labeling and coloring of collection carts
• Recycling Hero, a quarterly drawing to award customers for their outstanding recycling efforts. Winners receive 1-year of free service!

Commercial Customers

Business customers benefit from a higher level of service than businesses in surrounding communities. Base monthly rates include services to help businesses meet state regulations by offering each business that subscribes to garbage collection, one 96-gallon recycling cart and one 64-gallon organic collection cart at no additional cost. A brand NEW program for businesses is the Recycling Hero Program, which recognizes customers for outstanding participation in recycling and organics diversion programs by awarding one recipient per quarter with 1-year of free waste service!

Waste Hauling Agreement

Waste Hauling Amendment

Holiday Collection Schedule

Waste Management Manure Rate Increase 

Manure Hauling in Rolling Hills Estates

Frequently asked questions and answers from Waste Management

Download the FAQ here. 

Why are we seeing manure rates increase?

 There are many costs associated with the proper, safe and environmentally compliant handling of manure. Some of the most notable costs that are factored into the rates include collection, transportation and third-party composter costs. Over the years, the number of third-party composters that handle this material has also decreased. Prior to the currently approved rates by the City, manure rates were regionally extremely low and operating costs exceeded previous pricing structure.

It seems different people are paying different rates for the same size bins. Why is this?

Charges are based on the bin size and collection frequency, which could be different if for example, neighbor A receives service twice per week and neighbor B receives service once per week.

Is there anything horse owners can do to help reduce the cost of the manure disposal services?
Requesting a waste assessment from a Waste Management representative to review right collection container size and service frequency is one of the ways to identify possible cost-savings. Additional measures include opting to bin share among neighbors to share costs.

What happens to the manure after you pick it up? Where is it taken?

Once manure is collected, it is taken to the Waste Management Carson Transfer Station. From there, the manure is transferred to Viramontes in the City of Chino where it is composted. Taking the material to the Transfer Station first and then transporting it in larger volumes via large trailer trucks is more cost effective than directly transporting the material to Chino once it is collected.

Is any of the manure composted?

Yes, all clean, non-contaminated manure collected by Waste Management in Rolling Hills Estates is composted.

Can Waste Management help residents set up their own composting programs?

Unfortunately, since manure is highly regulated no composting program currently
exists.

Are there any reasons why it would be inadvisable to compost then spread our horses manure around our
own properties?

Manure contains microorganisms that are naturally present in the gut of an animal, some of which are pathogenic. Some
pathogens in manure are zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted between animals and humans. When these pathogens are transferred to humans, they can cause illness (e.g. Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, Listeria). Regulated commercial compost facilities are required to Process To Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP). These standards require composting feedstock piles to reach 131 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 consecutive days. While home composting systems are great for reducing waste from backyard green waste and table scraps, they simply cannot reach these temperatures in order for PFRP.

Additionally, in keeping compliance with the City’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention program the City of Rolling Hills Estates and neighboring cities on the Peninsula must take special measures to target and eliminate the discharge of specific pollutants: trash, bacteria, nitrogen and phosphorous. As a result, the City commits resources and has established policies to protect the quality of our local waters from urban runoff and direct pollution.
The Peninsula agencies are striving to meet required nitrogen and phosphorus limits in the stormwater that flows off the
Peninsula. Both nitrogen and phosphorous can cause algae blooms and subsequent die-off which depletes oxygen in the
water and harms aquatic life. Nitrogen and phosphorus from manure that is not properly maintained can be especially
problematic. Therefore, the City’s solid waste ordinance requires that composted manure be contained within an enclosed container.

Phosphorus is not reduced by composting. Nitrogen is converted in form when composted (from ammonia to nitrates or
organic nitrogen), but total nitrogen which is what the Peninsula agencies have to monitor, is not significantly reduced by
composting. While both “nutrients” remain in the composted manure and can be used as fertilizer, the City’s experience is that many properties have more fertilizer than can be used for their own property. As a result, these excess amounts often end up in stormwater contributing toward exceeding allowable limits.

Additionally, the City has addressed concerns with residents who do not use manure compost properly resulting in violations of health code and city ordinance (i.e. spreading it on the ground, dumping it in canyons, etc). The City staff continues to educate the community on proper manure disposal and composting through its public outreach and code compliance efforts.

To help alleviate concerns of manure entering into the storm drain system, the City strongly encourages residents to utilize the services of the contracted waste hauler, Waste Management, so that the manure can be sent to a commercial composting facility where it can be appropriately recycled.

Could we have a community forum to discuss these issues with the equestrian community in general?

Prior to the new rate structure approval by City Council, members of the City Council and Equestrian Committee and
Community met to discuss changes to the manure program pricing. The City of Rolling Hills Estates Equestrian
Committee“reviews and advises the City Council on specific items of concern within the City’s equestrian community,
including the use of horse arenas and trails.”

How do Waste Management rates compare with other local trash collection companies? It seems that they
are much higher based on a casual perusal of the internet.

WM’s rates are regionally competitive for services offered in RHE. There are a number of programs which WM operates for the City of Rolling Hills Estates and it’s residential and business communities to ensure compliance with local and state regulations. From running smaller, lighter trucks in the city to comply with RHE municipal code weight restrictions, to utilizing the most technologically advanced materials recovery facilities (MRFs) yielding higher recovery rates and
participating in energy transformation programs to increase diversion. It is important to note that on the surface rates may be deceiving because solid waste programs are often not equal and hard to compare.

How much higher will our manure rates increase?

Manure rates saw out of the ordinary increases to recover costs within the new contract effective November 2018. These increase were effective November 2018, July 2019 and July 2020. Beginning July 2021, rate increases will be based on regular CPI adjustments.