The world’s most confusing recycling process is about to get more confusing.
After a 50% hike in the price of curbside composting for residents, Longmont City Council will mull whether to subsidize the service.
Backstory:
Following a sanitation rate study in 2025, the City of Longmont opted to raise the price of curbside composting and solid waste. The study found the price change was necessary to adequately fund the services.
Compost charges increased from $6.60 per month to $9.90 per month. The city acknowledged the price spike was significant but added that it hadn’t raised the price since the service began in 2017.
Solid waste charges increased by 9.6% to $26.30 per month.
What might change?
Longmont may reverse the composting price hike and instead, utilize an uncommon method by subsidizing the needed funds of one service by raising the price of another. In this case, the city would increase solid waste charges by 92 cents and keeping composting charges at $6.60 per month.
But, why?
Subsidizing one rate class at the expense of another is uncommon unless it’s for the sake of advancing community goals. In this case, Longmont is trying to increase waste diverted from the landfill.
Longmont is aiming for 75% diversion by 2030. In 2025, it was at 39%.
The downside?
Transparency and equity:
The subsidy muddies the already-pretty-muddy waters of price transparency. People may think the actual cost of solid waste service is higher than it is.
Solid waste customers would be helping to fund a service they may not use.
City council can either keep charges the way they are, or direct staff to move forward with the subsidy.