Community Waste Disposal contracted to collect in Southlake, Texas

The city of Southlake, Texas, has approved a contract with Community Waste Disposal (CWD), Dallas, to provide waste and recycling services.

Services will commence Oct. 1 and last five years, the city says.

The contract includes a 50-cent rate increase for residential trash and recycling collection that the city says is necessary to cover the increased cost of “providing enhanced waste management services.” Most commercial rates will remain flat or decrease.

“I can tell you firsthand, and I think I speak on behalf of the mayor, that this group came ready to meet our residents’ needs,” City Council Member Randy Williamson said Aug. 1 when Council unanimously approved the contract. “They have watched prior meetings to see what was on City Council’s minds regarding services and a fair price for those services. We have unique needs, and [CWD] is ready to take on those needs.”

For residents, the contract includes:

• twice-a-week manual trash collection;
• weekly recycling collection with automated side loader carts;
• twice-a-week bulk collection (up to 2 cubic yards per collection); and
• unbundled brush collection (up to 12 cubic yards per year).

Lauren LaNeave, deputy director of public works for the city, said at the meeting that Phoenix-based Republic Services told the city in March 2023 that it would no longer offer the manual collection to Southlake, so City Council asked city staff to explore other options.

“Some new and exciting services that CWD has included in their proposal are curbside household hazardous waste and electronics collection,” she told City Council.

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CWD also includes drop off of bundled brush at its transfer station in Dallas.

City Council member Randy Robbins asked Greg Roemer, founder, president CEO of CWD, how the company's cart cleaning service, which he called “incredible,” works.

Roemer said the firm has its own cart-cleaning truck.

“It tilts the carts upside down [and] sprays hot water with soap in it to clean the cart out,” he explained. “The water is all contained in the vehicle; nothing drips or spills on the ground, and we’re on our way. That’s kind of a needed thing because when you recycle … we encourage you not to bag it. So, you’re throwing bottles and cans in loose, and they leak, and eventually there’s accumulation.”

Roemer said at the meeting that the firm had ordered $8.5 million worth of equipment, including 12 trucks, 10,000 collection carts and 600 steel containers for commercial customers.

“That commitment to that equipment without a signed contract is necessary to have the smooth transition that is needed in the city of Southlake,” he told council. “One advantage of doing business with a privately-held company, where you’re talking to the owners of the company, is that we can make decisions like that. We don’t have to go to a private equity firm or home office.”

Roemer says the firm has transitioned 11 cities in the past five years, a process that CWD General Manager Paul Hansen oversees.

“He is an expert in the transition business, and I want you to feel as comfortable after we leave here tonight as we are that the transition will be … smooth and that it will meet your expectations,” Roemer said.

City Council member Ronell Smith said he’s impressed with some of CWD’s added services.

“I didn’t know I could get excited about trash,” he said. “I was wrong. I didn’t think we could find somebody that would satisfy us beyond what our previous provided had.”

Williamson said, “Republic did a great job for us for a long time, and they should be commended for it.”