By Susan Mead, LOSN Volunteer
The Lake Oswego garbage, recycling and yard debris with food waste rates have increased as of February 2025. The new rates are available to review at the city’s website: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/recycle/garbage
There are several ways you can lower your monthly cost and take advantage of free services:
- If you have weekly service for a 65-gallon or 90-gallon trash roll cart and do not fill it more than half full every week.
SOLUTION: Consider going to a smaller roll cart from what you currently have. A 35-gallon trash roll cart service is almost 50% cheaper than the two largest sizes.
- If you have weekly service for the smallest roll cart (35-gallon) and usually don’t fill it.
SOLUTION: There are two great options if you already have the smallest roll cart. Consider getting a plastic insert in your 35-gallon roll cart to qualify for 20-gallon weekly trash pick-up, saving you 25% over your current bill. Alternatively, you can switch to a pick up of the 35-gallon roll cart once every 4 weeks, saving you over 40% compared to weekly pickup.
- You want to keep weekly service at your current roll-cart size because you put food waste in your yard debris bin and it gets too dirty/stinky.
SOLUTION: Did you know that Republic Services will swap out your yard debris roll cart once a year for free? Additional cleanings are available for a fee, but that fee may be less than you pay monthly for the larger trash roll cart.
- If you travel more than three weeks at a time you can put your trash service on hold for a vacation credit while you are away.
SOLUTION: As long as you reach out to Republic Services ahead of your next service date and inform them of the weeks that you will not need services. You can put your trash/recycling service on hold and receive a vacation credit for the period you are skipping service if you are requesting it for at least three weeks in a row, up to 4 times in a calendar year. Note: Vacation credits will not be applied to Multi-family or Commercial customers.
In any of the scenarios above, the frequency of service and size of the recycling and mixed yard waste roll-carts do not change. Even if you cut your trash service to monthly, the other carts will still be picked up weekly.
- If you need to keep your current size of trash roll cart because so much plastic is not recyclable in the curbside bin. Are there any options for this waste?
SOLUTION: In fact, there are places to take those non-curbside plastics both in Lake Oswego and in nearby jurisdictions. One recently opened location you can bring non-curbside plastics is the James Recycling Depot, located on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. Hours are limited, but they do open one Saturday every month. You can drop off clear plastic bags at nearly every supermarket, as well as clear plastic to-go containers (#1 PET) at any New Seasons location.
Finally, how do you make any of the changes suggested here? You can call Republic Services at 503-636-3011 or 844-737-8254 and request any changes you would like. Please note that the phone customer service hours are 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM Pacific Time Monday through Friday.