Part One of this report covers the need to address city waste collection budget deficits, how the SAYT pilot and WasteZero were chosen to help address the deficit, WasteZero and city revenue sharing, and other options to reduce waste collection costs and expand revenue. Part Two, to be published next week, will cover more on deficit components, history, and outlook and planned use of SAYT revenue.
A mandatory year-long Save as You Throw (SAYT) pilot begins January 2026 for all households with city trash service. It is intended to address a growing city waste collection budget deficit that began in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. The decision to address the deficit now was triggered by Prince George’s County landfill trash “tipping” fees rising from $70 to $85 per ton in July 2025 and $90 in July 2026. Landfills’ decreasing capacity and the unpopularity of opening new ones are contributing to rising landfill fees nationwide. City of Greenbelt Sustainability Coordinator Luisa Robles told the Greenbelt City Council in their March 3 worksession that of the county landfill’s three areas, one is full, one is near full and the third will reach capacity within 15 years, when the county would begin exporting trash.
Waste Collection Deficit
A deficit in the solid waste collection account occurred in every fiscal year since 2019, except 2020. Information presented by Public Works to council in March 2025 listed deficits of $50,777 in 2019, $34,842 in 2021, $162,993 in 2022, $270,313 in 2023, $207,800 in 2024 and projected $279,635 for 2026. The deficits were reimbursed annually from the city’s General Fund. Because the General Fund is funded through taxes from all Greenbelters, not only city trash-served homeowners, residents who pay for private waste collection have been subsidizing waste collection for city-served homeowners.
Addressing the Deficit
To address the deficit, council considered raising all served households’ annual fees to around $400, or possibly reducing both trash and costs by charging households according to how much trash they generate (see the March 13 issue). Council asked the Greenbelt Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (Green ACES) for recommendations. After discussions in the May 5 and May 28 worksessions, council chose the SAYT pilot to test charging more to households that generate more trash, and planned to raise awareness of recycling, composting and donation opportunities. On September 8 council unanimously voted to conduct the pilot to “assess the feasibility, effectiveness and public reception of transitioning to a volume-based pricing model to manage residential solid waste.”
How Was WasteZero Chosen?
On September 24, council approved contracting with WasteZero to implement the pilot. Robles told the News Review that she and Green ACES were previously aware of WasteZero, and that she contacted several similar companies which did not respond. Prince George’s County waste service was not considered, she said, because the county previously indicated they would require all Greenbelt Homes, Inc. (GHI) homeowners to place trash cans at curbs. New rules taking effect in January require moving cans from GHI trash closets and enclosures, but not moving them to curbs. GHI’s 1600 units make up approximately 61 percent of the 2,600 households listed in the waste collection budget. Another factor Robles and City Manager Josué Salmerón cited was that the county provides less bulk trash service than Greenbelt.
Revenue Sharing
WasteZero has charged nothing for its work up to this point, including consulting with Green ACES, city staff and council; supporting virtual town halls and information sessions; and coordinating with local stores, Robles told the News Review. WasteZero’s revenue will begin when residents begin purchasing bags and Max Trash stickers.
According to the contract in the September 24 council agenda packet, stores will order cases of 200 bags from WasteZero. Residents will purchase bags in “sleeves” of five bags at sales tax-free prices. Stores will use customer revenue to pay WasteZero, which will retain 21.1 to 24.5 percent and transfer the remaining revenue to the city (see chart on page 1).
City Buildings, Local Businesses
In a March 3 worksession Mayor Emmett Jordan said the city doesn’t charge itself for waste collection in city buildings. Robles said city staff could improve their separation of trash, recyclables and compostables to further reduce trash and landfill fees.
At the same worksession, Robles and Environmental Coordinator Kevin Carpenter-Driscoll reviewed annual rates charged to businesses and churches using city waste service, including $280 for low trash volume businesses, $814 for high volume customers such as restaurants and $335 for churches. Carpenter-Driscoll said the businesses were mostly in Roosevelt Center. He described the rates as low for the region, last reviewed 10 years ago and due for an update.
This month Robles told the News Review that reviewing business and church rates and training city staff to separate trash, recyclables and compostables will begin in 2026 after the start of the SAYT pilot.
Reducing Costs, Expanding Revenue
To help reduce trash and tipping fees, on September 24 council approved $26,205 to subsidize FY2026 collection and composting of food scraps and materials like pizza boxes. Curbside bins cost $10/month and households may share a bin. Alternatively, anyone may take food scraps to a large Buddy Attick Park bin for free.
Salmerón said the city is exploring options to reduce the effort and cost of bulk trash curbside pickup, such as a quarterly collection at Public Works, including homeowner DIY renovation and repair debris.
Combatting Dumping
Another cost he said the city is trying to reduce is from dumping at the Hanover Parkway recycling station, which increases city costs similarly to dumping at the Northway yard waste station. The city added the Hanover Parkway station to serve Greenbelt East residents, only to encounter bulk trash items dumped there. A camera reduced drops of items such as couches and mattresses easily tied to vehicle license plates, but cannot address nonrecyclable items hidden in generic bags untraceable to vehicles. Dumpsters contaminated with non-recyclables incur higher costs than non-contaminated recyclables.
Resident Bill Orleans asked council during several 2025 worksessions to consider expanding waste collection service in Greenbelt, which Salmerón told council that city staff were exploring. This month Salmerón told the News Review of the intent to begin serving and obtaining revenue from new residential customers in FY2027, particularly multifamily buildings.
SAYT Bags, Stickers Available
Save As You Throw (SAYT) bags will be available at the Co-op Supermarket and Beltway Plaza Hardware for purchase from Friday, December 12. Max Trash stickers can now be ordered via the SAYT webpage and in person at the Municipal Building’s nance window. Support will be provided for residents with disabilities and Greenbelt Homes, Inc. (GHI) residents with complicated trash enclosures. Residents with disabilities: The city provides on-premises trash collection for residents physically unable to bring their trash or recycling containers to their curb or remove them from GHI trash closets/enclosures. Instructions for requesting the service are on the SAYT webpage. Required documentation is 1) an image of the person’s ID and 2) an image of their disabled parking tag or a doctor’s note. The doctor’s note only needs to confirm the resident’s physical limitation and not any further medical information. Complicated trash enclosures: Sustainability Coordinator Luisa Robles said the city will work individually with residents with trash enclosures that make it di cult to remove trash cans for pickup. Those individuals should contact Public Works at 301-474-8004. For more information, visit the SAYT webpage: www. greenbeltmd.gov/sayt
