Residents and businesses in Fullerton will pay more for trash service beginning July 1, 2026, as a new regional disposal agreement drives up county landfill fees far beyond the usual annual inflation adjustment.

The standard residential rate for a single-family or multi-family household will rise from $27.29 to $30.78 a month, an increase of $3.49. Commercial customers with a three-cubic-yard bin picked up once a week will see their rate climb from $239.73 to $263.37, an increase of $23.64. The new charges take effect with the 2026–27 fiscal year.

City officials attribute the jump to two separate factors. The first is a 3.22 percent annual Consumer Price Index adjustment built into Fullerton’s collection contract with Republic Services. The second, and by far the larger, is a 53.11 percent increase in the per-ton disposal rate charged by Orange County Waste & Recycling, or OCWR, to dump waste at county landfills. Those disposal costs are passed directly through to ratepayers, and the city says it has no authority over how the county sets them.

The higher fees stem from a Waste Infrastructure System Enterprise Agreement, known as the WISE Agreement, that the Fullerton City Council approved March 3, 2026. The 10-year deal with the County of Orange runs through June 30, 2036, and sets updated municipal disposal rates. Several other Orange County cities and sanitary districts have signed on to the same regional agreement.

A phased increase in landfill costs

Under the agreement, the county’s landfill disposal rate will rise from the current $43.76 per ton to $67.00 in 2026–27, a roughly 53 percent jump. It then climbs to $74.00 per ton in 2027–28 and $81.00 per ton in 2028–29. Starting in fiscal 2029–30, the rate will adjust each July 1 using a blended inflation index — 60 percent from a national water, sewer and solid waste measure and 40 percent from the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim regional index — which averaged about 4.3 percent a year from 2021 through 2025.

Recycling and organics cart service are not affected. Only refuse, or trash, service carries the landfill disposal charge, according to the city.

*Note: Commercial rates vary by bin size and pickup frequency. See the full FY 2026–27 rate schedule for all service levels.

Why the county says fees are climbing

County officials point to several pressures on a landfill system that receives no tax revenue and must cover all of its costs through disposal fees.

The Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea, one of three active county landfills, is expected to close by 2036. To replace that capacity, the county is expanding the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine and the Prima Deshecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano — projects expected to cost more than $600 million over the life of the agreement.

The county also cites the cost of complying with Senate Bill 1383, the state law requiring California to cut the amount of organic waste sent to landfills by 75 percent. To meet that mandate, the county built new commercial composting facilities at its three active sites and recovers those costs through disposal fees.

Officials add that the previous disposal agreement, in place since 1997, capped annual rate increases at inflation even as labor, equipment, environmental compliance and regulatory expenses rose. Because the system is self-supporting, those accumulated costs must now be recovered through the fees.

*Beginning in FY 2029–30, the rate adjusts each July 1 based on a blended CPI: 60% national Water/Sewer/Solid Waste index + 40% Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim area index. Based on the 2021–2025 average, this blended index ran approximately 4.3% per year.

Cities negotiated down a steeper proposal

The increase could have been larger. The county’s initial 2024 proposal called for an immediate jump to $82 per ton, with rates projected to reach about $107 per ton by 2036. Through negotiations led by the Orange County City Managers Association on behalf of participating jurisdictions, the increase was restructured into the gradual three-year phase-in of $67, $74 and $81 per ton.

The final agreement also includes ratepayer protections. Beginning in 2030, an annual “true-up” review could freeze future inflation adjustments in years when county revenues exceed what is needed to cover costs. If half of the participating cities request it, an independent consultant may review the county’s annual financial findings. Net revenues from out-of-county waste accepted at the landfills are to be split evenly between the county and participating jurisdictions, with Fullerton receiving 4.08 percent of the cities’ portion. Jurisdictions with WISE Agreements also get priority access to disposal capacity if imported waste strains the system.

Signing on time mattered. Jurisdictions that did not join by April 30, 2026, face disposal rates at least 10 percent higher than the contracted rate. Fullerton’s council approval in March secured the lower phased-in rate along with the oversight and revenue-sharing provisions.

What customers should know

Republic Services collection rates may also rise under a separate 2009 agreement that allows the hauler to increase the service portion of the bill by up to 6 percent a year. The company collects the landfill disposal fees and remits them to the county without taking any profit on that portion, the city says.

Commercial rates vary by bin size and pickup frequency, and customers are directed to the full FY 2026–27 rate schedule for other service levels. Questions about the disposal portion of the rates can be directed to OCWR at (714) 834-4000 or info@ocwr.ocgov.com.

TRANSLATED REPUBLIC SERVICES POSTCARD CONTENT

Nuevo ajuste en las tarifas de los servicios de residuos sólidos a partir del 1 de julio de 2026

El 3 de marzo de 2026, el Concejo Municipal de Fullerton aprobó un nuevo Acuerdo del Sistema de Infraestructura de Residuos (WISE) con el Condado de Orange, que establece tarifas actualizadas para la disposición de residuos sólidos municipales por un período de 10 años que finalizará el 30 de junio de 2036. Varias ciudades del condado de Orange también han firmado este acuerdo regional.

A partir del 1 de julio de 2026, aumentarán las tarifas de los servicios de desechos residuos sólidos para los clientes residenciales y comerciales. La tarifa básica residencial para viviendas unifamiliares y multifamiliares aumentará de $27.29 a $30.78, y la tarifa comercial para un contenedor de tres yardas cúbicas con servicio semanal aumentará de $239.73 a $263.37.

El aumento incluye un ajuste del 3.22% basado en el Índice de Precios al Consumidor, conforme al contrato de Servicios de Manejo de Residuos Sólidos de la Ciudad con Republic Services, así como un aumento del 53.11% en las tarifas de disposición en los vertederos del Condado de Orange. Estos costos de disposición son cargos transferidos establecidos por el Condado y reflejan operaciones del vertedero, mantenimiento, infraestructura y requisitos exigidos por el estado. La Ciudad no controla las tarifas de disposición del Condado.

Para preguntas relacionadas con las tarifas de disposición en los vertederos, comuníquese con Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) al (714) 834-4000 o info@ocwr.ocgov.com.

2026년 7월 1일부터 시행되는 새로운 고형폐기물 서비스 요금 조정

2026년 3월 3일, 풀러턴 시의회는 오렌지 카운티와 새로운 WISE(Waste Infrastructure System Enterprise) 협약을 승인하였습니다. 이 협약은 2036년 6월 30일까지 10년간 적용되는 새로운 생활폐기물 매립 처리 요금을 규정하며, 오렌지 카운티의 여러 도시도 이 지역 협약에 참여하고 있습니다. 2026년 7월 1일부터, 주거용 및 상업용 고형폐기물(쓰레기) 서비스 요금이 인상됩니다. 단독주택 및 다세대주택의 기본요금은 월 $27.29에서 $30.78로 인상되며, 주 1회 수거되는 3 세제곱 야드 상업용 컨테이너 요금은 $239.73에서 $263.37로 인상됩니다. 이번 요금 인상에는 Republic Services와 풀러턴시 간의 고형폐기물 처리 계약에 따라 적용되는 3.22% 소비자물가지수(CPI) 조정과, 오렌지 카운티의 53.11% 매립장 처리비 인상이 포함되어 있습니다. 매립장 처리 비용은 오렌지카운티가 결정하는 전가(pass-through)비용으로, 매립장 운영, 유지보수, 기반시설 및 주 정부의 의무 규정 준수에 필요한비용을 반영합니다. 풀러턴시는 오렌지카운티의 폐기물 처리 요금을 결정하거나 통제하지 않습니다. 

매립장 처리 요금에 관한 문의는 아래로 연락해 주시기 바랍니다. 

Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCWR) 

전화: (714) 834-4000 

이메일: info@ocwr.ocgov.com