Who’s Taking Out the Trash in Santa Barbara’s North County?
Board of Supervisors Approves 10-Year Contract with MarBorg for North County Waste Collection
Waste Management (WM) caps and uniforms dotted the audience at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, where the supervisors unanimously approved a new, 10-year exclusive agreement with MarBorg Industries for solid waste collection in Zone 4 and Zone 5 — covering Santa Ynez Valley and unincorporated areas of Santa Maria and Lompoc.
The locally owned and operated trash hauler’s proposal won out over Waste Management — which currently serves those zones — with the promise of a 5 percent decrease in overall annual rate revenue (including a 4-13 percent reduction in residential rates).
The new contract with MarBorg will go into effect on July 1, 2024, and end on June 30, 2034. MarBorg already provides trash collection services to Zones 1, 2, and 3. With the addition of Zones 4 and 5, MarBorg will have an almost complete monopoly over the Santa Barbara County (potentially excluding cities such as Guadalupe, which may retain its separate contract with WM).
