MSW and C and D landfill tipping fees: 2005 solid waste management update [2005]

MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2005 Solid Waste Management Update

Landfill tipping fees across Georgia remain competitive with other Southeastern states. Posted gate rate tipping fees have steadily risen in recent years, but the increasing amount of waste sent to Georgia for disposal indicates the actual contract prices per ton remain attractive to waste hauling companies, compared with our neighboring states.
Annually during the month of July, DCA conducts a phone survey of the landfills in the state to identify their posted "gate rate" tipping fee to calculate regional and statewide average disposal fees. Based upon these surveys, the average tipping fee for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the state rose from $34.95 per ton in 2004 to $35.38 per ton in 2005. It should be noted that the fees reported represent an average of the posted gate rates charged by landfills throughout the state; actual prices paid are frequently lower, sometimes by more than half, depending on volume discounts offered to waste haulers, businesses, and local governments. Also, several large Atlanta landfills significantly increased their posted gate rates in an effort to dissuade customers with small loads.
DCA also tracks tipping fees for Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. C&D tipping fees rose more than $2/ton, from $28.14 per ton in 2004 to $30.21 per ton in 2005.

Remaining MSW Landfill Capacity, FY 2004

North Georgia Georgia Mountains

Coosa Valley
Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
Less than 10 years 10 - 19 years 20 - 29 years 30 years and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh

Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Georgia

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Source: Years of remaining capacity by Regional Development Center was calculated using EPD -supplied average daily tons and cubic yards of remaining capacity, based on 260 operating days per year.

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta
Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

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MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2005 Update

Average Tipping Fees Paid at Georgia MSW Landfills

Region

2005 Average MSW Tipping Fee

Atlanta Regional Commission $40.77

Central Savannah River Area Chattahoochee Flint

$32.79 $30.00

Coastal Georgia

$46.71

Coosa Valley

$32.48

Georgia Mountains

$36.63

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha Lower Chattahoochee

$29.10 $27.50

McIntosh Trail

$31.71

Middle Flint

$37.81

Middle Georgia

$27.04

North Georgia Northeast Georgia

$31.00 $36.63

South Georgia

$31.39

Southeast Georgia

$28.36

Southwest Georgia

$24.60

State of Georgia

$35.38

2004 Average MSW Tipping Fee
$39.32 $34.10 $30.00 $41.61 $31.38 $33.07 $29.39 $27.50 $31.45 $36.02 $27.00 $30.99 $36.68 $33.17 $28.83 $24.60
$34.95

2003 Average MSW Tipping Fee
$34.00 $18.00 $30.00 $43.24 $31.44 $32.08 $29.03 $27.00 $30.79 $35.37 $27.35 $29.99 $35.57 $32.76 $27.98 $24.98
$33.26

Average Tipping Fees Paid at Georgia C&D Landfills

Region

2005 Average

C&D

Tipping Fee

Atlanta Regional Commission $31.46

Central Savannah River Area

$28.78

Chattahoochee Flint

$27.36

Coastal Georgia

$31.34

Coosa Valley

$26.70

Georgia Mountains

$29.99

Heart of Georgia-Altamaha

$24.29

Lower Chattahoochee

$25.00

McIntosh Trail

$26.55

Middle Flint

$22.50

Middle Georgia

$21.64

North Georgia

$ -

Northeast Georgia

$24.78

South Georgia

$24.11

Southeast Georgia

$28.48

Southwest Georgia

$22.2 4

State of Georgia

$30.21

2004 Average C&D
Tipping Fee $29.09 $25.77 $27.67 $29.39 $29.29 $21.45 $24.92 $27.50 $26.55 $31.00 $23.89 $23.78 $26.51 $21.95 $17.92
$28.14

2003 Average C&D
Tipping Fee $23.33 $25.00 $27.28 $30.89 $24.47 $27.53 $21.12 $25.00 $26.55 N/A* $23.23 $30.02 $25.55 $25.66 $22.24 $25.28
$28.16

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional
Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh
Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2005

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh

Trail

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2005

Calculating Weighted Average Tipping Fees
T*oNoaclacnodufniltlsfowr ittohninnathgies RdiDspCarrietipeosrtbeedtwceheanrglianrggea asenpdasrmataellralatnedffoilrlsC, &aDwewiagshttee.d average tipping fee was used. If out -of -county residents or businesses were
charged a higher rate than in-county customers, the higher rate was used. Tipping fees charged for MSW at transfer stations were excluded. When tipping fee rates were reported by volume rather than weight, a ratio of four cubic yards to one ton (4 CY: 1 ton) was used to approximate weight -based rates. Weighted averages were calculated for the area served by each RDC and for the state by multiplying the Average Daily Tons received at each facility (ADT) by the per-ton gate fee, divided by the total ADT for all landfill facilities within each RDC and within the state. The process was repeated for C&D landfills. To avoid double counting, Average Daily Tonnage was assigned to the MSW column for those facilities charging the same rate for MSW and C&D waste. Most facilities charge the same rate for C&D and MSW received, but a significant number do not. In these cases, the landfills were asked to provide an approximate ratio of MSW to C&D waste received. Weighted averages were calculated using the method described above, with the Average Daily Tons reported split accordingly between MSW and C&D. For facilities that reported receiving no C&D waste, their fees were not used in calculating average C&D fees. In all RDCs, this dropped the average C&D fee, in some cases resulting in no C&D average cost for certain RDCs.
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MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2005 Update

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2004

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta
Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh
Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2004

MSW Landfill Tipping Fees, 2003

North Georgia

Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend
$20.00 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 and above

Chattahoochee Flint McIntosh Trail

Lower Chattahoochee

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia
South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2003

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2004

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend $20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh

Trail

Central Savannah River Area

Middle Georgia

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2004

C&D Landfill Tipping Fees, 2003

North Georgia Coosa Valley

Georgia Mountains

Atlanta Regional Commission

Northeast Georgia

Legend N/A $20.00 or less $20.01 - $23.00 $23.01 - $27.00 $27.01 and above

Chattahoochee

Flint

McIntosh

Trail

Middle Georgia

Central Savannah River Area

Lower Chattahoochee
Middle Flint

Heart of Georgia - Altamaha

Coastal Georgia

Southwest Georgia

South Georgia

Southeast Georgia

Source: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management - phone survey, 2003

Data Collection
Telephone calls were made to landfill scale houses and in some cases county commission offices to obtain posted gate rate fees charged at Georgia landfills. Calls were made in mid-July, to 61 landfills accepting Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and 77 landfills accepting Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste. Georgia has one incinerator, one industrial landfill and one monofill that takes only baled carpet waste; these facilities were not included in the calculation of average tipping fees.
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MSW and C&D Landfill Tipping Fees 2005 Update

Landfill Tipping Fees: A Regional Perspective
As reported in Waste News magazine's 2005 Market Handbook, the average landfill tipping fee in Georgia in 2005 was $33.07, with no distinction made between MSW and C&D waste. Ranked 7th lowest in the list of the twelve (12) southeastern states, Georgia's average tipping fee is approximately $0.36 a ton less than the average tipping fee reported in the southeastern states. The prices reported by Waste News in the Northeast are far higher, with a regional average approaching $67 per ton, and a high of more than $86 per ton in the state of New Hampshire.

Southeastern U.S. Landfill

Tipping Fees

State

Average

Cost per Ton

Alabama

$27.01

Arkansas

$28.01

Florida

$36.42

Georgia

$33.07

Kentucky

$32.87

Louisiana

$26.65

Mississippi

$26.81

North Carolina

$32.80

South Carolina

$34.22

Tennessee

$28.96

Virginia

$39.99

West Virginia

$35.44

Southeastern Total

$33.43

Source: Waste News 2005 Market Handbook

Southeastern U.S. Tipping Fees, 2005

Legend
$22.01 - $24.99 $25.00 - $29.99 $30.00 - $34.99 $35.00 - $45.00

KKentucky

WWeesstt VViirrggiinniiaa VViirrggiinniiaa

Arkansas

Tennesseee

AAlabama
Mississippii LLoouuiissiiaannaa

NNoorth CCaarroolliinnaa
South CCaarroolliinnaa GGeorgia

Floriiddaa

Data source: Waste News Magazine, 2005 Markets Handbook Map prepared by: Georgia Department of Community Affairs, 2005

For more information regarding Georgia's solid waste management or for a glossary of terms used in this report, contact the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Environmental Management at 404-679-4940, or online at www.dca.state.ga.us/development/research/programs/swar.asp
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