A change in trash service is coming to parts of Santa Barbara County starting July 1.
Affected customers were recently notified by mail that Waste Management’s service will be replaced by MarBorg Industries.
The switch comes after the County Board of Supervisors approved a franchise agreement last summer, selecting MarBorg over three other proposers due to their more competitive rates for both residential and commercial customers.
The change will come to unincorporated areas in the Lompoc Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, and Santa Maria Valley.
For long-time residents like Mac Clark, this isn’t the first time the county has changed waste haulers
“Well, since I've been living in this house right now… It's the second time it's changed," Clark said.
Some like Allan Eft have raised key questions about the transition process.
“The only thing I'm concerned about right now is, how do I get the new trash cans?“ Eft asked.
Santa Barbara County officials tell me MarBorg will deliver new curbside bins to North County customers from mid-May through July and will collect the old Waste Management containers.
And as for the most important question...
“They haven't really said if there's going to be a change in the price," said Karen Kreutz, Orcutt resident.
The answer isn’t clear yet.
The Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division tells me that while the change was originally intended to reduce fees for customers, recent increases in tipping fees at the Lompoc and Santa Maria landfills could impact that.
The department is waiting for the County Board of Supervisors meeting on June 4 to determine the new rates and whether they will increase, decrease, or stay the same.
Residents are encouraged to attend the June 4 meeting to provide public comment and ask questions about rates and other concerns
Santa Barbara County officials say the container sizes will be the same as the current Waste Management bins.
