Lansing City Council Withdraws Proposal for City-Run Trash Collection

Lansing City Council has withdrawn a proposal that would have made the city the sole provider of curbside trash collection, a move intended to reduce costs, emissions, and road wear caused by multiple private garbage trucks. Council President Ryan Kost acknowledged the initiative failed due to inadequate public outreach and miscommunication, clarifying the plan would have involved a competitive bidding process and allowed some private contractors to operate under city contracts. The proposal faced strong opposition from private waste companies like Granger Waste Services, which argued it would eliminate customer choice and threaten competitive pricing. While the council is not planning to revisit the proposal, they intend to explore improvements to the existing city trash services to enhance convenience and quality. Residents expressed significant feedback during the proposal period, highlighting the importance of community engagement in such policy changes. The city currently operates alongside four private haulers serving over half of Lansing's residential trash customers.