This story is part of Worthington Pulse's coverage of the September 21 City Council meeting. Start with the September 21 meeting recap.
Worthington households will keep their Friday trash, recycling, and yard-waste pickup through 2032, at a rate that remains the lowest among neighboring communities. Council awarded the new five-year collection contract to Local Waste Services, the city's hauler for more than a decade, at $21.74 per household per month (Ordinance 29-2026). A separate question, whether to add citywide curbside food-waste collection for composting, was set aside until October to be weighed against next year's budget.
What the contract covers
The service does not change for residents: weekly Friday collection of trash, recycling, and yard waste, with the familiar 64-gallon recycling tote and large red bin, plus bulk pickup for items like furniture and small demolition debris. The contract covers roughly 5,250 single-family, two-family, and condominium properties; commercial properties arrange their own service. The hauler also collects trash and recycling from city facilities.
Director and City Engineer John Moorehead told council the winning bid, one of two the city received, came in at "the lowest per household per month rate of waste collection in the Central Ohio area."
Why the rate is the lowest around
The reason, Moorehead explained, is how Worthington pays. The city covers the full cost of collection through its operating budget rather than billing residents directly, which means the hauler deals with a single payer instead of thousands of individual accounts. For comparison, he said, Bexley pays $27.91 per household per month, Westerville $28.45, and Gahanna $24.15.
The new rate is a $3 increase over the current $18.74, which adds up to roughly $190,000 per year in the operating budget. Staff said that increase is already accounted for in the budget council will review in the coming weeks. Worthington residents do not currently receive a bill for trash collection because the city pays the total cost. The new contract includes a 'just-in-case' provision that sets a fixed administrative fee if the city ever decided to switch to a resident-paid model. City staff noted this was included for long-term financial flexibility, but they are recommending that the city continue paying the full bill.
Stay connected to what's happening in Worthington, Ohio.
Recent missed pickups
Council members noted service complaints, including a round of missed pickups that surfaced on social media. Moorehead attributed them to new drivers learning routes and said the city communicates directly with the hauler's field supervisor when problems arise. He said the company has an internal process for flagging problem areas that the city will now lean on, and expressed confidence the issues have been addressed. A council member also relayed a resident request for a single, organized way to tip drivers around the holidays rather than leaving cash at the curb; staff said they would look into it.
The composting question, deferred
The second waste item, a contract for curbside food-waste collection sent to composting, was tabled to the October 19 meeting (Ordinance 30-2026). City Manager Robyn Stewart said the only bid option staff considered viable would have the city pay the full cost of the service, an expansion staff wanted council to evaluate alongside the proposed operating budget rather than in isolation.
Under the plan as bid, the hauler would provide participating households a five-gallon bucket and liners, and would take over the food-waste drop-off at the Highland Complex recycling center now served by a separate contractor. A $100,000 grant from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio would offset first-year costs and support resident education. Council members asked how existing drop-off service and the grant would factor in; those figures are expected to be part of the October discussion.
This is one of 2 Worthington Pulse stories from the September 21 city council meeting recap.