Automatic renewals, fuel recovery fees, and environmental recovery fees are common contract tactics
that can lock customers into higher costs with little transparency. We use clear contract language,
narrow notice windows, and invoice scrutiny to protect you.
Three common fees to watch for:
Container Service Plan — Often added automatically to accounts, this plan lets customers replace
containers at will. It can be useful, but it’s frequently tacked on without discussion.
Fuel and Environmental Fee (19.8% added to the invoice below) Appears on most invoices as a
pass-through for transportation and disposal. In practice, haulers often apply this fee across entire
routes and may recover more than actual fuel costs. Without contractual limits, these charges can
escalate over time.
Environmental Recovery Fee (10% added to the invoice below) is described as a fee added to invoice
charges (excluding taxes) to help recover both direct and indirect costs associated with operating
collection, transfer, landfll, recycling and landfll gas‑to‑energy services nationwide; it is explicitly not a
government‑mandated tax or surcharge. Haulers tell you the fee is intended to support environmentally
sustainable operations and includes an amount designed to achieve an acceptable operating margin.