By 1808Delaware
Worthington residents will keep putting trash, recycling, and yard waste at the curb on Fridays under a newly approved collection contract. City Council passed Ordinance 29-2026 on September 21, authorizing a new agreement with Local Waste Services. The winning bid sets the collection price at $21.74 per household per month. The ordinance takes effect October 14, and the existing contract expires December 31. Read the adopted ordinance. worthington.org
The Service Stays Familiar
The city currently provides weekly collection to single-family homes, two-family homes, and condominiums. Apartments and commercial properties make their own arrangements. Friday service runs from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with residents asked to place material at the curb no later than 6:00 AM. Trash, recycling, and yard waste are included, along with bulk pickup for certain larger items.
Those basics are expected to continue under the five-year agreement. Local Waste Services has handled Worthington collection for more than a decade, and the new contract covers approximately 5,250 residential properties as well as city facilities.
The city’s waste-collection page provides the current schedule, preparation rules, and contacts for missed pickups. Worthington, OH – Official Website
A Higher Rate Without A Household Bill
The new price is $3 more than the current $18.74 monthly rate. That increase will add roughly $190,000 a year to Worthington’s operating budget, according to a Worthington Pulse account of the council action. Residents do not receive individual trash bills because the city pays the contractor from its operating budget. City staff recommended continuing that approach.
Service and Engineering Director John Moorehead told council the accepted bid was the lowest household collection rate in Central Ohio. The city received two bids before choosing Local Waste Services as the lowest and best responsible bidder. worthington.org
The ordinance authorizes the contract but does not change the rules for what belongs in trash, recycling, or yard waste. Those requirements remain important because a new hauler agreement does not make every discarded item eligible for curbside collection.
Composting Waits For Another Meeting
A separate proposal for citywide curbside food-waste collection was not approved with the trash contract. Council postponed that decision until October 19 so the potential cost could be considered with the 2027 operating budget. The proposal under review would supply participating households with five-gallon buckets and liners while continuing a food-scrap option now available through the Highland Complex drop-off site. A $100,000 Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio grant could offset first-year costs, but council has not committed the city to the program. Until it acts, curbside composting remains a proposal rather than a new service. Worthington Pulse For most households, the immediate message is simpler. Friday remains collection day, Local Waste Services remains the contractor, and the city will absorb a higher per-household rate when the next agreement begins.
