For the past year, Alpharetta has absorbed most of a 25% rate increase from their residential waste and recycling vendor, Republic Services. Now beginning with the bills mailed after May 23, customers will notice a $5 per month increase. Customers on a special discounted rate plan for seniors will see a smaller increase.

The new monthly rate for a 95-gallon trash cart has increased from $25.65 to $30.65 and a 68-gallon trash cart goes from $24.28 to $28.93. Seniors will see an increase from $13.29 to $15.91, with the senior exempt rate remaining at zero. Extra 95/68-gallon carts will increase from $7.72 to $9.40 and extra 18-gallon bins will increase from $3.44 to $4.19.

The city notes Republic Services has not increased the city’s rates over the past 10 years of their contract. “Like many businesses, however, they have seen their fuel costs, labor costs, and other costs go up year over year, and those pressures finally put Republic into a position of having to raise our rates last year,” said the city in a statement.