Do single hauler contracts cause rates to increase for households or reduce the services they get because there is less competition?

Single-hauler contracts typically result in lower prices for households (because of economies of scale, and hauler desire to be awarded all homes in a town)14. Attaching CPI or other inflators keeps the rates lower. In most cases the loss of household choice of hauler is balanced by an increase in services for households, greater safety in neighborhoods, a reduction in traffic and noise caused by collection vehicles, and a reduction in road damage and less pollution. Under a bid competition, haulers often add services to “sweeten the pot” for the contract, resulting in value added services for all households.