What your $24 sanitation fee actually covers in New Orleans

The big picture: The twice-a-week schedule — and whether residents are already paying for it — was the hot button issue when sanitation director Matt Torri went before City Council recently with his budget proposal.

• Council members say it is one of the most frequent questions they get from constituents and they wanted to know what could be done.
• Bottom line: Adding a second trash pickup each week would cost $12 million more a year, Torri says.
• That seems like "an extremely low priority" during the budget crisis, he says.

Catch up quick: The city permanently switched to once-a-week collection in 2022 under a new contract, Torri says.

• "The strategic decision was made based on value, need and service level," he told council members.

By the numbers: Residents pay $24 per month for sanitation, which includes weekly trash and recycling curbside collection.

• The rate has stayed the same since 2011, Torri says.
• However, costs increased significantly after COVID, so the residential fees don't go as far, he says.

Yes, but: Torri says the amount of residential trash collected on a weekly basis is comparable to twice a week.

• Councilmember Oliver Thomas says he's gotten complaints from constituents about rats and maggots.
• Torri said his department hasn't had widespread complaints, but stressed that residents need to bag their garbage.
• They also should keep leftovers, crawfish and other stinky items in their fridge or freezer until trash day to avoid problems.

Zoom out: Recycling is an issue, too. Under Mayor LaToya Cantrell's proposed budget, curbside recycling would go away due to budget cuts.

• Torri said his concern is if curbside recycling ends, it's hard to bring it back. He mentioned Jefferson Parish, which hasn't had curbside recycling for almost two years.
• Mayor-elect Helena Moreno tells Axios her tentative budget doesn't cut the sanitation department as much as Cantrell's did.

• She's expected to release more details next week.

Meanwhile, city officials are also rethinking how they approach curbside recycling.

• Right now, residents pay for recycling, but they must opt-in and request a bin. Trash haulers get paid for the service whether residents participate or not.
• One proposal, which is being funded with a federal EPA grant, would give everyone a bin and change it to an opt-out system.
• Sidney Torres, owner of IV Waste, told WWL Radio in September that he's against the switch because he thinks residents won't use recycling bins correctly.

The compromise: Torri says officials are looking at a pilot project for the opt-out model.

• About 10,000 households would be given bins and educated about what can and can't be recycled.
• Crews would monitor contamination and participation rates to see if it's successful, Torri says.
• IV Waste, Waste Pro and Richards Disposal would be involved in the pilot, according to a city presentation.

What's next: The proposed recycling changes are on hold until at least January due to the budget crisis, Torri tells us.

• Until then, request a recycling bin via 311.

Go deeper: Sanitation department's 2026 budget proposal