The tipping fees will be increasing for waste at the Solid Waste Agency in Marion at the start of the fiscal year.

Joe Horaney with Linn County Solid Waste said that weighed tons will be increasing from $48 per ton to $50 per ton for commercial vehicles. For cars and trucks, the rate will remain $22.

“I still say if you are paying for curbside services, it is a lot cheaper just to utilize those,” Horaney said.

Special waste will increase to $70 per ton and bulky waste will go to $80 per ton.

Wood waste will be going up to $32 per ton.

Recycling will still be collected, but Horaney recommended for plastics that people focus solely on number 1 and 2s to be recycled, as there isn’t much of a market for 3-7 recyclables.

“All re c y c l i ng should be clean, dry and empty,” Horaney said.

One change for the agency is they are requesting that any batteries are brought directly to the landfill.

“There are so many alkaline batteries that are getting mixed with lithium these days that when they get crushed or rupture, they cause fires in the landfill,” Horaney said. “We will take all batteries free of charge to be disposed properly.”

One of the new programs that they are implementing is a mattress recycling program, where Willis Dady staff work at breaking down mattresses into foam, metal and other items and help divert those from the landfill at large.

They also have diversion of some furniture that might have been disposed but is in usable condition to go to people who have nothing but could use something like that.

Horaney said that it’s looking like the landfill could continue functioning up to 2037 when it will be completely full, but Linn County Solid Waste will be starting to transition to a transfer station at that point.

“When we do start functioning as a transfer station, our tipping rates are going to reflect the cost of taking on some of those loads of garbage,” Horaney said.