LANSING, Mich — If you live in Lansing, chances are you're familiar with the sight of Granger garbage trucks making their rounds through your neighborhood each week. But that could soon change.
- Lansing City Council is proposing a change that would make the city the sole provider of residential trash services, the city would contract with the highest-bidding waste management company to handle trash collection citywide in addition to the city.
- City officials say the goal is to improve efficiency, reduce costs, cut down on emissions, and limit road damage caused by multiple trash trucks.
- Granger, a long-time local waste company, opposes the proposal, saying it removes residents' freedom to choose and threatens their loyal customer base.
- Both services currently charge around the same rate ($60 every three months), and the proposal will be discussed further at the Lansing Public Safety Committee meeting on August 26.
WATCH: Trash Talk: Lansing city council proposes being the main provider of trash services in the city
A newly proposed amendment introduced at a recent Lansing City Council meeting aims to make the City of Lansing the sole provider of residential trash services, effectively ending the current system that allows residents to choose between the city and private haulers like Granger.
Council President Ryan Kost explained that the motivation behind the amendment is not to exclude companies, but rather to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and clean up the city.
“I don't think the point of this is to ban anyone or wag a finger,” Kost said. “It's about how we can make this more efficient, more fair, cost less for folks, and clean up our city"
Currently, Lansing residents have the option to choose between the city's service and trash companies like Granger. If the amendment passes, that choice would be eliminated. The city would instead contract with the highest-bidding waste management company to handle all trash collection citywide.
The proposal has raised concerns among private haulers, including Granger, a family-owned company that’s served the Lansing area since the 1930s.
“I quite frankly take it a bit personally,” said Keith Granger. “Our family has been part of the Lansing community since the 1930s. We invest a lot back in the community, and we've built a strong and loyal customer base that we certainly don't want to lose.”
While the city argues that the change would help reduce the number of large trucks on the road —and the resulting wear and emissions — Granger employees and loyal customers say the move takes away an important choice.
“That just doesn’t seem right,” said RJ Rubie, a Granger driver.
“You're taking away somebody’s choice. We have customers who’ve been with Granger since the very beginning.”
Both the City of Lansing and Granger currently charge around the same fee: $60 every three months for a standard residential cart. However, city officials argue that consolidating services could lead to lower costs and improved service in the long term.
“You're reducing carbon emissions from four big trucks, you're reducing road damage, and there are a lot of benefits to this,” Kost added. “The cost-saving aspect is significant.”
The amendment will be further discussed during the Lansing Public Safety Committee meeting on August 26. Both the City and Granger are encouraging residents to attend the meeting and share their opinions on the proposal.
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