Waste Management Wins Long Beach, Calif., Recycling Contract

Long Beach’s city government will keep Waste Management of Long Beach on as the city’s contractor for recycling services in light of a report declaring city staffers were fair to the three other firms that sought the deal.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to award Waste Management a 10-year contract to collect recyclables from residences across Long Beach. The deal, which goes into effect July 1, calls for the city to pay the firm $3.5 million during its first year, with future payments indexed to inflation.

City staffers, with the advice of a consulting firm, had previously recommended that Waste Management win the contract. Council members, however, voted in late March to wait until an outside party had a chance to examine the city government’s procurement process for signs of unfairness.