Exclusive analysis completed by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) shows that the Pacific region boasts the highest average tip fees in the country.
EREF maintains a database of 1,637 active Subtitle D MSW landfills across the U.S. This data base was used to develop a sample consisting of nearly 300 landfills that were categorized as large, medium and small. Large landfills process an average of 744,000 tons/year, while medium and small landfills processed 144,000 tons/year and 13,000 tons/year, respectively.
Landfill owners in this sample where then contacted and asked to provide gate rate information on their tip fees. Of those contacted, 117 landfills reported their tip fee information, giving a response rate of roughly 40 percent. The data were then compiled by geographic region and basic statistical information computed.
The data show a national tip fee average of $48.27/ton. However, there was substantial variation given the lowest and highest tip fees ranged from $14.47 to $119.00, respectively. On average, lowest tip fees tended to be in the South Central region of the US while the highest were in the Pacific region.
| Region | States | Average Tip Fee | Std Dev | Min. | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific | AL, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA | $61.20 | $26.43 | $24.00 | $108.00 |
| Northeast | CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV | $58.20 | $21.74 | $17.00 | $114.00 |
| Southeast | AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN | $44.46 | $25.06 | $19.75 | $119.00 |
| Mountains/Plains | CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY | $43.38 | $21.47 | $21.00 | $110.00 |
| Midwest | IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, WI | $39.64 | $16.46 | $14.47 | $85.00 |
| South Central | AR, LA, NM, OK, TX | $36.34 | $20.63 | $16.00 | $72.00 |
| National Average | $48.27 | $23.09 | $14.47 | $119.00 |