HANOVER, Pa. — Taking out the trash is becoming an increasingly expensive chore for Kenneth Dohm and his family.
“We tried storing it, compact different, recycle different, just trying to make things more efficient for us," said Dohm, who lives in Penn Township, York County. "But nothing seemed to work.”
Dohm says he and his neighbors are required to buy trash bags from Penn Township. Since December, he says the price has risen from $3 per bag to $6.
He said that cost is difficult for a family of four.
“If you put three bags out, that’s almost 20 dollars a week that you’re literally throwing away," said Dohm.
Dohm says he switched to Handy Dandy Dumpster out of Glen Rock, York County to avoid the bag fees. However, he recently received a warning from Penn Township, which said that he can’t switch trash collectors.
“We’ve lived here for two years, and we didn’t know we couldn’t switch," said Dohm. "We came from Hanover, where you’re allowed to switch different trash companies, and we figured it was the same [in Penn Township."
Joe Buell, who is the owner of Handy Dandy Dumpster, said his office is getting more calls from people in Penn Township regarding its bag fees.
“That is the only area that I’m aware of that does that," said Buell. "I don’t know of any other area that does a pay-by-bag collection.”
Buell added that other municipalities are also seeing an increase in trash service fees, due to higher collection costs.
“From garbage trucks, to flatbeds, to roll-off trucks; dumpsters are going up, trash cans are going up, everything is up, up, up," said Buell.
He says all the cost factors add up as local governments draw up disposal contracts.
“There’s so much that goes into that can or bag being picked up every day or every week at your house," said Buell.
FOX43 stopped by the Penn Township office and called township officials, but no one would comment about the higher trash fees.