DISPOSAL SERVICES

Tucson Code ch. 15, art. V, div. 4

in effect

Tucson Code § 15-34 Basis for disposal services fees.

Sec. 15-34. Basis for disposal services fees. Fees for disposal services are based on the type of waste, the amount of waste, the type of customer, and the type of service. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08)

Tucson Code § 15-34.1 Disposal services fee requirements.

Sec. 15-34.1. Disposal services fee requirements. Disposal services fees are subject to the requirements of this section and of administrative rules and regulations under this chapter. The disposal fees collected shall be used for the construction, operation, remediation, closure, and post closure maintenance of city disposal facilities. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08)

Tucson Code § 15-34.2 Residential self-haulers.

Sec. 15-34.2. Residential self-haulers. (A) The fee for each load carried in a residential self-haulers vehicle, trailer, or vehicle and trailer combined, and weighing two thousand (2,000) pounds or less shall be the residential self-haul waste disposal fee. For each load weighing more than two thousand (2,000) pounds, the fee shall be an amount equal to the applicable commercial waste disposal fee applied to the weight of the load, prorated and rounded to the nearest dollar. Residential self-haulers shall also be subject to the special handling fee set forth in this chapter, and shall be subject to the unrestrained or uncovered load fee set forth in this chapter in addition to any other fees charged. A deposit may be required upon entry for residential self-haul vehicle loads that, in the judgment of ES staff, may exceed one ton (two thousand (2,000) pounds) in accordance with guidelines established by the director. All fees from residential self-haulers shall be due in cash, or in other form of payment as established by the director, at the time the load is accepted. (B) Recyclable materials and household hazardous waste, as determined by the director, are exempt from disposal fees. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 10674, § 7, 6-2-09, eff. 7-1-09; Ord. No. 11272, § 6, 6-9-15, eff. 7-1-15)

Tucson Code § 15-34.3 Commercial haulers.

Sec. 15-34.3. Commercial haulers. (A) Calculation of disposal fee. The per vehicle fee for disposal shall be the greater of the minimum fee or an amount equal to the applicable disposal fee in section 15-34.7 applied to the weight of the load, or the number of items in the load, as appropriate, prorated and rounded to the nearest dollar. Where the term "minimum fee" is used in this section, it shall mean the minimum designated for the applicable fee in section 15-34.7. (B) Special-handling waste disposal. Special handling fees shall be assessed for the use of personnel, equipment or materials in a manner other than what would ordinarily be required in normal daily landfill operations. (C) Payment. Each commercial hauler shall pay any charge for disposal services at the time and as a condition of receiving the disposal services for which the charge is imposed. Only payments in the form of cash, check or other immediate payment form approved by the director will be accepted subject to reasonable identification requirements, unless the hauler has a disposal service agreement and account in good standing. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 10674, § 7, 6-2-09, eff. 7-1-09; Ord. No. 10796, § 7, 5-25-10, eff. 7-1-10; Ord. No. 10986, § 6, 5-22-12, eff. 7-1-12; Ord. No. 11178, § 4, 6-3-14, eff. 7-4-14; Ord. No. 12254, § 2, 5-19-26, eff. 7-1- 26)

Tucson Code § 15-34.4 Unrestrained or uncovered load fee.

Sec. 15-34.4. Unrestrained or uncovered load fee. In addition to all other charges set forth above, a ten dollar ($10.00) per load fee shall be imposed for any solid waste that, as determined by the director, is not contained within an enclosed vehicle or is not covered and secured. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 12254, § 2, 5-19-26, eff. 7-1-26)

Tucson Code § 15-34.5 Waiver of fee for landfill construction materials.

Sec. 15-34.5. Waiver of fee for landfill construction materials. The director may accept for no fee materials suitable for construction or operational purposes where and when the department's cost to acquire needed materials exceeds the waived fee. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 10674, § 7, 6-2-09, eff. 7-1-09; Ord. No. 10895, § 7, 5-17-11, eff. 7-1-11)

Tucson Code § 15-34.6 Disposal service agreement.

Sec. 15-34.6. Disposal service agreement. Customers who wish to pay for disposal service pursuant to a credit system shall enter into a service agreement with the city. The service agreement shall be signed by the person responsible for using the disposal services. The requirements of section 15-31 shall apply unless the director authorizes otherwise within the service agreement. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 10796, § 8, 5-25-10, eff. 7-1-10; Ord. No. 10986, § 6, 5-22-12, eff. 7-1-12)

Tucson Code § 15-34.7 Disposal services fee schedule.

Sec. 15-34.7. Disposal services fee schedule. DISPOSAL SERVICES FEES Service | Fees DISPOSAL SERVICES FEES Service | Fees Residential self-hauler waste disposal(For loads of 2,000 pounds or less. Commercial waste disposal fees apply for loads over 2,000 pounds.) | FY 2026: $15.00 per load FY 2027: $18.00 per load FY 2028: $19.00 per load FY 2029: $20.00 per load FY 2030: $21.00 per load Residential self-hauler tire disposal | $5.00 per tire (passenger tires only) in addition to other applicable fees Minimum Fee(Applies to all indicated items below) | FY 2026: $15.00 per load FY 2027: $18.00 per load FY 2028: $19.00 per load FY 2029: $20.00 per load FY 2030: $21.00 per load Commercial waste disposal(Minimum Fee applies) | FY 2026: $35.00 per ton FY 2027: $38.00 per ton FY 2028: $41.00 per ton FY 2029: $42.50 per ton FY 2030: $44.00 per ton Green waste (clean load)(Minimum Fee applies) | $30.50 per ton Special-handling waste disposal (Minimum Fee applies) | $120.00 per ton Large carcass disposal (Minimum Fee applies) | $120.00 per ton Additional special handling | $50.00 to $250.00 per hour of special handling activity, depending on needed equipment and staff, in addition to other applicable fees Tire disposal (Minimum Fee applies) | $150.00 per ton, no mixed loads, and no off-road tires Disposal of appliance designed to use refrigerant | $20.00 per appliance in addition to other applicable fees Uncovered load | $10.00 per load in addition to other applicable fees Environmental Fee | $2.00 per load Identification tag fee | $45.00 Household hazardous waste disposal for non-city residents | $15.00 per load Purchase of recycled paint | Published schedule of fees based on most recent costs Disposal of materials under small business waste acceptance program | Published schedule of fees based on most recent disposal costs Special household hazardous waste collection event fees | Published schedule of fees (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 10674, § 7, 6-2-09, eff. 7-1-09; Ord. No. 10796, § 8, 5-25-10, eff. 7-1-10; Ord. No. 10895, § 7, 5-17-11, eff. 7-1-11; Ord. No. 10986, § 6, 5-22-12, eff. 7-1-12; Ord. No. 11087, § 4, 6-18-13, eff. 7-20-13; Ord. No. 11178, § 4, 6-3-14, eff. 7-4-14; Ord. No. 11272, § 6, 6-9-15, eff. 7-1-15; Ord. No. 11377, § 5, 6-21-16, eff. 7-5-16; Ord. No. 11983, § 4, 1-11-23, eff. 2-13-23; Ord. No. 12254, § 2, 5-19-26, eff. 7-1-26)

Tucson Code § 15-34.8 Disposal services contract fee schedule.

Sec. 15-34.8. Disposal services contract fee schedule. The director shall be authorized to enter into multi-year contracts for guaranteed waste disposal by customers. These contracts shall be for a specific quantity of waste at a fee that is equal to or greater than the amount specified in the contract disposal services fee schedule or any adjustments to the fee schedule supported by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The disposal fee for each vehicle load shall be calculated in accordance with section 15-34.3. The customer is required to pay each year the full amount due to the city at the specified fee and guaranteed annual tonnage, whether or not the waste is delivered. The contract may be renewed annually if the specified fee is not changed. The requirements of section 15-31 shall apply unless the director authorizes otherwise within the contract. Where a disposal services contract is in place, the commercial waste disposal fee shall not apply. CONTRACT DISPOSAL FEE SCHEDULE Guaranteed Annual Tonnage | Fee Per Ton CONTRACT DISPOSAL FEE SCHEDULE Guaranteed Annual Tonnage | Fee Per Ton 140,000 | $22.51 60,000 | 24.76 24,500 | 25.89 18,000 | 30.39 15,000 | 31.51 12,500 | 32.64 10,000 | 33.48 9,000 | 33.77 8,000 | 34.33 7,000 | 34.89 6,000 | 35.17 5,000 | 35.73 4,000 | 36.02 3,000 | 36.58 2,000 | 37.14 1,000 | 38.27 (Ord. No. 10654, § 1, 4-21-09, eff. 5-1-09; Ord. No. 10674, § 7, 6-2-09, eff. 7-1-09; Ord. No. 10796, § 8, 5-25-10, eff. 7-1-10; Ord. No. 10986, § 7, 5-22-12, eff. 5-22-12; Ord. No. 11087, § 4, 6-18-13, eff. 7-20-13; Ord. No. 11272, § 6, 6-9-15, eff. 7-1-15; Ord. No. 11596, § 1, 10-23-18, eff. 11-1-18; Ord. No. 11983, § 4, 1-11-23, eff. 2-13-23; Ord. No. 12254, § 2, 5-19-26, eff. 7-1-26)

Tucson Code § 15-34.9 Disposal services fuel surcharge.

Sec. 15-34.9. Disposal services fuel surcharge. A fuel surcharge shall be added to the per-ton fees for disposal services. The surcharge shall be five cents ($0.05) per ton for each ten cents ($0.10) of city fuel price above three dollars and thirty cents ($3.30) per gallon. The surcharge shall be revised every three (3) months based on the updated city fuel price. (Ord. No. 10796, § 8, 5-25-10, eff. 7-1-10; Ord. No. 10895, § 7, 5-17-11, eff. 7-1-11)

Tucson Code § 15-35 Exemption of fees for waste residue from nonprofit recycling establishments.

Sec. 15-35. Exemption of fees for waste residue from nonprofit recycling establishments. (A) Any nonprofit recycling establishment may apply to the director for an exemption from payment of fees for city collection or disposal services for residual solid waste resulting directly from the establishment's recycling activities. The exemption for each establishment, regardless of the number of locations, shall be limited to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per calendar year. (B) To qualify as a nonprofit recycling establishment, an organization shall: (1) Hold tax-exempt status under 206 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)3: (2) Engage in active and continual operation of a program of acceptance or collection of goods and materials, that would otherwise be discarded as solid waste, for recycling, whether through resale or other redistribution by the organization, which program results in accumulations of non-reusable goods or materials that must be disposed of at city disposal facilities; (3) Does not have and will not enter into a recycling franchise agreement or similar arrangement with any non-profit or for-profit organization, the beneficiaries of which are other than the organization applying for exemption; (4) Does not dispose of residual solid waste resulting from goods or materials imported from outside Pima County; (5) Does not support religious activities with the recycling activities; and (6) Clearly separate residual solid waste from solid waste generated by a process other than the establishment's recycling activities. (C) To obtain the exemption, an organization shall submit an application, established by the director, to demonstrate and certify compliance with these requirements. Upon determination by the director that an organization meets the requirements, the director shall issue a certificate of exemption from fees for collection and disposal services. The director may require annual renewal applications and additional evidence of compliance with requirements. (D) The director may at any time give notice in writing to an organization of intent to revoke its exemption for cause, which shall consist of failure to adhere to or fulfill the requirements of this section. The organization can appeal the revocation in writing to the director within ten (10) days, and be granted an administrative hearing. The director shall render a decision in writing. The decision of the director is final. (Ord. No. 10539, § 5, 6-3-08, eff. 7-1-08; Ord. No. 10674, § 7, 6-2-09, eff. 7-1-09)

Source: City of Tucson, Tucson Code (Charter and General Ordinances) and Unified Development Code (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/tucson/latest/tucson_az/0-0-0-10885Fetched: 10/28/2026