What is a waste collection service agreement?
Commercial waste contracts have a reputation for small print: automatic multi-year renewals, surcharges that appear on invoices, and contamination fees nobody saw coming. A plain-English waste collection agreement lets an honest hauler show customers exactly what they're paying for, and gives both sides a fair way to deal with overfilled bins and contaminated recycling.
This template lists each container with its size, waste stream, collection days and monthly price, and where the bins are kept. It covers missed collections, access for the truck, and a list of prohibited materials, noting that local rules decide what must be kept separate. Recycling contamination gets a photographed first warning before any charge. You list the extra charges in full, choose how prices may change, with an annual cap for yearly increases, and the template rules out unlisted surcharges. It also sets the term and renewal, and has the hauler collect its bins and keep waste transfer records.
- Best for
- Independent waste haulers and recycling collectors
- Signed by
- The hauler and the business customer
- Pricing
- Monthly per container, listed extra charges, capped increases
- Length
- About 3 pages
When to use a waste collection service agreement
- General waste and recycling bins for a restaurant
- Food waste carts for a café or grocery store
- A front-load bin and cardboard recycling for a warehouse
- Collection for a small office park or retail strip
- Switching a business from a hauler with automatic renewals
What you fill in
18 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: hauler, customer.
1 The parties
- Hauler (your business)*
- Your phone or email*
- Hauler permit or licence (optional)
- Customer*
- Customer phone or email*
- Service address*
2 The service
- Containers, schedule and monthly price*
- Where the bins are kept*
- Collection window (optional)
3 Charges
- Currency*
- Extra charges*
- Price changes* once a year, by no more than the percentage below, with 30 days' written notice · only to pass on changes in disposal, landfill or government fees, with evidence and 30 days' written notice · no price changes during the initial term
- Annual increase cap (%)
- Invoices payable within (days)*
4 Term
- Start date*
- Initial term (months)*
- After the initial term* continues month to month until either party gives 30 days' written notice · renews for one further term of the same length unless either party gives 60 days' written notice before it ends · ends, unless both parties sign a renewal
- Governing law*
5 Who signs
- Hauler signature and date, job title · The waste collection company.
- Customer signature and date, job title · The business whose waste is collected.
What the waste collection service agreement covers
- Containers and collection
- Access
- What may go in the containers
- Overfilling, contamination and extra charges
- Prices and payment
- Term and termination
- General
Using the waste collection service agreement, step by step
1 List the containers
Enter each bin with its size, waste stream, collection days and monthly price, where the bins are kept, and an optional collection window.
2 Set the extra charges
Edit the pre-filled list of extra pickups, overfill, contamination, blocked access and relocation charges.
3 Price changes and payment
Choose how prices may change, set the annual cap if you choose yearly increases, and the payment terms.
4 Term and send
Set the start date, initial term and renewal, add the governing law and send it to the customer.
Tips before you send it
- Photograph contaminated bins before charging. The template requires a first warning with photographs.
- Walk the route to the bins with the customer before the first pickup, so access problems are found early.
- Check which materials your area requires businesses to recycle or separate, and add bins for them.
- Short renewal terms build trust. Month-to-month after the initial term is the pre-selected option.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Waste collection service agreement: frequently asked questions
Can the hauler add fuel or environmental surcharges?
Not unless they're listed in the agreement or agreed in writing. Price changes follow the option you choose, and a rise beyond that lets the customer leave without charge.
What if prohibited waste goes in a bin?
The hauler may leave the bin unemptied and explain why. The customer pays for lawful removal of prohibited material it put in, and any resulting fines.
What happens if a collection is missed?
If it was within the hauler's control, it collects within one working day of being told, free of charge.
Is there an early termination fee?
No, the template sets none. During the term, either party can end it for a serious breach that isn't put right within 15 days, and the customer can leave if a price rise goes beyond what the agreement allows.
Is the template free?
Yes. It's free with FileIt eSignature, and the customer signs from the email link without an account.