Medellín Council Approves Residential Waste Collection Overhaul; Monthly Costs to Rise for Households

Medellín's city council approved a sweeping reorganisation of the municipal waste collection system on Wednesday, shifting contracts among three private operators and redirecting collection routes to reach 47 neighbourhoods that currently receive irregular service. The decision, passed 28 to 9, will require households across the city to pay higher waste management fees starting 1 September, though the council says improved frequency and coverage justify the cost increase.

The move comes as city officials grapple with rising operational costs and mounting pressure from residents in peripheral zones. The eastern slope neighbourhoods-including parts of San Alejo, Manrique and Arví-have waited years for reliable pickup. A May 2026 municipal audit found that 38 percent of residents in zones classified as "difficult terrain" received collection fewer than three times weekly, compared to the five-day-per-week standard elsewhere. The council's finance committee documented 2,140 formal complaints about irregular service in the first half of 2026 alone.

For most households, the new fee structure translates to concrete monthly increases. A family in a standard residential unit in Comuna 10 currently pays around 32,000 pesos monthly for waste collection bundled into utility bills. Under the new contract terms, that same household will pay approximately 44,000 pesos. Residents in areas receiving service for the first time will face similar charges. The council has approved a 90-day grace period for families earning below Colombia's minimum monthly wage (currently 1.6 million pesos), deferring increased costs until December.

Service Expansion Trade-off

The expansion carries tangible shifts in daily logistics. Currently, waste trucks in neighbourhoods like Popular, Santo Domingo Savio and Castilla arrive on irregular schedules, forcing residents to store refuse for unpredictable periods. The restructured plan commits operators to twice-weekly collection in all neighbourhoods by month four of the contract and three times weekly by month nine. For families in these areas, that means fewer days managing accumulated garbage, reduced street-level debris, and lower pest exposure during peak summer months-a public health benefit administrators highlighted during council debate.

The finance office estimates the overhaul will cost the city an additional 14.8 billion pesos annually in subsidy payments to operators, drawn from the municipal budget. That represents a 23 percent increase in waste management expenditure. City treasurer Maria Cristina Restrepo confirmed in writing to the council that these costs cannot be fully absorbed by residential fee increases alone; the difference will come from a reallocation within the 2026 operating budget, specifically a 8.3 billion peso reduction in street-lighting maintenance and a 6.5 billion peso deferral of pothole repairs scheduled for August.

Community organisations representing low-income neighbourhoods sought exemptions for residents below the second income quartile, arguing that higher fees would force trade-offs against food and transport costs. The council rejected a full exemption but approved the 90-day deferral noted above. Local advocacy groups say they will monitor implementation in September and request a review if collection quality does not improve within the first two months.

What Comes Next

The three waste operators-Lime Aseo, Espacio Verde and Recolectores del Valle-will begin transition planning immediately. The council expects route assignments to finalise by 18 August. Households will receive official notification of their assigned operator and new collection days by 25 August. A city hotline and online portal will open 1 September to report service failures; residents with unresolved complaints after 48 hours can request fee adjustments through the municipal ombudsperson's office.

The next scheduled council review of the contract performance occurs in January 2027. Until then, residents should expect transition disruptions in early September as trucks retrain to new routes and new crews familiarise themselves with neighbourhood layouts.