Waste contract glossary
The words on hauling agreements and invoices, in plain English. Where a term has its own page, the definition links to it.
- Agreed (consensual) adjustment
- A price increase for a reason not listed in the agreement, which takes effect unless the customer objects within a set period, often 30 days. Some terms treat continuing to pay as consent. More
- Automatic renewal (evergreen clause)
- A term that renews the agreement at the end of each term unless one party gives notice within the window the agreement sets. More
- Compactor
- Equipment that compresses waste into a container, either a self-contained unit or a stationary compactor with a receiver box, hauled like a roll-off. More
- Contamination charge
- A charge for material placed in a container meant for something else, such as trash in a recycling container. More
- Cubic yard
- The unit container sizes are measured in: a cube three feet on each side, about 202 US gallons.
- Dry run
- A trip where the truck arrives but can't service the container, for example because it is blocked or overloaded. Often charged per trip. More
- Environmental charge / environmental recovery fee
- A percentage fee set by the hauler and added to the invoice. It is not a government tax. More
- Exclusive right
- A clause giving the hauler the sole right to collect the waste at the listed sites during the term. More
- Franchise (waste franchise)
- An arrangement where a city or county grants one or more haulers the right to serve an area, often with regulated rates and terms that override the hauler's own. More
- Front-load container
- A dumpster, usually 1 to 8 cubic yards, lifted over the cab of a front-loading truck on a fixed schedule. More
- Fuel surcharge / fuel recovery fee
- A percentage fee that changes with the price of diesel, usually read from a table keyed to the EIA weekly on-highway diesel price. More
- Haul (pull) charge
- The charge for emptying a roll-off or compactor container once, usually billed with disposal by the ton. More
- Initial term
- The first period of the agreement, often 36 or 60 months, usually starting when service starts.
- Liquidated damages
- A charge, set in advance by formula, for ending the agreement before the end of a term. More
- Minimum lift charge
- A charge when a container is not emptied as often as the agreement assumes, common on roll-offs. More
- Non-conforming waste
- Material the agreement doesn't cover or the disposal site won't accept. Liability and costs for it usually stay with the customer. More
- Notice window
- The period before a term ends during which notice of non-renewal or termination takes effect, for example not more than 180 and not less than 90 days before the end. More
- Overage
- Waste above a container's capacity, typically when the lid won't close, charged per occurrence. More
- Renewal term
- Each period the agreement runs after the initial term when it renews automatically.
- Rider
- A short addendum signed by both parties that adds to or overrides the main agreement. More
- Right of first refusal (right to match)
- A clause requiring the customer to show the hauler a competitor's offer and let it match before accepting. More
- Roll-off container
- A large open-top container, commonly 20, 30 or 40 cubic yards, rolled onto a truck and hauled to the disposal site when full. More
- Service details (service summary)
- The page of the agreement that lists the sites, containers, frequency, rates and start date. More
- Tipping fee
- The charge per ton at a landfill or transfer station, passed through in roll-off and compactor pricing.