Republic Services in Colorado Springs: 2026 Review & Fees

Name: Republic Services
Telephone: (719) 633-8709

Independent profile, updated September 2026. We are not affiliated with Republic Services or any hauler.

Who Republic Services is now

Republic Services is one of the two dominant residential trash haulers in Colorado Springs, alongside Waste Connections. It’s a national company headquartered in Phoenix, and its local footprint got a lot bigger on June 1, 2023, when it completed the acquisition of GFL Environmental’s Colorado operations — including the Colorado Springs market. If you were a GFL customer, you’re a Republic customer now, whether or not anyone told you clearly at the time. Even the old GFL local number, (719) 633-8709, now rings through to Republic.

That acquisition matters for context: Colorado Springs has no city-run trash service, and the market has consolidated fast — Republic’s 2023 GFL deal came first, and a wave of further hauler acquisitions has followed since early 2025. Republic absorbed GFL’s entire book of business here, which is a big reason so many households are on Republic today without ever having chosen it.

Services and cart sizes

Republic runs weekly trash pickup with recycling available as an add-on. The standard cart under its best-documented local contract is a 96-gallon trash cart. Republic doesn’t publish its residential cart lineup or pricing for open-market Colorado Springs addresses — you have to call for a quote — so confirm cart size options when you get one.

What it costs

No hauler in Colorado Springs publishes residential rates, and Republic is no exception. But Republic gives us the single best public price benchmark in the region: its municipal contract with Manitou Springs.

Under the 2025–26 Manitou Springs contract, residents pay:

$66.01 per quarter for trash-only service with a 96-gallon cart
$97.28 per quarter with recycling added
$8.26 per quarter senior discount
Annual increases capped at 5%

That works out to roughly $22–32 a month. Be clear-eyed about what this is: a negotiated city-wide contract rate, not what Republic will quote you as an individual Colorado Springs household. Open-market quotes run higher — and until you have a written quote for your address, any individual-rate figure (ours included) is an estimate. Still, the Manitou number is useful leverage. It tells you what Republic is willing to charge when a whole town signs up at once, and it’s why neighborhood group deals work: Pinecliff HOA’s voluntary unified trash program (originally with GFL, now Republic) gets members roughly $11.50/month for trash plus $7.25/month for recycling — by our estimate, about half what individual subscribers typically pay.

One wrinkle for 2026: Colorado’s producer-responsibility recycling law (HB22-1355) begins implementation this year, with producers funding curbside recycling at no cost to residents. Recycling add-on pricing is expected to change market-wide, so double-check the recycling line on any quote.

Fees to watch

Republic’s quoted base rate is not what lands on your bill. Documented add-ons in this market include:

Environmental recovery fee — roughly 18% on top of base
Fuel recovery fee — floating, tied to fuel indexes
Administrative fee

Republic shares this surcharge-stacking pattern with Waste Connections (WM is the exception among the nationals — it has folded environmental charges into its base rates since 2023), and it’s the main reason two neighbors with the “same” service can pay very different totals. Republic also draws heavy complaint volume on BBB about rate increases that customers say showed up without meaningful notice. The Manitou contract’s 5% annual cap doesn’t apply to open-market subscribers — your renewal rate is whatever Republic sets unless you call and push back.

Service area

Republic serves much of the Colorado Springs metro, with coverage broadened by the GFL routes it took over. Exact availability is address-by-address, which is true of every hauler here. You can check which providers serve your area — Republic included — by entering your ZIP in the comparison tool on our homepage.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: big fleet and infrastructure, so a single truck breakdown is less likely to cost you a pickup; online account management and autopay; capable of genuinely low prices under contract or group arrangements, as Manitou and Pinecliff show.

Weaknesses: quote-only pricing, surcharge stacking that we estimate can add 20% or more to the base rate (the environmental recovery fee alone runs around 18%), and a documented pattern of rate-hike complaints. Local independent SOCO Waste, by contrast, publishes its ancillary fees and includes extra bags.

Who Republic is a good fit for

Republic makes the most sense if you value national-scale reliability and online billing, you’re in an HOA or neighborhood that can negotiate a group rate, or you’re willing to call annually and haggle your renewal down using benchmarks like the Manitou contract. If you’d rather have transparent fees from a company that answers a local phone line, a local independent may suit you better. Either way, compare every hauler serving your ZIP before you commit — that’s what the homepage tool is for.

FAQ

How much does Republic Services cost in Colorado Springs? Republic doesn’t publish residential rates; you have to request a quote. The best public benchmark is its Manitou Springs contract: $66.01/quarter for trash-only or $97.28/quarter with recycling (2025–26 rates). Individual open-market quotes run higher — treat any specific individual-rate figure as an estimate until Republic quotes your address — and fuel, environmental, and admin fees get added on top.

Did Republic Services buy GFL in Colorado Springs? Yes. Republic acquired GFL Environmental’s Colorado operations effective June 1, 2023, taking over all of GFL’s Colorado Springs residential customers.

What extra fees does Republic charge? Documented add-ons include an environmental recovery fee (around 18%), a floating fuel recovery fee, and an administrative fee. Ask for an all-in quote in writing before signing up.

Does Republic Services pick up in my neighborhood? Republic covers much of the Colorado Springs metro, but availability is address-specific. Enter your ZIP in our homepage comparison tool to see if Republic and its competitors serve you.