SOCO Waste Review: Colorado Springs Trash Service (2026)

Name: SOCO Waste
Telephone: (719) 357-8855

This is an independent profile. We’re not affiliated with SOCO Waste and they don’t pay us for placement.

Who SOCO Waste is

SOCO Waste is a family-owned, independent trash hauler based in Colorado Springs, reachable at (719) 357-8855 or socowaste.com. In a market that has consolidated hard — especially since early 2025 — that makes them increasingly rare. Carefree Disposal was absorbed by Apex Waste Solutions (which had already picked up Infinite Disposal back in 2023), HBS Trash sold its residential routes to WM in June 2026 and kept only its roll-off business, and GFL’s Colorado operations went to Republic Services back in 2023. SOCO is one of the last independent local names still picking up residential carts in the Springs.

Because Colorado Springs has no municipal trash service — city code makes disposal each household’s responsibility — you’re choosing among private haulers either way. SOCO is the “local shop” option in that lineup.

Services and cart sizes

SOCO offers weekly residential trash pickup with a choice of 65-gallon or 95-gallon carts. If you live west of I-25, they supply bear-resistant carts, which the wildlife situation on the west side genuinely requires (Waste Connections requires them on that side of town too).

Two extra bags per week set next to your cart are included at no charge. Beyond that, extra bags run $1.50 each — a rate SOCO publishes in its own FAQ, which is more transparency than most haulers in town offer.

Recycling is listed at $0 under Colorado’s new producer-funded recycling program (HB22-1355), which began rolling out in 2026. Under that law, producers — not residents — fund curbside recycling, and SOCO’s FAQ already reflects the no-charge model. Expect recycling pricing to keep shifting market-wide as the program phases in.

Billing and fees

SOCO’s published fee schedule, verified from their own FAQ as of mid-2026:

Extra bag beyond two per week: $1.50
Return trip (missed set-out, gate issue, etc.): $45
NSF / failed payment: $35
Reactivation after past-due shutoff: $25
Paper statement: $3 per billing cycle (paperless is free)

Base monthly rates are quote-only — SOCO doesn’t publish them, and neither does anyone else in this market, so any dollar figure you see for base service is an estimate until you confirm by phone. They do run promo codes (4free! and 1stfree! have circulated) worth asking about when you call.

What’s notably absent from that fee list: fuel surcharges, environmental fees, and admin fees. Waste Connections’ documented surcharges can stack to 20–35% on top of base, and Republic’s documented environmental recovery fee alone runs around 18%. SOCO’s flat, published fee schedule is a real structural difference, not just marketing.

Service area

SOCO serves Colorado Springs proper, Falcon, and Fountain. If you’re in Monument or Palmer Lake, they don’t reach you — Apex does. Coverage can vary street by street, so check your address before assuming.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Published flat fees with no documented surcharge stacking. Two free extra bags weekly — a published inclusion (for comparison, Apex advertises up to three; the nationals don’t publish an allowance we could find). Free recycling under the state program. Local ownership means you’re more likely to get an actual person on the phone — and no binding-arbitration clause has surfaced in our research on SOCO, unlike the one documented in Waste Connections’ service agreement.

Weaknesses: No published base rates, so comparison shopping takes a phone call. Smaller footprint than some competitors — no Monument or Palmer Lake, where Apex does reach. A $45 return-trip fee means a missed set-out on your part costs real money. And as with any small hauler, a single truck breakdown affects service more than it would at a company with a big fleet. We haven’t documented a complaint pattern for SOCO the way we have for the nationals — but there’s also simply less public record to go on.

Who SOCO is a good fit for

SOCO makes sense if you’re in their footprint, you value a flat bill over a low teaser rate that grows surcharges, and you’d rather call a local office than navigate a national’s phone tree. Westside residents needing bear carts are covered. If you’re in Monument or Palmer Lake, or you want the redundancy of a national fleet, look elsewhere.

The honest answer on price: nobody publishes open-market rates here — the lone public benchmark is Republic’s Manitou Springs municipal contract, and open-market quotes run higher — so get two or three quotes. You can compare every hauler serving your address by ZIP code on our homepage before you start dialing.

FAQ

How much does SOCO Waste cost per month?

SOCO doesn’t publish base rates — no Colorado Springs hauler does — so you’ll need to call (719) 357-8855 for a quote. Ask about promo codes; 4free! and 1stfree! have been offered. Their add-on fees are published: $1.50 per extra bag, $45 return trip, $3 paper statement.

Does SOCO Waste include recycling?

Yes — SOCO lists recycling at no charge under Colorado’s producer-funded recycling program (HB22-1355), which producers rather than residents pay for starting in 2026.

Do I need a bear-resistant cart with SOCO?

If you live west of I-25, yes. SOCO supplies bear carts in that zone, and Waste Connections documents the same requirement west of I-25.

What areas does SOCO Waste serve?

Colorado Springs, Falcon, and Fountain. They don’t serve Monument or Palmer Lake. Enter your ZIP on our homepage to see every hauler that covers your address.