GFL tapped to take over Fort Wayne trash collection; City Council approval needed

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - The Fort Wayne Board of Works has approved the bid selection of GFL Environmental, which is now expected to take over the collection of trash and recyclables in the City this summer. The process still requires action by the City Council.

The announcement came during a meeting Tuesday evening and followed the disclosure previously that GFL had submitted the lowest bid for the contract. The company would assume responsibilities from Red River Waste Solutions, the now-bankrupt firm that has been criticized and fined for its failure to meet expectations since beginning what was supposed to be a seven-year term of service in 2018.

City Council members said the Public Works Department awarded the bid at its meeting this morning. They say it’s up to the Fort Wayne City Council to approve it now. That is expected to happen next month, and the new provider could be in place some time this summer -- likely July 1.

The City in March said companies bid on the following:

Base bid – cart limit trash collection and recycling collection
Alternate bid #1 – cart limit plus three bags of trash collection and recycling collection
Alternate bid #2 – unlimited trash collection and recycling collection

Tuesday’s advancement of the bids involved the “Alternate bid #1″ submission from GFL.

GFL (”Green for Life”) says it currently serves more than four million households through municipal contracts and arrangements with individual customers. The company is headquartered in Ontario, Canada, and operates in Canadian and U.S. markets.