South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling

What South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling does

South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling (legal name South Tahoe Refuse Co) is a privately held, vertically integrated waste and recycling services provider founded in 1962 and headquartered at 2140 Ruth Avenue, South Lake Tahoe, California. The company serves the City of South Lake Tahoe, the El Dorado County portion of South Lake Tahoe, and the Tahoe Township of Douglas County, Nevada, under multi-year exclusive franchise agreements executed in 2023 with the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, and Douglas County. Its customers are residential households, commercial businesses (restaurants, retailers, offices, event venues), construction and demolition contractors, schools (Lake Tahoe Unified School District), and community organizations (Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe), with municipal and county governments acting as the anchor contracting counterparties.

The company's core product is a semi-automated 3-cart curbside collection system (locking animal-resistant trash cart, blue-lid recycling, green-lid yard waste) deployed in California to comply with Senate Bill 1383, with bear-aware service protocols tailored to the Tahoe region. Supporting physical infrastructure includes the Transfer Station at 2140 Ruth Avenue, the Resource Recovery Facility at 2121 Eloise Avenue (the planned site of a TRPA-approved 125-250kW wood-waste biomass gasifier pilot), and the Recycle Buy-Back Center at 2192 Ruth Avenue. The digital stack is conventional and third-party: Soft-Pak online billing, a native STR iOS/Android mobile app for service alerts, a Waste Wizard disposal lookup tool, and the UserWay accessibility widget.

The revenue model combines recurring residential and commercial subscription collection (quote-based, not publicly priced), usage-based dumpster rental and special-event services, transaction-fee tipping and CRV redemption at the transfer station and buy-back center, and managed-services revenue under the multi-year municipal franchise contracts. Go-to-market spans direct-to-consumer phone and walk-in signup, inside sales to commercial accounts, enterprise contracts with municipal and county governments, event-driven community engagement at farmers markets and town events, and a community-led education program delivered through Lake Tahoe Unified School District, the South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, and nonprofit partners. Reported operational scale includes a 63% recycling rate, 15,000 tons of green waste composted annually, and 100,000 tons of material diverted from landfill annually.

Name

South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling

Legal name

South Tahoe Refuse Co

Website

https://southtahoerefuse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Privately held (since 1962) waste and recycling services provider serving the South Lake Tahoe region (City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County CA, Douglas County NV) under exclusive multi-jurisdiction franchise agreements, operating integrated curbside 3-cart collection, transfer station, resource recovery, and buy-back center infrastructure for residential, commercial, and municipal customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Recycling & E-Waste Collection/Hauling (HSAKALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA), Eco-Friendly Disposal, Recycling & Donation Hauling (HSAIAOAJ), Junk Removal & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAFAH), Concrete, Asphalt & Masonry Recycling (Crushing & Aggregate Production) (EUAIAHAD), Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Waste collection services
• Recycling services
• Organics diversion
• Curbside collection
• Household hazardous waste

Headquarters

HQ city

South Lake Tahoe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Residential curbside collection subscriptions: Recurring subscription billing for semi-automated curbside collection service. Customers in California (City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County) and Nevada (Douglas County) pay for weekly trash pickup plus alternating recycling and yard waste collection; bear-box customers use their own enclosures for trash. Customer service quotes pricing by phone/account.
2. Commercial container service subscriptions: Recurring commercial waste, mixed recycling, cardboard-only, food waste, and yard waste pickup on contracted cadence. Containers available in 1- to 6-cubic-yard sizes; service bundled for restaurants and other organics producers under California SB 1383/AB 1826. Self-hauler registration option also offered.
3. Dumpster rental and special-event services: Short-term and ongoing dumpster rental for construction & demolition projects and special events; special pickup and on-call pickup orders also available for an additional service charge.
4. Drop-off fees at Transfer Station and Resource Recovery Facility: Pay-per-load tipping fees for self-hauled material at the Transfer Station (2140 Ruth Ave.) and Resource Recovery Facility (2121 Eloise Ave.); residential green-waste and cardboard drop-offs are free for subscribing customers. Contaminated loads (yard waste in plastic bags, mixed organics) incur a $100/yard contamination fee. Credit/debit card or pre-established account required at the RRF.
5. California CRV redemption at Recycle Buy-Back Center: California Redemption Value payouts to consumers redeeming eligible beverage containers at the Recycle Buy-Back Center (2192 Ruth Ave.), with out-of-state customers capped at 25 lb/material type and $50/day per state law.
6. Municipal franchise/contract revenue: Multi-year exclusive franchise agreements with the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, and Douglas County (Tahoe Township) executed in 2023 covering residential and commercial solid waste, recycling, and organics services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling provides semi-automated curbside collection of trash, recycling, and yard waste for residential and commercial customers in the South Lake Tahoe region, supported by a Transfer Station, Resource Recovery Facility, and Recycle Buy-Back Center. Services also include household hazardous waste, food-waste diversion, commercial organics, construction and demolition debris hauling, dumpster rental, and California CRV redemption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential 3-Cart Curbside Collection Semi-automated curbside collection service for single-family homes providing 35, 65, and 95-gallon carts for trash (locking, animal-resistant), blue-lid recycling, and green-lid yard waste; mandatory in California under SB 1383 and optional in Nevada.
• Commercial Container Subscription Service Recurring commercial waste, mixed recycling, cardboard-only, food waste, and yard waste pickup in 1- to 6-cubic-yard containers for restaurants, retailers, offices, and event venues; bundled for organics producers under California SB 1383/AB 1826.
• Dumpster Rental and Special-Event Services Short-term and ongoing roll-off dumpster rental for construction and demolition projects, special events, and on-call pickups charged as an additional service fee.
• Transfer Station Drop-off Service Pay-per-load tipping for self-hauled trash, household hazardous waste (by appointment), sharps, lithium batteries, e-waste, appliances, tires, furniture, carpet, asphalt, and concrete at 2140 Ruth Avenue.
• Resource Recovery Facility Green-Waste and Cardboard Drop-off Free green-waste drop-off for residential subscribers and free cardboard drop-off for commercial subscribers at 2121 Eloise Avenue; contaminated loads incur a $100 per yard fee.
• Recycle Buy-Back Center (CRV Redemption) California Redemption Value payouts to consumers redeeming eligible beverage containers at 2192 Ruth Avenue, with out-of-state customers capped at 25 lb per material type and $50 per day.
• Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-off Program Free residential HHW drop-off up to 20 gallons per day by appointment, including permitted needle consolidation and lithium-battery safe handling, supporting California SB 1383 organics diversion.
• Residential Food Waste Drop-off Program Free food-scrap drop-off service for residents at the Recycle Buy-Back Center, Tuesday through Saturday, supporting California SB 1383 organics diversion.
• Curbside Food Waste Collection Subscription-based curbside food-waste pickup offered in partnership with Tahoe Composts for residential and commercial customers, with consolidated material transported to Full Circle Compost.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34% increase in material recycled in year one of the 3-cart system (Oct 2024 - Oct 2025) vs. prior 12 months
• +12 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Full Circle Compost (Full Circle Soils & Compost)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull Circle Compost is STR's primary composting partner. All food waste collected by STR (residential drop-off, commercial food waste, and LTUSD/Boys & Girls Club programs) is transported to Full Circle Compost in the Carson Valley. STR also sends yard waste from the 3-cart program to Full Circle Compost (and Bently Ranch).
• Bently RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBently Ranch is a yard-waste composting partner for STR. The 3-cart program sends collected yard waste to Full Circle Compost and Bently Ranch; the 481% increase in yard-waste composting (Oct 2024 - Oct 2025) is processed through these partners.
• Tahoe CompostscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTahoe Composts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering subscription-based weekly or monthly curbside food-waste pickup separate from STR's collection service. STR partners with Tahoe Composts to consolidate food waste and transport it to Full Circle Compost.
• Clean Tahoe ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the annual Community Cleanup Day ($5 Dump Day) at the STR Transfer Station. Clean Tahoe Program is STR's longstanding partner for community beautification and illegal-dumping cleanup in the Tahoe Basin.
• California Conservation CorpsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner on the annual Community Cleanup Day ($5 Dump Day) at the STR Transfer Station; CCC crews support cleanup logistics and diversion.
• Kiwanis Club of Lake TahoeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-partner on the annual Community Cleanup Day ($5 Dump Day) at the STR Transfer Station.
• City of South Lake TahoecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of the annual 4th of July Parade and a long-standing community partner. Also a key jurisdictional customer (multi-year exclusive franchise for residential and commercial solid waste and recycling services).
• Soroptimist International of South Lake TahoeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of the annual 4th of July Parade, enabling STR's participation in the event.
• Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder partnership with STR, the City of South Lake Tahoe, and California Climate Action Corps to bring food-waste recycling to every LTUSD school; 52 classroom presentations and 1,125 students reached as of April 2024.
• California Climate Action CorpscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTwo California Climate Action Corps fellows (Katie Sloan and Lily Summerville) embedded in the LTUSD food-waste recycling program to deliver classroom lessons and monitor cafeteria sorting.
• Boys & Girls Club of Lake TahoeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTR partner for food-waste sorting and composting at the Boys & Girls Club; 440 lbs of food waste diverted to compost from February 2025 to summer 2025.
• Frozen Frame MediaminorOthersFrozen Frame Media captures video and photos of STR's community events, including the 4th of July Parade and Community Cleanup Day.
• Soft-PakcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoft-Pak powers STR's online billing and account portal (secure.soft-pak.com/webpaks610). STR upgraded the Soft-Pak platform in August 2025, requiring customers to re-register with new account numbers.
• Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn November 2022 TRPA approved a permitting application pathway for STR's planned 125-250kW wood-waste biomass gasifier pilot. TRPA is the regulatory partner enabling the renewable-energy project.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal: Operates as the exclusive hauler for the Truckee/North Tahoe area immediately adjacent to STR's territory. Comparable in franchise-based residential and commercial collection, organics programs, transfer station operations, and bear-aware service design in the Tahoe region.
• Recology: Employee-owned California-headquartered hauler running residential, commercial, recycling, composting, and resource recovery operations across Northern and Central California. Closely comparable in franchise-based municipal contracts, organics focus, and vertically integrated recovery facilities.
• Athens Services: Family-owned Southern California hauler providing residential, commercial, recycling, and organics collection, plus transfer station and material recovery facility operations. Comparable in mid-sized regional franchise model and strong organics/composting orientation.
• Burrtec Waste Industries: California-based regional hauler offering residential, commercial, recycling, organics, and construction & demolition services across multiple Southern California jurisdictions. Comparable in franchise/municipal contract structure and multi-stream collection.
• GreenWaste Recovery: Northern California hauler specializing in residential and commercial collection plus organics, recycling, and construction & demolition recovery, with in-house material recovery and composting operations. Closely comparable in organics-led, franchise-driven service model.
• EDCO: Family-owned Southern California waste and recycling company operating residential, commercial, recycling, and organics collection plus transfer stations and buy-back/recovery centers. Comparable in integrated collection-plus-recovery facility model and California municipal franchise footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management Inc. Largest North American waste and environmental services provider with residential, commercial, recycling, organics, and landfill operations across the U.S. Likely direct or indirect competitor for franchise renewals in the Tahoe region and a benchmark for the broader hauler industry.
• Republic Services: Second-largest U.S. hauler with residential, commercial, recycling, organics, and energy-from-waste operations. Potential franchise renewal competitor in the Tahoe region and a natural industry benchmark for pricing and operating performance.
• Waste Connections: Large North American solid waste services company with a strong presence in secondary and rural markets, including Western states. Comparable on franchise/municipal contract operations and could compete for STR's franchise renewals.

Regional players

• Sierra Waste Recycling: Sierra Nevada / Northern California regional hauler providing residential, commercial, recycling, and construction & demolition services. Comparable in smaller-scale regional franchise operations, though it does not directly overlap STR's Tahoe Basin service area.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCatkiPRwvGccCXDW3oAQpLg
• Facebookfacebook.com/SoTahoeRefuse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-tahoe-refuse-co-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/southtahoerefuse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling