Has Barrington considered curbside trash pickup? (12/2/2025)

Yes, when the Town advertised a Request for Proposals in 2025 for services following the Waste Management contract expiration in 2026. The Town advertised multiple options for waste collection and disposal, including curbside pickup. The Town received one proposal from Waste Management and they did not submit a proposal for curbside pickup. In talking with curbside pickup estimators, Barrington's size and amount of private roads would make Town-wide curbside pickup cost prohibitive.

Prior to 2025, the Town has historically reviewed options for curbside trash pickup and consistently identified the option as cost prohibitive. In 2015, a proposal for curbside pickup in Barrington came with a cost over $1 million per year. That would have tripled the operating budget which, in 2015, was $298,694. Residents have also expressed a perspective that part of Barrington's rural character is a lean municipal government which does not provide 'city services'. It is also important to note that curbside trash pickup cannot replace a Transfer Station; RSA 149-M:17 requires that a municipality must provide access to an approved solid waste facility.

Through supply and demand, the private sector has stepped in to offer curbside trash pickup options for residents of Barrington. As a result, many residents opt to pay for those services and may only use the Transfer Station and Recycling Center facility for bulky waste and/or recycling. 70% of Barrington's Transfer Station and Recycling Center is funded by user fees, leaving only 30% which is funded by taxes. Residents can choose to use the Transfer Station and Recycling Center and pay the associated user fees or can pay a private curbside company and know that their taxes are only funding a small portion of the Transfer Station and Recycling Center.