Missouri to raise landfill tonnage fees starting Oct. 1
Published 2:49 pm Thursday, August 6, 2026
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will raise the fees it charges for transporting and accepting solid waste, effective Oct. 1, marking the first adjustment to the fee in 22 years.
The change will affect sanitary, demolition, and construction landfills statewide, as well as transfer and processing stations that ship solid waste out of state for disposal. Sanitary landfills and transfer stations will see their per-ton fee rise from $2.11 to $2.18, while demolition and construction landfills will see their fee rise from $1.40 to $1.45.
The adjustment is a 3.5% increase and is required under state law. According to the department, Section 260.330 of the Missouri Revised Statutes ties the tonnage fee to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, requiring the existing rate to be multiplied by the percentage change in that index. The change does not affect separate local or county-level solid waste fees that counties and economic development authorities are permitted to charge under Missouri law.
“This increase is necessary to support the department’s efforts to reduce the amount of solid waste produced in the state and to ensure proper management of other waste these facilities handle,” Kurt Schaefer, the department’s director, said in a statement. “The department is committed to efficiently operating these programs to ensure future solvency and continued protection of human health and the environment.”
The department said the additional revenue will help fund efforts to eliminate illegal solid waste disposal, identify and prosecute illegal dumping, carry out solid waste permitting activities, administer grants, and support other duties required under state statute.
To help facilities comply with reporting requirements, the department said it will update its quarterly reporting system to reflect the new tonnage fee ahead of the fourth-quarter reporting period, which is due no later than Jan. 31, 2027.
Facilities and members of the public with questions can contact the department’s Solid Waste Management Program by phone, email, or mail.
