REQUEST FOR BIDS SOLID WASTE TRANSPORTATION
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Request for Bids
SOLID WASTE TRANSPORTATION
March 31, 2026
The Town of Vassalboro is requesting bids for the following services:
Transporting Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) from our Transfer Station on the Lombard Dam Road in North Vassalboro to the Solid Waste Facility (formerly known as the Fiberight facility located at 349 Cold brook Road in Hampden). It is anticipated that Vassalboro’s MSW will be received by this Solid Waste Facility starting sometime in late 2026. The exact date is yet to be determined. As a standby provision, and until the Solid Waste Facility is able to receive the full volume of waste from all municipalities that have contracted with them, Waste Management’s Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock, ME will accept and landfill the Town of Vassalboro’s MSW, which includes recyclables.
Effective January 24, 2019, the Vassalboro Selectboard voted to eliminate the town’s zero-sort program, and all zero-sort recyclables except cardboard will be combined with MSW loads and sorted by the Solid Waste Facility at their plant in Hampden once opened. Each bidder participating in this transportation bid process will be asked to provide a round-trip price for each destination: The Solid Waste Facility in Hampden, and Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock. Because Vassalboro has a mandatory cardboard recycling ordinance in place, separate roll-off canisters of cardboard will also need to be transported elsewhere for processing and recycling. Bidders are asked to provide a proposal for transportation and disposal of old corrugated cardboard (OCC). Note: Our current contract for MSW and Recyclable hauling is with Bolster’s Rubbish Removal at $295 per trip to the Crossroads Landfill in Norridgewock and ends on 8/15/26. Cassella transports OCC cardboard to Irecycle at $212.18 per trip. Cassella also transports bulky waste to Pine Tree Waste in Waterville at $212.18; $95.48 per ton.
The current MSW and recycling hauling contract expires August 15, 2026. The proposed new contract(s) will begin effective August 16, 2026 for a three-year term and will expire August 16, 2029. The Town reserves the right to negotiate a one or more-year contract extension with the successful contractor without re-bidding the work. The Selectboard reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.
Scope of the Work:
BULKY WASTE – The Town owns 2 (40) cubic yard open top roll-off containers and 1 (30) cubic yard open top roll-off container and we generated 360.4 tons of bulky waste in 2025, or approximately 30-35 loads each year. This requires 2-4 round trips per month, depending on the time of year.
The successful bidder will be expected to perform the following as part of the service:
a) Pick-up of either the 30 or 40 cubic yard roll-off containers upon notification by the Transfer Station Manager and return it the same day. b) Delivery of Bulky Waste to the disposal facility as proposed by bidder. c) Return and drop-off of empty roll-off containers to the Vassalboro Transfer Station or provide a swap-out container.MSW and OCC - The Town of Vassalboro is presently operating a Solid Waste Transfer Station. Our MSW is compacted into roll-off containers. In 2025, the town delivered 1,416 tons of combined MSW and recyclables to Norridgewock by this method. Vassalboro also recycled 84 tons of OCC which residents currently separate from other recyclables. This requires 2-4 trips per week for MSW and 2-3 trips per month for cardboard, depending on the time of the year. The Town owns 2 (45) cubic yard roll-off compactor containers for MSW. The Town also owns 2 (50) cubic yard roll-off compactor containers that the corrugated cardboard is currently hand stacked in.
The successful bidder will be expected to perform the following as part of the MSW service:
a) Pick up our 40 or 50 yd. roll-off containers upon notification by the Transfer Station Manager with notice. b) Placement of spare container in the Transfer Station compaction area, if needed. c) Delivery of MSW to the Solid Waste Facility in Hampden (or Crossroads Landfill until the Solid Waste Facility is open). d) Return and drop-off of empty roll-off containers to the Vassalboro Transfer Station or provide a swap-out container.The Town prefers that the OCC be recycled or repurposed in some form, rather than landfilled, and we have no current arrangement for final disposition. Therefore, we are requesting that the bidder make a disposal plan for our OCC and provide a proposal to us. Since we have only two canisters for stacking cardboard, the bidder’s plan should include the return and drop-off of the empty roll-off container to the Vassalboro Transfer Station or provide a swap-out container. Your OCC disposal plan should be specified on the bid form.
Bid award:
Award of the bid will be based on the following criteria:
1. Total cost of round trip 2. Response time upon notification of pickup. 3. Most responsible and economical OCC disposal plan that best serves the need of the Town. 4. Proper registration for solid waste transport with DEP. 5. Ability to provide proof of worker’s compensation and liability insurance (minimum of $400,000/$800,000 naming the town as additional named insured) upon receipt of bid award and maintain coverage throughout the length of the contract. Proof of independent contractor status from the state will be required if the successful bidder does not have employees and worker’s compensation insurance coverage. \\\*\\\*6.\\\*\\\* \\\*\\\*Applicant must submit the name and contact information for at least two municipal references.\\\*\\\*Bid Form – Solid Waste Transportation
Town of Vassalboro
Company Name: __________________________________
Company Address: __________________________________
__________________________________
Contact Person: __________________________________
Title: __________________________________ Telephone: _____________________
I have read the Request for Bid – Solid Waste Transportation specifications and my company submits the following bid prices for round trips or to provide a comparable swap-out container:
YEAR ONE:
My price to transport MSW to Crossroads landfill in Norridgewock is $_________ per trip.
My price to transport MSW to the Solid Waste Facility in Hampden is $_________ per trip.
My price to transport OCC to ___________________ is $_________ per trip. Provide details on back.
My price to transport Bulky Waste to _________________ is $____________ per trip at a disposal (tipping) price of $_____________.
YEAR TWO:
My price to transport MSW to Crossroads landfill in Norridgewock is $_________ per trip.
My price to transport MSW to the Solid Waste Facility in Hampden is $_________ per trip.
My price to transport OCC to ___________________ is $_________ per trip. Provide details on back.
My price to transport Bulky Waste to _________________ is $____________ per trip at a disposal (tipping) price of $_____________.
YEAR THREE:
My price to transport MSW to Crossroads landfill in Norridgewock is $_________ per trip.
My price to transport MSW to the Solid Waste Facility in Hampden is $_________ per trip.
My price to transport OCC to ___________________ is $_________ per trip. Provide details on back.
My price to transport Bulky Waste to _________________ is $____________ per trip at a disposal (tipping) price of $_____________.
If my company is selected as the winning bidder, we can begin the transportation services on August 15, 2026 upon the call of the Transfer Station Manager. If I cannot continue to provide transportation services, I agree to give the town at least a 30-day notice. My company can provide written proof of liability and worker’s compensation insurance (if applicable) to the Town before the start of the work, and will provide continuous insurance coverage throughout the term of the contract.
Description of my equipment and vehicles available to conduct the work: ______________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Explanation of notice requirement(s) for service (i.e., 24-hour notice, etc.) ____________________
I agree to hold my prices as quoted above.
I agree to transport the solid waste materials as outlined in these specifications with the following modifications (if any - attach separate sheet if necessary for separate proposal.)
__________________________________________________________________________________
Date: _________________ Signed: ____________________________________
Printed name: _______________________ Title: ____________________________________
Bids must be submitted on this bid form and returned to the Vassalboro Town Office in an envelope marked “Solid Waste Transportation Bid” or via email amiller@vassalboro.net by April 15 at 5:30 p.m. Bids will be open at the April 16, 2026 Selectboard meeting. Bidders are encouraged to attend. The Town of Vassalboro Selectboard reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals if it is in the best interest of the Town.
In addition, the Town may require a Performance Bond to assure uninterrupted service. The mailing address for the Town Office is: Vassalboro Town Office, Attn: Aaron C. Miller Town Manager; PO Box 129, No. Vassalboro, ME 04962. The physical address to drop off a bid is 682 Main Street, North Vassalboro across the street from the North Vassalboro Fire Station.