Glossary
Garbage and trash collection CPI
BLS series CUUR0000SEHG02, the index some hauling contracts name instead of all-items CPI.
CPI-U garbage and trash collection, U.S. city average, is BLS series CUUR0000SEHG02. Its base is December 1983=100, not 1982–84=100. It does not track all-items CPI-U. A hauling contract that names trash collection is naming this series.
From September 2025 to September 2026 the published levels were 652.831 and 686.972. That is a 5.230% change, against 3.738% for all-items CPI-U over the same months (324.800 to 336.940). Using the headline all-items percent on a trash clause is a different bill.
Because the base period differs, you still divide trash index by trash index. You do not divide 686.972 by the all-items level 324.800. The ratio would be meaningless.
A cap written on top of this series matters more in years when the trash index runs hotter than general inflation. The cap-and-floor guide for waste hauling works that example.
Related terms
See it used in a worked example · CPI calculator · Request an audit
Sources and limits
Index levels from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 1, 2026. Values are index points, not the headline 12-month percent.
Statewide rates reflect U.S. Department of Labor state minimum-wage postings as updated January 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Note on 2026 increases, and, for the prior-year comparison and named local rates, the National Employment Law Project compilation published in November 2025. Confirm the rate that applies to the workplace before using it in a bill.
The contracts in these worksheets are fictional. The prices are chosen so the arithmetic is easy to check. They are not a price survey and they are not client results.
RateClause is not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Your clause controls, including whether a past period can be rebilled at all.
Primary postings: BLS Consumer Price Index, U.S. Department of Labor, state minimum wages, U.S. Department of State notice of 2026 minimum-wage increases.