The Hartford doesn’t offer garbage collection insurance online, but a local agency or Tivly may be able to help you find the coverage you need. The following content includes information from various sources and can change over time.
What Is Garbage Collection Insurance?
Garbage collection insurance, also known as waste hauler insurance, is a package of several types of business insurance coverages designed to help protect your waste management operations. Whether you run a few collection trucks or manage a local crew, this insurance helps cover accidents, injuries, property damage and equipment breakdowns that can happen en route.
A garbage collection insurance package can include these common types of coverage:
- Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)
- Commercial auto insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
Why Might You Need Garbage Collection Insurance?
Garbage collection insurance helps protect your business from the risks you might face during normal operations. For example, if a truck breaks down in the middle of a route or a worker gets hurt during a pickup, your business would have to pay out of pocket for repairs and medical expenses without the right insurance coverage.
As a business specializing in garbage collection, insurance can help protect you from many risks, like:
- Bodily Injury: A worker injures their back on a bulk pickup and files a workers' compensation claim.
- Equipment Theft: One of your trucks is vandalized overnight, limiting your work schedule for days.
- Property Damage: A driver accidentally damages a customer’s fence while on a route, resulting in costly repairs.
Who May Need Garbage Collection Insurance?
Business insurance coverage can help many businesses specializing in garbage collection, including:
- Residential garbage collection companies
- Commercial waste collection businesses
- Recycling collection and processing services
- Bulk waste removal services
What Garbage Collection Insurance Coverages Might I Need?
When it comes to protecting your garbage collection business, you’ll want coverage that matches your potential risks. Many waste management business owners start with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) because of the peace of mind it can provide.
A BOP combines three types of coverage to help protect your business from everyday risks:
General liability insurance helps protect you from claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to others.
Commercial property insurance helps protect the owned or rented building you operate from, as well as the tools, inventory and supplies you rely on. These can include your:
- Dumpsters
- Compactors
- Debris loaders
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Trash and recycle bins
Business income insurance helps replace lost income if you can’t operate temporarily because of covered property damage caused by wind, theft or fire.
It’s important to remember that a BOP won’t cover every kind of claim your business might face. You’ll need other types of insurance to create a well-rounded insurance plan, including:
Workers’ compensation insurance to help support your employees as they recover from a work-related injury or illness. For example, if one of your drivers is injured while loading a truck, this coverage can help cover their medical bills and lost wages.
Commercial auto insurance to help cover bodily injury or property damage claims from a car accident your business causes while you or an employee uses a company-owned vehicle for work.
How Much Does Garbage Collection Insurance Cost?
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer coverage for garbage collectors, here are the average costs our small business customers pay for common coverages. You can use these amounts to help estimate your insurance costs:**
- BOP: $1,687 a year, or about $141 a month
- Stand-alone general liability insurance: $810 a year, or about $68 a month
- Workers’ compensation insurance: $1,032 a year, or $86 a month
- Professional liability insurance: $744 a year, or $62 a month1
The cost of garbage collection insurance varies because every business faces unique risks. Insurance companies consider several factors when determining your coverage cost, including:
- Number of employees
- Location of your business
- Type of coverage
- Your claims history
- The limits you select for your coverage
To find out your specific garbage collection business insurance costs, get a free quote online through Tivly.
General Liability Insurance
“We had to pay for repairs after our new driver backed into a customer’s iron gate and bent it.”
General liability insurance helps cover claims that your business caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else.
Pollution Liability Insurance
“One of my employees loaded chemical waste without realizing it. The cleanup process took months, and we were sued for negligence.”
Pollution insurance covers environmental damage, property damage and bodily injury from pollution caused by your business, crew or waste collection services.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
“One of my collectors noticed a dull, aching pain in her back. She was diagnosed with a back strain and needed weeks of physical therapy to recover.”
Workers’ compensation insurance gives your team benefits to help them recover from work-related injuries or illnesses. It can help pay their medical bills and replace lost wages.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
“A former employee sued my office manager, claiming they were wrongfully let go.”
Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) helps protect your business from employment-related claims, like wrongful termination, discrimination and harassment.
Commercial Property Insurance
“A fire broke out in our facility. It spread and damaged some of our trucks and office supplies.”
Commercial property insurance helps protect your business' equipment, furniture and inventory from loss or damage caused by events like storms, fires or vandalism.
Commercial Auto Insurance
“One of my route drivers accidentally backed the garbage truck into a customer’s mailbox.”
Commercial auto insurance can help cover property damage and bodily injury claims if an employee gets into an accident while driving a business-owned vehicle for work.
Get a Quote for Garbage Collection Insurance Options
Safeguard your business with coverage that works as hard as you do. Get a quote through Tivly today.
Last Updated: April 29, 2026
1 What you pay for professional liability insurance will vary by product, limits chosen and risk class or hazard group associated with your business.
2 The Hartford, “Water and Freezing Damage, Burglary Lead The Hartford’s Top Five Small Business Claims,” viewed April 2026.
3 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “2023 Annual Performance Report,” viewed April 2026.
4 National Fire Prevention Association, “Fire Loss in the United States,” viewed April 2026.
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
The Hartford does not currently have a product available to provide the coverage described on this page. You are being referred to Tivly in an effort to connect you with a carrier who may provide this coverage. This link will redirect you to a third-party website, owned and operated by an independent party ("Tivly"). Any link you make to or from the Tivly website will be at your own risk. Any use of the Tivly website will be subject to and any information you provide will be governed by the terms of the Tivly website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. The Hartford and its affiliates (collectively "The Hartford") do not endorse or approve and make no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of the Tivly website. The Hartford assumes no liability for loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from your access to the Tivly website or any information that you may provide on the Tivly website.
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