Traditionally, governments have played an important role in waste management due to their responsibility for public health and the environment. Collecting and processing domestic waste has been one of the local government’s core responsibilities for many years. City councils have a lot of freedom with regard to their waste management policy. For instance, municipalities can determine the level of service required by opting for a certain collection frequency, by establishing conditions for sorted waste disposal and/or by taking part in the purchasing process for processing capacity. Another important policy choice is how the waste collection process is set up: is this task conducted by a municipal sanitation service, does the municipality choose to outsource the work, does it join neighbouring municipalities or a cooperative of municipalities? This research focuses on the productivity of waste collection and disposal in the period 2001-2009. The goal is to chart developments in productivity in the sector, offer insight into mutual differences between municipalities and identify policy choices that stimulate productivity. The research has a special interest in the effects of the organisational form that is chosen: their own services, outsourcing or collaboration with other municipalities.