United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5305W) EPA530-F-96-030 April 1997 &EPA Pay-As-You-Throw MSW programs today need to offer more than reliable waste collection services. In some communities, the issue is rising collection and disposal costs. Others are looking for ways to extend landfill capacity. A Fact Sheet for MSW Planners As an MSW planner, you know how important it is to reduce the amount of waste residents put nut for r.nlli ection (or bring to the landfill). In fact, your community probably started a recycling program to help divert some of this waste from dis- posal. Even with a strong recycling program, however, it's likely that your residents are throwing away more each year-pointing to the need not only for more recycling, but also to get residents to generate less waste in the first place. In nearly 2,000 communities, a pro- gram called "pay-as-you-throw" is helping MSW planners meet this challenge. What is pay-as-you-throw? Pay-as-you-throw programs, also known as unit-based or variable-rate pricing, provide a direct economic incentive for your residents to reduce the amount of waste they generate. Households are charged for waste collection based on the amount of waste they throw away-in the same way that they are charged for elec- tricity, gas, and other utilities. As a result, residents are motivated not only to boost the amount they recy- cle, but also to think about generat- ing less waste in the first place. Pay-as-you-throw programs can be structured in several different ways. Some communities charge residents based on the volume of waste they generate. Under volume-based pro- grams, residents are charged a fee for each bag or can they fill up. Communities also can require that residents purchase tags or stickers and affix them to their own con- tainers. Other communities bill residents based on the weight of their trash- although, because of the ------- cost of the equipment needed to weigh the waste and record the amount for billing purposes, weight-based programs are far less common. What are the benefits of pay-as-you-throw? However it is structured, pay-as-you-throw has the potential to improve MSW programs in several important ways. First, there are significant economic benefits. Because of the incentive to generate less, communities with programs in place have reported reductions in waste amounts ranging from 25 to 35 percent, on average. For many communities, this can lead to lower disposal costs and savings in waste transportation expens- es. Pay-as-you-throw communi- ties also typically report significant increases in recy- cling. When recycling markets are strong, this can yield increased revenues from the sale of collected materials. Pay-as-you-throw programs can be designed to cover the cost not only of waste collection and disposal, but also of some or all of the community's complementary MSW programs (such as recycling, composting, and bulky waste collections). There often are new costs when a pay-as-you-throw pro- gram is adopted, including expenditures for educa- tion and enforcement. These costs usually are not significant, however-and they can be built into a pay-as-you-throw rate structure. Another advantage of pay-as-you-throw programs is the greater control over costs they offer to residents. While they may not realize it, your residents pay for waste management services. And whether they pay through their taxes or with a flat fee, residents who generate less and recycle more are paying for neigh- bors who generate two or even three times as much waste. With pay-as-you-throw, residents who reduce and recycle are rewarded with a lower trash bill. This incentive to put less waste at the curb also can make a big environmental difference. When people generate less waste and recycle more, fewer natural resources are used, there is less pollution from manu- facturing, and less landfill space is consumed, reduc- ing the need to site new facilities. Are there disadvantages to pay-as-you-throw? While there are potential barriers to a successful pro- gram, communities with pay-as-you-throw report that they have found effective solutions. Community offi- cials often raise the prospect of illegal dumping when they first learn about pay-as-you- throw. Most communities with pay-as-you-throw, however, have found that illegal dumping in fact did not increase after implementa- tion. This is especially true when communities offer their residents recycling, composting for yard trimmings, and other programs that allow individuals to reduce waste legally. Others, particularly lower-income residents, worry about the amount they will have to pay. In many communities, however, coupon or voucher programs are helping to defray their expenses. How can I learn more about pay-as-you-throw? EPA has developed a series of products for anyone interested in pay-as-you-throw. Individuals looking for more information on these programs can request additional fact sheets, community success stories, and other materials. For local solid waste planners interested in bringing pay-as-you-throw to their community, EPA has developed a comprehensive set of tools to help them design and implement a successful program. To find out more about EPA's collection of products, call the Pay-as-you-throw Helpline toU free at 888-EPA-PAYT. ------- |