United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-017d
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Chatham,
New Jersey
65% Residential Waste Reduction
Overview
This wealthy, tree-lined suburban community diverts 65%
of its residential waste from disposal (22% through recycling
and 43% through composting). The borough instituted a
pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system for trash in 1992.
Residents must place their trash in special bags or the city's
contracted trash collection firm will leave it at curbside.
Another contractor provides curbside collection twice a
month for 21 types of recyclables. The borough collects fall
leaves curbside and provides a drop-off location for brush and
other yard trimmings. Chatham had a successful waste
reduction program that diverted 63% of its residential waste
in 1991, before the PAYT system was introduced. The
current system is even more successful. In 1996, the average
Chatham household produced 6% less waste than in 1991
and per household trash disposal dropped by more than 10%.
Furthermore, average household costs for solid waste
management decreased 50% within this same time period.
Keys to High Waste Reduction
Pay-as-you-throw trash fees, a curbside recycling program
that collects many materials, and a convenient yard debris
collection and composting program contribute to
Chatham's waste reduction program success. Chatham's
trash hauler only collects trash that
residents place in special 30- and 15-
gallon bags. The bags cost $1.25 and
$0.65 respectively; the price was set so
bag fees cover the cost of tip fees for
trash disposal. The Advanced
Recycling Technology Systems, Inc.
(ARTS) recycling company provides
twice monthly curbside recycling
for 21 categories of materials and
services the borough's drop-off site.
Composting of yard debris
accounts for nearly two-thirds of
DHALU
POPULATION: 8,007
(1990); 8,289 (1997)
HOUSEHOLDS: 3,285
(1996) 2,735
dwellings of 3 units
or less. 550 multi-
family dwellings
1991
1996
Tons Per Year
8,581
8,007
Percent Diverted
Recycled
Composted
63%
13%
50%
65%
22%
43%
Average Ibs./HH/day
16.85
15.81
Net Program Costs/HH $456.62 $227.76
Disposal Services $392.81 $158.02
Diversion Services $63.81 $69.74
Notes: 2,750 households and 35-40 small businesses (2,790 total)
served in 1991; 2,775 (2,735 households, 40 businesses) in 1996.
1991 dollars adjusted to 1996 dollars using the GDP deflator.
Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 1999.
This profile is part of the fact sheet Cutting the Waste Stream in Half: Community Record-Setters Show How (EPA-530-F-99-017).
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residential waste reduction in Chatham. Fall
leaf collection accounted for about 80% of all
yard waste recovered in 1996. In order to
encourage residents to participate, solid waste
management calenders with recycling
information and drop-off/pick-up times are
mailed every year to Chatham households.
Cost-Effectiveness
Before switching to the PAYT trash
system in November 1992, each Chatham
household paid the previous trash hauler a flat
annual fee of $350 for trash collection and
disposal, equivalent to more than $300 per ton.
The trash bag costs are now set to cover tip fee
disposal costs; total per ton trash costs were
$157 in 1996. Composting collection and
processing costs average $48 per ton;
recycling collection and processing, $39
per ton. Also, the recycling contractor
returns half of materials revenues to the
RESIDENTIAL WASTE GENERATION
PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY
MATERIALS RECOVERED
CURBSIDE:
newspapers and inserts, magazines and catalogs, corrugated cardboard
mixed paper ( paper bags, phone books, paperback books, paperboard,
colored and white paper, envelopes, mail, computer paper, wrapping
paper, and egg cartons)
glass containers
cans
juice and milk cartons
#1 - #3 plastic bottles
scrap metals (including aluminum foil and metal clothes hangers)
empty latex paint cans
aerosol cans
household batteries
white goods
leaves
DROP-OFF:
All materials accepted in
curbside program
(with the
exceptions of
household batteries
and white goods)
plus:
brush
grass clippings
Trash
1991 1996
] Recycling | Composting
community. In 1996, these revenues defrayed
recycling collection costs by 60%. Chatham's
recovery rate surpassed 60% under both the
old private trash collection system
and the new publically
contracted system but per
household costs dropped
dramatically when the new
system was implemented.
Funding for Chatham's
residential waste management
program is supplied by a $75 per household
fee paid by borough residents, the cost of trash
bags, and county and state funds.
Tips for Replication
Make program participation convenient.
Chatham switched to commingled collection
of containers because of residents' preferences.
Pay-as-you-throw systems encourage
trash reduction.
Contact
Henry Underbill
Town Administrator
Borough of Chatham
54 Fairmont Avenue
Chatham, NJ 07928
PHONE: 973-635-0674 x!08
FAX: 973-636-2417
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