United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-017r
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Worcester,
Massachusetts
54% Residential Waste Reduction
Overview
In the early 1990s, Worcester faced looming state landfill
bans for recoverable materials, and the city needed to transfer
trash costs from its tax base to user fees. In 1993, the city
implemented curbside recycling and a pay-as-you-throw
(PAYT) trash system. The per-bag trash fees offer financial
incentives for residents to reduce trash disposal, recycle at
curbside, and deliver their yard trimmings to one the city's
three yard debris drop-off sites. Per-bag trash fees combined
with a city ordinance that prohibits the disposal of recyclables
and yard debris with trash resulted in the city nearly tripling
its residential waste reduction rate from 15% in 1992 to 44%
in 1994. In 1996, Worcester switched from biweekly to
weekly recycling collection and the residential waste
reduction rate further increased to 54% (27% through
recycling and 27% through composting).
Keys to High Waste Reduction
The variety of materials collected at curbside, pay-as-you-
throw trash fees, a state bottle bill, and diversion of yard debris
all contribute to the city's high diversion rate. Worcester's
weekly curbside recycling program collects up to 18 types of
recyclables (including mixed paper, all plastic containers, and
milk and juice cartons). Residents can also recycle large items,
such as appliances, through a special bulky items collection
program. Residents must place trash in
special yellow bags or city trash crews
will not collect it. A 30-gallon bag costs
50(t and a 15-gallon bag costs 25(t.
Massachusetts' container deposit law
requires consumers to pay a 5(t deposit
on many beverage containers. In 1996,
approximately 4% of Worcester's
residential waste stream was recovered
through the deposit system.
Worcester provides fall leaf
collection and operates drop-off sites
DHALU
POPULATION: 1 71 ,226
(1995), 169,759
(1996)
HOUSEHOLDS: 63,588
(1996); 22,500 single-
family households (one
unit per building), 41,088
multi-family units
1992
1996
Tons Per Year
53,087
57,573
Percent Diverted
Recycled
Composted
15%
7%
8%
54%
27%
27%
Average Ibs./HH/day
5.84
6.20
Net Program Costs/HH NA $75.34
Disposal Services NA $48.15
Diversion Services NA $27.19
Notes: 49,824 households served in 1992; 50,868 in 1996. 1992
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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for other yard debris from April through
November. Residents can deliver their yard
debris to these facilities at no charge. In 1996,
more than one-quarter of the city's residential
waste was composted in the city's yard debris
collection and processing program.
Cost-Effectiveness
In 1996, the city spent $3.8 million for
trash, recycling, and yard debris services —
about $75 per household served. Of this, 64%
was spent on trash collection and disposal, 20%
was spent on recycling, and 16% was spent on
yard debris collection and recovery. On a per-
ton basis, trash cost $96, while waste
reduction cost $47 ($54 for recycling
and $40 for yard debris
recovery). The city has
contained costs by reducing the
V number of trash crews and the number
of workers on the crews in response to
decreasing trash disposal. Since recycling
began, trash crews service the same number of
houses but do so for one-third less labor costs.
The number of city Solid Waste Management
program employees dropped from 58 in 1993
to 46 in 1996.
RESIDENTIAL WASTE GENERATION
PER HOUSEHOLD PER DAY
7.0
1992 1994 1996
I] Trash ] Recycling | Composting
Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliancer 1999.
Tips for Replication
Implement a pay-as-you-throw trash
system.
Collect as wide a variety of materials as
possible.
Make program participation convenient.
Avoid adding a material to the recycling
program and then taking it away, especially in a
pay-as-you-throw system. Residents do not
like to be told they have to pay to dispose of
something that had been free.
MATERIALS RECOVERED
CURBSIDE:
newspaper, magazines and catalogs, corrugated cardboard
mixed paper (mail, office paper, paperboard, paper bags, and phonebooks)
milk andjuice cartons and boxes
glass containers
scrap metal
aluminum cans, trays, and tins
steel food and beverage containers
all plastic containers (except motor oil and antifreeze containers and pails
or buckets)
white goods
leaves
DROP-OFF:
leaves, grass clippings, brush, Christmas trees, and other yard and garden
debris
Contact
Robert Fiore
Assistant to the Commissioner
Department of Public Works
20 E.Worcester Street
Worcester, MA 01604
PHONE: 508-799-1430
FAX: 508-799-1448
WEB SITE: http://www.ci.worcester.ma.us/
services /dpw/index.html
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