Population:
Type of Community:
Type of Program:
Program Start Date:
Two years into our
program, residents
had significantly
increased their
recycling—and
many had also
requested services
that could help
them reduce waste
even more!
EPA530-F-97-007f
PAY-AS-YOU-THROW SUCCESS STORIES
Vancouver, Washington
69,000
Urban
Cans
January 1990
Getting Started: Why Pay-As-You-Throw?
An excellent public information and
education program is imperative,
The city of Vancouver is located in Clark
County, the southernmost county in the
state of Washington, along the north shore
of the Columbia River. Garbage collection
service in the city is mandatory and has
been a contracted service since 1937. In 1989,
the state of Washington passed the Waste
Not Washington Act, which required cities
and counties to implement programs aimed
at reaching a statewide goal of 50 percent
waste reduction and recycling by 1995. In an
effort to reduce our reliance on landfill dis-
posal and to meet local and statewide goals,
the city adopted the philosophy, "The more
you use, the more you pay."
How Does It Work?
Linear rates were introduced in 1990
when the city coun-
cil approved a rate
increase that made
the second can rate
84 percent greater
than the first can.
After 15 months, our
data showed a 13 per-
cent increase in the
number of customers
choosing the one-can
basic service and a corresponding decrease
in customers choosing the two-can service.
In 1992, the city implemented a weekly mini-
can option, and within five months nearly
500 residents had switched to the mini-can.
By the end of the following year, this number
had doubled and the city was receiving num-
merous customer requests for more service
choices. Three new residential garbage service
level options were implemented: every-
other-week 32-gallon can, every-other-week
mini-can, and monthly 32-gallon can service.
These options are increasingly being utilized
as customers learn how waste reduction and
avid recycling can help them reduce their
monthly garbage output and bill.
of our
. -XW
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Complementary Programs
In 1992, in cooperation with Clark
County, the city implemented a curb-
side recycling program. The program is
mandatory for single-family households,
and all households are billed $3.10 per
month for weekly recycling as part of
their garbage service. A similar program
is also available to all multifamily com-
plexes within the city limits.
The city's contracted hauler also offers
a voluntary yard debris collection pro-
gram. For a monthly fee ($5.55), cus-
tomers can set out up to 96 gallons of
material. Since the program is voluntary,
it does not conflict with citizens who
choose to compost their organic wastes
at home or self-haul to local compost-
ing facilities.
Meeting the Challenges: Tips
for Other Communities
Vancouver has encountered a variety of
challenges throughout the past several
years, and we hope that other jurisdic-
tions may benefit from our experiences.
A significant concern has been whether
we are receiving accurate and up-to-
date data from our garbage and recy-
cling program service providers. It is
important to select providers who have
excellent computer tracking and report-
ing systems and adequate staffing in
place to accomplish these needs. All
solid waste programs require the con-
tractor to provide monthly reports that
enable the city to track the program's
activities and monitor progress.
An excellent public information and
education program is imperative.
Although our experiences with new
program campaigns have been very
positive, it has been a challenge to
ensure that all citizens are informed
about new and existing programs and
the different service levels available to
them. Our ongoing challenge has been
finding sufficient time and resources to
dedicate to frequent, targeted public
relations campaigns.
When the city first attempted to imple-
ment our once-a-month collection
option, it was not approved. The city
council, along with the local health dis-
trict, had concerns about its potential
negative impact on health and safety.
Monthly service was eventually
approved due to the pressure from
recently annexed citizens, namely avid
recyclers and senior citizens who were
used to handling recycling and garbage
on their own. The variety of service
options, although positive from a waste
reduction and customer standpoint,
increases the instability of the revenue
stream for the service providers and
makes enforcement of mandatory col-
lection more difficult.
Program Success
We have found volume-based linear
rates to be an effective tool for encour-
aging residents and businesses to exam-
ine their disposal habits, to recycle
more, and to decrease their garbage
service levels. The city exceeded its 50
percent recycling goal by the end of
1995. Based on available data sources, it
was determined that 51 percent of the
city's wastes were recycled and 49 per-
cent were disposed of in the landfill that
year. While some residents are motivat-
ed by environmental stewardship, others
are encouraged to change habits based
on their pocketbooks. Although volume-
based linear rates pose challenges, we
believe that they are the driving force
behind our success in meeting our waste
reduction and recycling goals.
Vancouver's success story was compiled by Andrea Friedrichsen and Tamera I. Kins, Solid
Waste Program Manager, (360) 696-8186.
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