Population:
Type of Community:
Type of Program:
Program Start Date:
The success and
acceptance of pay-
as-you-throw in our
community has
been remarkable.
Our recycling rate
immediately
jumped by more
than 50 percent
and trash disposal
volumes decreased
by about 35
percent.
EPA530-F-97-007h
PAY- AS- YOU-THROW SUCCESS STORIES
FalmOUth, Maine
8,500
Suburban
Bags
September 1992
By recycling and reducing waste,
citizens not only save money, but also
reduce costs for our community,
Getting Started: Why Pay-As-You-Throw?
In 1991, the Town Council directed the
Falmouth Recycling Committee to explore
options available for solid waste collection.
After reviewing several systems, including
traditional municipal collection, franchise
contractor, and volume-based systems, the
committee developed a report recommend-
ing a modified pay-per-bag system. In this sys-
tem, the collection cost is paid through the
tax system and the disposal cost is reflected in
the cost of the special bag used in the town.
The benefits of this system include a fair
allocation of disposal and collection costs,
tax-deductible collection cost components,
lower collection costs than a traditional non-
fee system, incentives for recycling and waste
reduction, a favorable cash flow structure
(bag revenues are received before disposal
expense is incurred), and elimination of trash
"mixing" by unscrupulous haulers. A unani-
mous vote of the council in the spring of
1992 directed the town to implement the
program in September 1992.
How Does It Work?
The town buys about 175,000 large bags (33-
gallon) and 75,000 small bags (20-gallon)
each year. About a dozen local stores,
including Shaw's Supermarkets, retail the
bags. Bags cost the town 12 and 9 cents
respectively and the store is allowed a
SJown of 3Wwoirtl|.
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2-cent per bag markup. The retail prices
of the bags are 91 and 64 cents, respec-
tively. In addition, a 91-cent sticker is
available for bulky items under 35
pounds, and a $4.80 tag is used for
large items such as mattresses and sofas.
Stores are invoiced for the bags at the
time of delivery and have 30 days to
pay. This system works well for the citi-
zens, because they buy bags and simply
use them the way they had before this
program was implemented.
By recycling and reducing waste, citizens
not only save money, but also reduce
costs for our community. The burden
on the town is minimal because its only
responsibilities are bag delivery, billing,
and recordkeeping. Also, cash flow is
positive for the town because the bags
are paid for before use. There is no
concern with unpaid and uncollectible
charges that can occur with post-use
billing.
Success: Saving Money and
Reducing Waste
The success and acceptance of the
program in the community has been
remarkable. Our recycling rate (always
among the highest in the region)
immediatelyjumped by more than 50
percent, and trash disposal volumes
decreased by about 35 percent.
Combined, these two statistics resulted
in a jump of our recycling rates from 12
percent before the program to 21 per-
cent currently The average rate for
local towns is 7 percent.
These statistics have meant a great deal
to the economics of our waste pro-
gram: The bid price for collection the
first year was $116,000, compared to a
bid of $146,000 for a traditional collec-
tion contract. Our current contract is
for $125,500 despite over 10 percent
growth in the community. At $55 per
ton, a reduction of 900 tons of waste
disposal per year meant a savings of
about $50,000. The current $98 per
ton tip fee calculates to $88,000 per
year savings. In addition, during the old
franchise system, residents paid the col-
lection cost directly to the hauler. Now
residents pay for collection through
their taxes, bringing the community over
$30,000 per year.
Tips for Other Communities
Some towns have bought large quanti-
ties of bags and have been dissatisfied
with size or quality. It may be prudent
to buy a smaller quantity to start with
so that changes can be made if desired.
When you "force" citizens to buy your
bag, it has to be of acceptable quality.
Educate prior to implementation! The
town conducted a citizen survey, devel-
oped a brochure, published a newslet-
ter, and passed out two free bags to
each household prior to implementing
the program. We also conducted a logo
contest in the schools that generated a
great deal of interest and media atten-
tion. The local Lions Club donated
money for the prizes.
Contact other communities and learn!
During our review, we read many arti-
cles published about other towns' pro-
grams. This is useful, but following up
with phone calls can be even more
helpful. We got copies of several towns'
brochures that alerted us to some
details that otherwise may have been
overlooked.
Involve the collection team! The con-
tractor or municipal crew can help
or hurt the program, so they need to
be on board. We developed a small
tag for collection workers to leave at
the curb if there was a reason to not
pick up trash (i.e., not in proper bag
or too heavy).
Fa/mouth's success story was compiled by Tony Hayes, (207) 781 -3919.
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