October 1997
UNIT PRICING OF RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE:
A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF 212 U. S. COMMUNITIES
by:
Marie Lynn Miranda and Sharon LaPalme
Nicholas School of the Environment
Box 90328
Durham, NC 27708
919-613-8023
mmiranda@duke. edu
Research Product 4 from a cooperative agreement titled:
Evaluating Unit-Based Pricing of Residential Municipal Solid Waste
as a Pollution Prevention Mechanism
U.S. EPA Cooperative Agreement #CR822-927-010
Project Officer
Dr. Michael J. Podolsky
Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Report prepared for:
Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

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DISCLAIMER
This report has neither been reviewed nor approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
for publication as an EPA report. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial
products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. The report is being made available
only for its scientific interest.

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Table of Contents
Page
Data Summary and Organization	1
Preliminary Analysis of 212 Unit Pricing Communities	3
Distribution	3
Demographics		4
Waste Disposal and Diversion		5
Program Age	6
Companion Program Implementation		7
Minimum Container Size		8
Geographic Trends		9
Household Choice	13
Mandatory Recycling		14
Illegal Diversion		15
Conclusion	15
Literature Cited
Appendix 1: Variable and code explanation for data on Group 1 communities

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A growing number of communities use unit-based fees for residential municipal waste as
a market-based strategy to encourage waste diversion and waste reduction. Unit pricing has the
potential to provide the appropriate signal to households regarding the true cost of waste
generation. As a result, economic theory suggests that households may respond by decreasing the
amount of waste generated and increasing the amount of waste diverted from landfills through
recycling of consumer products, kitchen waste, and yard debris. While preliminary evidence
from empirical research finds that implementation of unit pricing helps attain goals of waste
diversion and landfill reductions, several important questions remain unanswered. Of particular
interest are questions that examine the strengths and weaknesses of unit based pricing, including:
(i)	What information can and should be collected in order to track the performance of
unit-based pricing programs?
(ii)	Can claims about the effectiveness of unit-based pricing be reconciled with the
programs' actual performance?
(iii)	How do source reduction and materials diversion incentives interact?
(iv)	What types of communities are best suited for a unit-based pricing program?
(v)	How can communities minimize the adverse outcomes sometimes associated with
unit-based pricing programs, especially illegal dumping and burning?
(vi)	What simple analysis can solid waste managers conduct to assess the suitability of
unit-based pricing programs for their own communities?
Previous statistical analyses of the performance of unit pricing programs include
household studies within a single community (Reschovsky and Stone, 1994; Fullerton and
Kinnaman, 1996), across community comparisons with small sample sizes (Miranda, et al, 1994)
or within a single region or state (Seguino et al, 1995), or case studies (Miranda, et al, 1996).
While these have produced insights on household waste disposal and recycling behavior, and
program design, some of the questions above may best be answered by comparing outcomes
among different programs in communities with varying geographic and demographic
characteristics. This paper summarizes a database of 212-unit pricing programs representing
communities in thirty states. Included in the database is information on each community's unit-
based pricing program, recycling program, yard waste collection program, solid waste
educational efforts, illegal diversion, and waste disposal and recycling outcomes. The
preliminary analysis presented here describes and compares the data which will be used in the
future for model building and statistical regression analysis to assess the effectiveness of unit-
based pricing and the interactions between source reduction and materials diversion.
Data Summary and Organization
Rather than using a survey for data collection, we compiled information on more than 1000
1

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communities by requesting from each publicly and readily available materials on all aspects of
their solid waste programs. Typically, we received brochures, newsletters, newspaper articles,
other materials included in household mailings, and quarterly or annual reports. The information
provided by communities was combined with state-level reports, the unit pricing literature, and
information from the 1990 census. The resulting database includes information on 3468-unit
pricing communities. Communities provided data of varying extent and quality and are grouped
into categories based on usefulness for analysis and/or descriptive information.
Group 1:
The first group includes 212 communities with suitable data for statistical analyses. In
particular, these communities provided the most extensive data on unit prices and waste
generation. These communities represent thirty out of the 40 states that presently have unit
pricing programs for residential solid waste collection and disposal. This database is
geographically and demographically diverse, and will allow comparisons among communities
with variable lengths of program history. They are a mix of rural and urban localities, ranging
in size from just over 60 households to almost 800,000 households.
The Group 1 database is a Microsoft Excel (version 5.0) spreadsheet, which can be easily
exported to SAS (version 6.11) for statistical analysis. Appendix 1 lists each variable name,
value list, and code explanation. A subset of the data for each community was exported to a
database management program (File Maker Pro version 2.0). The database management
program is set up to create a one-page sheet summarizing features of each community's unit
pricing, recycling, and yard waste programs (Appendix 2). It also allows easy sorting of the
database by any variable, including variables for program features, location, or demographics.
For instance, a sort can produce all communities with multi-tier programs, all the communities
from a particular county or state, all communities within a population range, or all communities
defined by a combination of variables.
Group 2:
The second group includes communities with mostly descriptive solid waste program
information. Cities, towns, and villages with populations under 20,000 make up the majority of
this group. Contacts from these communities provide the current year's rates for their unit-
pricing programs and details about recycling, but track little information on waste generation
outcomes. A very small percentage of this group consists of some larger urban communities
that lacked much quantitative data. The project staff developed a separate data tracking sheet
and data base to record information for this group. Variables recorded include: population; start
date of unit pricing and recycling; unit pricing program type; information on other companion
programs; and a qualitative assessment of the effect of unit-pricing on waste generation
outcomes. Statistical analysis will not be feasible on the communities in this data base, but will
provide an information resource on program design in small communities.
Data for Group 2 communities are also included in the database management program.
As with the Group 1 communities, project staff can produce a one page program summary of
Group 2 communities and sort by single variable or combination of variables. Combining the
Group 1 and Group 2 communities, the database provides readily available information on
2

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aspects of unit pricing, recycling, and yard waste programs in over 500 communities.
Group 3:
Information from all mail responses was combined with additional information from
state-level contacts and the unit pricing literature to create a comprehensive tally of communities
with unit based pricing for residential solid waste management. This tally identifies the names
of unit pricing communities in 39 states, and includes data for most entries such as, start of unit
pricing program and if it is a bag, tag, or can program. For a smaller percentage of the tally
communities, additional data include: program type (fully variable, multi-tier, or additional base
tax) and per unit fees. Communities that indicated they are considering unit pricing, or
implementing a program within the next two calendar years, are also included. This tally
accounts for unit pricing programs adopted through the first half of 1995 and totals 3468
communities (inclusive of groups 1,2, and 3). As shown in Appendix 3, this database lists each
community by row along with the start date of the unit pricing program and the type of container
used.
Group 4:
Eighteen communities without unit-pricing programs sent responses providing
information on their solid waste programs. Data on these flat fee communities will allow
analyses comparing unit pricing communities to a control group (i.e. communities where
residents pay a flat fee for collection of an unlimited quantity of trash). The Group 5 database is
a Microsoft Excel (version 5.0) spreadsheet, which can be easily exported to SAS (version 6.11)
for statistical analysis. Except for variables related to a unit fee pricing structure, the variables
for this group are identical to Group 1.
Preliminary Analysis of 212 Unit Pricing Communities
Preliminary analyses were conducted on the 212 communities comprising Group 1 to
examine the national representativeness of these communities, as well as the characteristics and
design features of unit pricing, recycling, yard waste collection programs, and waste generation
outcomes under various unit pricing program features.
Distribution
Table 1 shows the distribution by state for the 212-unit pricing communities in Group 1.
The 212-unit pricing communities represent 30 states. Each community provided sufficient
quantitative information on waste generation outcomes, unit fees, and numbers of participating
households.
Table 1
Group 1 unit pricing communities by state
State
#
State
#
State
#
AR
1
MD
1
NY
2
3

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CA
18
ME
14
OH
5
CO
2
MI
7
OR
11
CT
3
MN
6
PA
10
FL
1
NC
1
RI
2
IA
17
ND
1
UT
1
ID
1
NE
1
VA
1
IL
20
NH
4
VT
3
IN
5
NJ
8
WA
28
MA
12
NM
1
WI
25
Demographics
Table 2 compares demographic data for the Group 1 unit pricing communities to national
averages. The Group 1 communities tend to have higher median housing values and slightly
higher per capita incomes, have a larger proportion of residents with high school degrees or
higher, and have much smaller minority populations.
Tab
e 2
Comparison of demographic variables for Group 1 unit
pricing communities to national averages
Variable
Unit pricing
average
Unit pricing
median
National
averages
% urban
70
100
75
% white
92
97
80
% < 3 yrs
4
4
4
% < 18 yrs
25
25
26
% 18-24 yrs
11
9
8
% 25-64 yrs
50
51
51
% > 64 yrs
14
13
13
% households
w/children
33
33
34
% non-family
31
30
29
4

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households



% completed
high-school
81
81
75
% completed
college
23
19
26
% completed grad
school
8
6
7
% worked in 1989
83
84
79
median housing
value
111,740
80,400
78,500
median hh
income
33,190
29,565
33,056
per capita income
15,469
13,483
14,220
Table 3 provides a sense of the variability in population size of the Group 1 communities.
This group's average is 41,202 persons. Most likely small communities that have adopted unit
fees are underrepresented. Based on census data from approximately 3400-unit pricing
communities, the average community size is just over 6,000 persons; as of yet very few large
communities have adopted unit pricing. The fact that our data set is more representative of
medium and larger size communities may result from the fact that these communities are more
able and more likely to track data on program outcomes.
Table 3
Group 1 unit pricing communities' population statistics

Population
Households
Average
41,202
16,143
Median
10,042
3,994
Smallest
Community:
Gibson, IA
63
32
Largest Community:
San Jose, CA
782,225
251,050
5

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Waste Disposal and Diversion
Many Group 1 communities provided data on waste landfilled, recyclables and yard
waste collected from the year prior to implementation of unit pricing and the first year after
implementation. These data allow a simple statistical comparison to examine whether mean
levels of annual per household waste disposal and diversion amounts significantly change after
implementation of unit pricing. The results of a paired t-test are shown in Table 4. The p-
value indicates whether or not the differences are statistically significant. In general, analysts
conclude that if the p-value is less than 0.05, then the differences between before and after
implementation data are significant. Thus, in the first year after implementation of unit pricing,
the amount of per household waste landfilled was significantly less than and the amount of per
household recyclables collected was significantly greater than the year prior to implementation.
The waste landfilled analysis excluded communities where either recycling or yard waste
programs were established in conjunction with the unit pricing programs or where recycling and
yard waste programs were changed significantly. With this added condition, the number of
usable observations with before and after data was reduced from 66 to 31. No significant change
in outcomes was detected for the variables yard waste collected and total waste collected. In the
case of yard waste, this is likely influenced by the very small number of observations. In the case
of total waste collected, a p-value of 0.10 indicates that the before and after data differences are
approaching statistical significance. The third row of Table 4 presents a range of values within
which the change in average per household tonnage is expected to lie after implementation of
unit pricing. The average Group 1 household decreased its waste landfilled by 0.14 to 0.27 tons
annually. For recyclables, the average household increased the amount set out by 0.06 to 0.11
tons annually. Based on pre-unit pricing averages, annual per household waste landfilled
decreased by 14 - 27% and recyclables collected increased by 32 - 59% in the first year after
implementation of unit pricing.
Multivariate analysis will provide greater explanatory power to determine specific factors
driving these changes. Subsequent analyses will include program characteristics, and
demographic and economic variables detailed in other sections of this report.
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Table 4: Results of a paired t-test of waste disposal and diversion data between the year
prior to unit pricing and the first year after unit pricing implementation for Group 1
communities.
Variable
Waste
Landfilled
Recyclables
Collected
Yard Waste
Collected
Total Collected
Number of
observations
30
55
11
22
P-value
0.0001
0.0001
0.97
0.10
Tons/hh/year
increase or
decrease after unit
pricing
(95% confidence
interval)
-0.28 to -0.15
0.06 to 0.11
-0.10 to 0.11
-0.22 to 0.02
%
increase/decrease
compared to year
prior to unit pricing
15-28%
reduction
32 - 59%
increase
30%) decrease
to 31%
increase
18%> decrease
to 2% increase
Program Age
Table 5 summarizes Group 1 unit pricing communities' average program age. The
average program began around 1990, while the oldest program, in Troutdale, Oregon, began
around 1940. Although the greatest number of communities adopted unit fees in the last three
years, some communities have used pricing structures roughly equivalent to a per unit fee for
many years if not decades. For example, in many Washington and Oregon communities,
residents have always paid for trash collection services based on fees that varied with the number
of cans. However, frequently the fee structures originally established in these communities failed
to provide a clear price incentive to reduce the number or size of trash cans. In response to
growing use of unit fees in the late 80's and early 90's, many Washington and Oregon
communities revised their rate structures by adding smaller can options and increasing the cost of
additional cans.
Program age will be used as an explanatory variable in modeling per household changes
in waste landfilled and recyclables collected. In particular, we are interested in the question of
whether lag time exists before consumers adopt source reduction behaviors. We hypothesize
that after implementation of unit fee programs, consumers initially focus on recycling and other
diversion strategies. Under this hypothesis, attention to source reduction strategies comes after a
longer period of education and information.
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Table 5
Group 1 average unit pricing program age (as of 12/95)
Average
6.2 years
Median
4 years
Oldest program
55 years Troutdale, OR
Youngest program
0.6 years Longmont, CO
Companion Program Implementation
Analyses of unit pricing's effect on recycling and waste outcomes will take into account
the sequence of implementation of unit pricing with companion recycling and yard waste
programs. As Tables 6a and 6b show, just under half of the Group 1 unit-pricing communities
had recycling programs in place prior to implementing unit fees. Of the remaining communities,
61 implemented their recycling programs with unit pricing and 21 implemented programs in
years subsequent to the start of unit pricing. For yard waste, 66 programs were in operation prior
to unit pricing and 42 were implemented in the same year as the unit fees. Forty-five
communities have no curbside or drop off programs for yard waste.
Table 6a
Recycling program implementation with respect to unit
pricing

Number of Group 1
communities
Implemented program before
UBP
103
Implemented program with
UBP
61
Implemented program after
UBP
21
8

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Table 6b
Yard waste program implementation with respect to unit
pricing

Number of Group 1
communities
Implemented program before
UBP
66
Implemented program with
UBP
42
Implemented program after
UBP
12
No program
45
9

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The unit pricing literature almost uniformly finds that increased recycling rates follow
unit pricing implementation (Miranda, et al, 1995). On average, this trend remained true for the
Group 1 communities; the mean increase in annual per household recycling was 36% with a
median increase of 13%. While unit pricing programs are usually implemented with an
aggressive recycling program, it may be important to more carefully consider the interactions
between source reduction and materials diversion programs. Recycling programs offer residents
an easy and, often times, familiar option to exercise in response to unit fees. Though this strategy
does not preclude source reduction activity, the more convenient the recycling program becomes,
the less incentive residents may have to source reduce. Source reduction, though it is central to
pollution prevention, requires more substantial changes in purchasing habits and lifestyle choices
that residents may be unaware of, uninterested in pursuing, find difficult to adopt, or embrace
only slowly over time. On the one hand, limiting recycling opportunities may better preserve the
pollution prevention incentives created by implementation of unit pricing; on the other hand,
using such a policy to drive a community's source reduction program might encourage resistance
to unit pricing efforts. Of the 31 communities reported in Table 6a that did not start a recycling
program with the unit pricing program, 80% implemented unit pricing in the 1980's before the
great increases in the number of curbside recycling programs in the early 1990's. As recycling
became a common component to solid waste management programs after 1990, municipal
leaders interested in implementing unit pricing programs during the past six years may have
faced community opposition if it was not accompanied by plans for recycling opportunities.
Statistical analysis on the Group 1 data will study the interaction of unit pricing programs and
municipal recycling programs to determine if greater recycling convenience discourages source
reduction in favor of materials diversion activities, or if source reduction and materials diversion
activities are in fact complementary.
Minimum Container Size
Previous case studies of nine-unit pricing communities revealed that employing relatively
smaller minimum sized container reduced a community's landfilled waste more effectively
(Miranda and Aldy, 1996). For each Group 1 community, we have data on the smallest size
container option available to households. Initial scatter plots and computations of correlation
coefficients of trash and recycling tonnages with minimum container size indicate a weak
relationship. Figure 1 plots minimum container size versus yearly household trash tonnages. The
correlation between these two variables is positive, but low — 0.17. Figure 2 plots minimum
container size versus yearly household recycling tonnages. The correlation in this case is -0.13.
We will explore the relationship of this variable to waste outcomes further in multivariate
regression analysis.
Tables 7 and 8 show that greater differences in average minimum container size is
evident comparing among program types (Table 7) rather than comparing among container types
(Table 8). For instance, fully variable or additional base tax programs on average allow
households to put out less than 30 gallons per week. In some communities, households have the
option of monthly pick up of one 20 or 32-gallon container (which converts to 5 gallons/week for
the former and 8 gallons/week for the latter). In contrast, multi-tier programs on average
provide no incentive for households to put out less than 45 gallons per week. Looking at this data
10

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in Table 8, we see minimal difference in the average minimum container size (approximately 5
gallons) among container types. The trends in these two tables suggest that program
administrators should consider both container type and program type as important determinants
of waste reduction incentives.
Figure 1: H ousehold trash generation versus minimum container
size.
oo
20	40	60	80	100
minimum container size (gallons)
120
1.60
-g 1.40
1 1.20
"a
5 i.oo
-i—¦
0.80
le
<: 0.60
^ 0.40
jjF 0.20
0.00
Figure 2: Recyclable tonnage generation versus minimum
container size
i*yi
ft
~ ~
00	20	40	60	80	100	120
minimum container size
11

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Table 7
Minimum container size (gallons/week) by program type for Group 1
communities

Multi tier1'2
Fully
Variable3
Additional Base
Tax4
Average size
47
29
26
Median size
32
32
30
Smallest container
26
55
86
Largest container
96
110
102
1	Minimum container size for multi-tier communities includes base service level. For all other program
types, minimum container size equals the smallest container option of the variable fee.
2	Multi-tier pricing has two fees. The first fee is flat and covers some minimum level of service. The second
fee is unit-based and varies with any additional bags or cans collected above the base amount.
3	With fully variable pricing, households pay for each can/bag/tag set out. The unit fee is typically based on
average costs.
4	Households pay a base amount, either through taxes or monthly bill, which does not cover any base level
of service and additionally pay a unit fee for every can/bag/tag set out.
5	one 20 gallon can per month
6	one 32-gallon bag per month
Table 8
Minimum container size (in gallons/week) by container type
for Group 1 communities

Bag
Tag
Can
Overall
Average
minimum size
27
32
32
30
Median
minimum size
30
32
32
32
Smallest
container size
81
13
52
—
Largest
container size
96
102
110
—
1 one 32-gallon bag per month
2 one 20 gallon can per month
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container type	bag/tag
both
Geographic Trends
In previous case studies by Miranda and Aldy (1996), the distribution of can and bag or
tag programs followed a distinctive geographic pattern. West coast communities exclusively
employed can-based systems, while Midwest and Eastern communities preferred bag or tag
programs. The same strong pattern is seen in these 212 communities. Map 1 shows each state
represented in the study and types of containers utilized by the Group 1 unit pricing
communities. All unit pricing communities in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, and
Idaho are can programs. The states of Utah, New Mexico, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Florida
have only one community each, all of which use can based systems. Most Northeastern states
and several Great Lake states rely on bag or tags exclusively.
Map 1: State Summary of container types used by Group 1 communities
Household Choice
Twenty-Seven Group 1 communities retain a flat fee option for residents (Table 9). In
some cases, haulers continue to offer a flat fee option along with a variable fee. In some
communities where both public and private haulers operate, the municipality has adopted unit
fees without requiring haulers to do the same. The percentage of households in either group
opting for a flat fee for their trash collection is high (approximately 50%) and may represent a
considerable barrier to achieving waste diversion and reduction goals. In one Northeastern
community, residents can avoid paying any fees curbside by self-hauling their waste to a drop off
site. In communities where over half the households choose to pay for solid waste services
through the traditional flat fee, we would expect to see greater per household tonnages for waste
landfilled and lower per household tonnages of recyclables collected. To account for this
possibility in statistical analysis, we will control for the proportion of households who choose the
13

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flat fee option.
Table 9
Number of Group 1 communities that offer an alternative to unit based
pricing
UBP Alternative
# of Communities
Average % of households
choosing flat fee
Flat fee is among options
offered by hauler
13
52%
Residents can opt out of
municipal unit based program
and contract with a private
hauler who charges a flat rate
13
46%
Residents self hauls waste
and pays no charge
1
no information available
Mandatory Recycling
Figure 3 compares trash and recycling outcomes in Group 1 communities with and
without mandatory recycling ordinances. One hundred thirteen communities mandated recycling,
while in 99 communities recycling is voluntary. On average, in communities with voluntary
recycling, trash disposal is greater and recycling is less by 0.24 and 0.05 tons/year/household,
respectively. The interpretation of these results, however, is not straightforward. These numbers
do not imply causation, i.e. that mandatory recycling increases diversion rates. An alternative
explanation is that lower trash disposal and greater recycling may be more a reflection of
underlying values in the community, values incorporated into law by mandatory recycling
legislation. In our statistical analysis, we will continue to test the relationship between
mandatory recycling and waste outcomes keeping in mind that without considering levels of
trash disposal and recycling before mandatory source separation, interpretation is difficult.
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Illegal Diversion
Most commonly, Group 1 communities indicated no change in illegal dumping activity
with implementation of unit pricing programs (Figure 4). Over one quarter of the communities
did not track illegal dumping or did not have any readily available information.
Figure 4: Percentage of communities indicating an increase,
decrease, or no change in the level of illegal diversion with
implementation of a unit pricing program.
decreased
didn't know	,
increased
27%
19%
no change
48%
Though we were unable to obtain data such as, number of citations or fines issued, or
annual tonnages of illegally disposed of material, statistical analysis may still be possible. Using
1.20
S 100
>.
3? 0.80
0
_c
1	0.60
I 0.40
c
o
- 0.20
0.00
Figure 3: Average yearly household trash and recycling tonnages for
communities with and without mandatory source separation of
recyclables

1.02



0.78








--



0.28 Q23
~ mandatory recycling
¦ no mandatory recycling






Average trash
disposed
15
Average
recyclables
collected

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logistic regression analysis, we can investigate the contribution of various explanatory variables
towards the likelihood of an illegal dumping problem. Variables of interest include,
enforcement of illegal dumping ordinances, level of unit fee, and demographic variables.
Conclusion
With data on well over 200 variables and with such a broad distribution of geographic
localities, program types and program histories, the communities database has rich potential for
statistical analysis. This preliminary examination provides a snapshot of trends and the
variability in many central features of unit based pricing programs. The results will be used in
subsequent steps of data study and model building for regression analysis.
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Literature Cited
Fullerton, Don and Thomas Kinnaman. 1996. "Household Demand for Garbage and Recycling
Collection with the Start of a Price per Bag," American Economic Review. Vol. 86,
No.4
971-984.
Miranda, Marie Lynn, Jess W. Everett, Daniel Blume, and Barbeau A. Roy, Jr. 1994. "Market-
Based Incentive and Residential Municipal Solid Waste," Journal of Policy Analysis and
Management. Vol. 13, No. 4. 681-698.
Miranda, Marie Lynn, Scott D. Bauer, and Joseph E. Aldy. 1995. Unit Pricing Programs for
Residential Municipal Solid Waste: An Assessment of the Literature, report to the U.S.
EPA Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation.
Miranda, Marie Lynn and Joseph E. Aldy. 1996. Unit Pricing of Residential Municipal Solid
Waste:	Lessons from Nine Case Study Communities, report to the U.S.EPA Office of
Policy, Planning and Evaluation.
Reschovsky, James D. and Sarah E. Stone. "Market Incentives to Encourage Household Waste
Recycling: Paying for What You Throw Away." Journal of Policy Analysis and
Management. Vol. 13, No. 1. Winter, 1994.
Seguino, Stephanie, Margarita Suarez, Christopher Spruce, and George Criner. Estimated Impact
of Charging Maine Households by the Bag for Waste Disposal. Margaret Chase Smith
Center for Public Policy working paper. 1995.
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APPENDIX 1: Variable and code explanation for data on Group 1 communities.
Variable name
Values
Explanation
Unit based pricing
PLACE

name of community
COUNTY

county, if known
STATE

state
REQUEST
YorN
contact person requests a copy of results
CURRPOP
numeric
current, total population, if given
TOTALHH
numeric
total residential households, if given
UBPYEAR1
month-year
month and year unit pricing began
UBPTOTYR
numeric
# of years unit pricing used through 1995
UBPALT
1 or 0
l=residents have option other than unit fee; 0=unit
fee is residents only option
ALTSFHH
%
percent of hh choosing alternative fee to unit pricing
DISPALT
U, C, or S
U=resident chooses flat rate for unlimited collection
offered by hauler; C=resident contract with private
hauler who doesn't offer unit fees; S=resident self-
hauls waste and pays no charge.
FEEBASIS
Wor V
W=weight; V=volume
UBPCONT1, UBPCONT2
B, C, T, N
B=bags; C=cans; T=tags; N=not applicable; or
specified other
UFEETYPE
V, M, T
V=fully variable; M=multi-tier; T=additional base
tax
BASEFEE
$/month
fixed monthly fee resident pays for a base level of
service per collection period
BASESRVC
# of gallons
# of gallons covered by the base fee
ADDAMT
$/month
tax amount on a monthly basis resident pays which
covers some of the fixed costs of disposal and
collection — no base service
FEEWGHT
$/lb
fee per unit weight, if applicable
LIMIT/32G
# lbs
weight limit per bag or can
A-l

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EXCESS
1,2, or 3
l=trash not collected; 2=trash collected, notice left;
3=trash collected, resident charged extra fee
MINSIZE
#
minimum container size
95UFEEGL ...
89UFEEGL
$/gallon
dollar per gallon fee for bag, tag , or sticker
programs by year
95UMIVOL ...
89UMIVOL
# gallons
smallest can volume in a subscription can program
by year
95UMIFEE ... 89UMIFEE
$/can
monthly fee per container volume for subscription
can program by year
95FGLMIN ... 89FGLMIN
$/gallon
dollar per gallon fee for the smallest container in a
subscription can program by year
95UMAVOL
...89UMAVOL
# gallons
largest can volume in a subscription can program by
year
95UMAFEE ...
89UMAFEE
$/can
monthly fee per container volume for a subscription
can program by year
95FGLMAX...
89FGLMAX
$/gallon
dollar per gallon fee for the largest container in a
subscription can program by year
95XTRA... 89XTRA
$/month
monthly fee for an occasional extra 32 gallon can in
a subscription can program
UBPBILL
N, W, M, Q,
Y, D
billing frequency
N=not applicable (bag, tag, or sticker); W=weekly;
M=monthly; Q=quarterly; Y=yearly; D=pay at drop
off site
UBPFREQ
8, 4, 2, 1, 0
8=2/week; 4=weekly; 2=biweekly; l=monthly;
0=drop-off
95USFHH... 90USFHH
#
number of single family households receiving trash
collection services (unless otherwise noted, can
include non-unit pricing hh when that is an option)
95UMFHH ... 90UMFHH
#
number of multi-family households receiving
residential trash collection and paying residential
fees (vs. commercial)
UBPHAUL
C, P, F, or D
type of garbage hauler
C=city; P=private contract; F=franchise; D=drop off
only
DISPOSE
L, I, or B
where waste is disposed
L=landfill; I=Incinerator; or B=both
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FILLAGE
#
year in which landfill was constructed
FILLYEARS
#
number of years of remaining landfill capacity
EXPAND
1 or 0
possibility to expand the capacity of the landfill
l=yes; 0=no
TIPUNIT
TorY
per unit basis of tipping fee
T=tons; Y=cubic yards
95LFTIP... 90LFTIP
$
yearly per unit landfill tipping fee
95INCTIP ... 90INCTIP
$
yearly per unit incinerator tipping fee
FREEMSW
1 or 0
residents can periodically dispose of trash or bulky
goods without paying unit fees (i.e. Spring clean
ups)
FREEYR
year
year free program began
FREETIME
#
number of weeks program occurs per year
RECYCLING
RECYLAW
year
year of mandatory recycling law
RECYCLING
C, D, or B
recycling program options
C=curbside; D=drop off; B=both
RECYCURB
S or M
extent of curbside recycling program
S=single family residents only; M=single family
and (some or all) multi family residents
RECYFREQ
#
number of recycling collections per month
RECYCOLL
A, B, C, or D
hauler method of collection
A=same day & truck; B=same day diff truck;
C=different day; D=drop off only
RECYBIN
1 or 0
residents receive a free recycling bin
l=yes; 0=no
95RSFHH... 90RSFHH
#
yearly number of single family households who can
potentially participate in recycling
95RMFHH ... 95RMFHH
#
yearly number of multi family households who can
potentially participate in recycling
SFRRATE
%
latest years recycling participation rate for single
family households; 99 for don't know
MFRATE
%
latest years recycling participation rate for multi
family households; 99 for don't know; 00 for not
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applicable
NPRECYR... CBRECYR
year
year curbside collection began for each recyclable
material
NPRECSET ...
CBRECSET
S, C, M, or D
method of recyclable material preparation
S=separated; C=commingled with some other
materials; M=commingled with all other materials;
D=drop off only
NPDROPYR
...CBDROPYR
year
year drop off collection began for each recyclable
material
OTHRREC1 ... OTHREC6
name
additional recyclable materials
OTRECYR1 ...
OTRECYR6
year
see above
ORECSET1 ...
ORECSET6
S, C, M, or D
see above
RECYHAUL
P, R, F, or D
who does collection of recyclables
P=public/municipal workers; R=private hauler;
F=franchised hauler; D=drop off only
95RECFEE ... 90RECFEE
$/month
each year's monthly recycling fee paid by residents;
separate from unit fee for trash
YARD WASTE
YWASTLAW
year
year of law mandating separation of yw from
landfillable trash
YARDWAST
C, D, or B
refer to RECYCLING
YARDCURB
S or M
extent of curbside yard waste collection
S=single family residents only; M=single family
and (some or all) multi-family residents
YARDCOLL
A, B, C, or D
refer to RECYCOLL
95YSFHH... 90YSFHH
#
yearly number of single family households who can
potentially participate in yard waste program
95YMFHH ... 90YMFHH
#
yearly number of multi family households who can
potentially participate in yard waste program
YTYPEFEE
N, V, M, T,
or F
fee associated with yard waste collection
N=no separate fee; V=fully variable; M=multi-tier;
T=additional base tax; F=flat fee
YARDBILL
N, W, M, Q
refer to UBPBILL
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YARDHAUL
C, P, F, or D
type of hauler for yw collection
C=city; P=private; F=franchise; D=drop off only
WASTE YR
year
year curbside collection of yw began
WASTMNTH
#
number of months/year yw collected
WASTFREQ
#
number of collections/month of yard waste
WADROPYR
year
year drop off site for yw began
YWCONT1
B, C, T, 0, or
N
type of container for yw collection
B=bags; C=cans; T=tags; 0=open/street side; N=not
applicable
YWCONT2
see above
see above
YWLIMIT
lbs.
weight limit per yw container
YWEXCESS
1,2, or 3
refer to EXCESS
95YFEEGL .. 90YFEEGL
$/month
dollar per gallon yard waste fee for bag, tag , or
sticker programs by year
95YMIVOL ...
90YMIVOL
# gallons
smallest can volume in a yard waste subscription
can program by year
95YMIFEE ... 90YMIFEE
$/can
monthly fee per smallest container volume for yard
waste subscription can program by year
9 5 YM A VOL
...90YMAVOL
# gallons
largest can volume in a subscription can program by
year
95YMAFEE ...
90YMAFEE
$/can
monthly fee per largest container volume for yard
waste subscription can program by year
LEAFCURB
year
year curbside collection of leaves began
LEAF WEEK
#
number of weeks/year of leaf collection
LEAFDROP
year
year drop off collection began of leaves
LEAFFEE
1 or 0
fees associated with curbside or drop off collection
of leaves; l=yes; 0=no
HDAYCURB
year
year curbside collection of Christmas trees began
HDAYWEEK
#
number of weeks/year of Christmas tree collection
HDAYROP
year
year drop off collection of Christmas trees began
HDAYFEE
1 or 0
fees associated with curbside or drop off collection
of Christmas trees; l=yes; 0=no
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COMPKITC
1 or 0
city sells composting kits
COMPKITH
1 or 0
hauler sells composting kits
COMPINFO
1 or 0
composting information available
95PRKIT ... 93PRKIT
$
cost to resident for composting kit
95COMPHH..
93COMPHH
#
number of composting kits sold
LARGITEM
C, D, or B
see RECYCLING
95LRGMAX ...
93LRGMAX
$/item
maximum fee for the collection of large item
95LRGMIN ...
93LRGMIN
$/item
minimum fee for the collection of a large item
LARGFREQ
#
see RECYFREQ
HHWWEEK
#
number of weeks/year collection of HHW available
HHWFEE
1 or 0
fee associated with collection of HHW
OTHRHHW
1 or 0
HHW collected by entity other than the municipality
EDUCATION
REDUCED
1 or 0
source reduction information available to residents
INITIAL
1 or 0
education program accompanied start of the ubp
program
JUNKMAIL
1 or 0
information given on how to avoid junk mail
SMART SHP
1 or 0
info given on waste reducing shopping behavior and
emphasis on buying recyclable goods
HHITEMS
1 or 0
encourages the repair, reuse, or donation of
unneeded household items
HAZALT
1 or 0
gives alternatives to using household hazardous
wastes
LIMITS
1 or 0
suggests limits to purchasing such as making gifts,
COOPRENT
1 or 0
ideas of cooperation among several households
(sharing tools) or renting items that are used
infrequently
OTHER
1 or 0

REDXINFO
1,2, 3, or 4
presentation of source reduction information
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l=brochures; 2=newspaper; 3=demo or class;
4=other
MAILING
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
BROCHURE
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
RADIO/TV
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
PRINT
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
SCHOOL
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
BILLBRDS
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
MEETING
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
OTHERED
1,2, 3, or 0
frequency in education program
l=more than once per year; 2=once per year;
3=upon demand; 0=none
EDPROG
name
name of other education program
BURNING
1 or 0
community has ordinance restricting the burning of
trash
LITTER
1 or 0
community has ordinance punishing littering
DUMPSTER
1 or 0
community has ordinance against illegal use of
commercial dumpsters
ILLEGAL
1,2, or 3
change in illegal dumping since start of ubp
program
l=decreased; 2=no change; 3=increased
ENFORCE
1 or 0
steps taken to increase enforcement or
advertisement of ordinances
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STEPS
C, F, orN
steps taken in case of illegal dumping
C= id attempted, person contacted but not fined; F=
id attempted, person fined; N= no id attempted
OUTCOMES
95WASTE
tons
actual residential trash tonnage for 1995
SWMONTHS
#
number of months represented by above number
95LNDFIL
tons
estimated full year trash tonnage for 1995 if actual
number was less than a full year
94LNDFIL ... 85LNDFIL
tons
yearly residential trash tonnage
95RECYL
tons
actual residential recyclable tonnage for 1995
RMONTHS
#
number of months represented in above number
95RECYL2
tons
estimated residential recyclable tonnage for 1995 if
actual number was less than a full year
94RECYL ... 90RECYL
tons
yearly residential recyclable tonnages
95YARD ... 90YARD
tons
yearly residential yard waste tonnages
950THER... 90OTHER
tons
yearly tonnages of other curbside or drop off
collections
COSTS & REVENUES
95TCOST ... 90TCOST
$
annual total costs for all solid waste programs
95SWCOST ...
90SWCOST
$
annual costs for trash collection and disposal
95RECOST ... 90RECOST
$
annual costs for recycling collection
95YWCOST ...
90YWCOST
$
annual costs for yard waste collection
95EDCOST ...
90EDCOST
$
annual costs for education program costs
95TOTREV...
90TOTREV
$
annual total revenues for all solid waste programs
95UBPREV ...
92UBPREV
$
annual revenues from unit pricing program
95RECREV ...
92RECREV
$
annual revenues from recycling program
95SALREV ...
$
annual revenues from the sale of recyclable
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92SALREV

materials
95YWREV ... 93YWREV
$
annual revenues from yard waste collection
95SPLREV ... 93SPLREV
$
annual revenues special collection programs
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