# Presentation: 796969

## Paying for Waste Disposal

**Paying for Waste Disposal**

**What Are the Choices?**
**Tax Base**General Fund
**Flat Fee**
**User Fee**** **(Pay-As-You-Throw)

## Challenges in MSW Management

- More garbage to collect and dispose
- Higher costs of collection services
- Limited municipal budgets
- Public-sector pressure to more cost-efficient

## “3E” Benefits of Pay-As-You-Throw 

***Environmental Sustainability***: Effectively promotes waste reduction
***Economic Stability***: Stable revenue covers cost of services
***Equity***: Economically fair delivery of services

## How PAYT Programs Work

- Pay for MSW service based on garbage thrown out
- Pay for waste like a utility
- Residents only pay for what they use

## Types of PAYT Programs

**Types of PAYT Programs**

**Cans:** Residents pay higher fees for larger containers
**Bags:** Residents pay a fee for garbage bags
**Stickers:** Residents pay for stickers affixed to bags/containers

## Environmental Research Results

**Duke University National Study**
- 14 to 27% average waste reduction
- 32 to 59% increase in recycling
- 19% found slight increase in illegal dumping

## Examples of U.S. City Savings

**Wilmington, NC**—	$400,000 (Population: 75,000)	 per year
**Littleton, NH**—	$40,000 in extra funds(Population: 5,800) 	with PAYT
**Gainesville, FL**—	$186,200 savings(Population: 96,000)
**San Jose, CA**—	reduced cost by $4 (Population: 850,000) 	million annually

## PAYT Growing in the U.S.

- More than **5,000** communities in U.S. practice PAYT
- Cities large and small, rural and urban
- More than **60** cities with populations above **100,000** practice PAYT

## Map of PAYT Communities

## Large Cities and PAYT

**Large Cities and PAYT**

- City			Population		Recycling Rate
- San Jose, CA	782,248		43%
- San Francisco	723,959		Approx. 33%
- Portland, OR	437,319		50% (1996)
- Seattle		516,259		44% (1996)
- Worcester, MA	169,759		54% (1996)

## What People Say about PAYT

- PAYT offers “a direct economic payback to the people”—San Jose elected official
- High recycling rates in cities correlates with PAYT
- Surveys indicate residential approval
- Positive changes in consumer purchasing behavior

- Approval from elected officials to environmental groups and residents

## Lessons Learned from PAYT

- Economic incentives encourage behavioral changes
- Treating MSW services as a utility —you pay for what you use
**Win-win**: high recycling rate and economic stability

## EPA Tools/Technical Assistance

**EPA Tools/Technical Assistance**

- Tool kit, PAYT Video, Fact sheets, Testimonials, Guidebook
- Technical assistance workshops in cities across the U.S.
- Web site:** www.epa.gov/payt**

- What is EPA doing to support PAYT?

## Climate Change

**Climate Change**

- PAYT helps reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with making, distributing, and disposing of products.
- If 200 more communities adopted PAYT and reduced waste by 20%, greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by 3.8 million MTCE.
- This equals taking almost 2.8 million cars off the road for almost a year.

## Pricing Systems

- Proportional
-  Variable
-  Two-tiered/ Multi-tiered

## Complementary Programs

- Curbside Recycling
- Yard Trimmings and Composting
- Bulky Items and White Goods

## Growth in PAYT Programs

**Growth in PAYT Programs**

- No. of Communities

- Year

- Number
- of
- Communities

## San Jose, California

**San Jose, California**

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type__	__   Container _
- 850,000	July 1993	Four-Sort	     Cans
-  Before PAYT: Unlimited collection for $12.50/month.
-  Before PAYT: Three 32-gallon garbage cans/week.
-  City reduced costs by over $4 million/year.
-  87% of residents use the 32-gallon size container.
-  Recyclables/yard trimmings double pre-PAYT level.
-  Residents happy with program                           	(80% approval in 1993, 90% in 1996).

## San Francisco, California

**San Francisco, California**

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type    Container _
-  723,959	1900s	Variable	    Cans
-  PAYT program one of the oldest in the country.
-  1999: City recycling rate 42%.
-  “Fantastic 3” program: three 32-gallon carts.
-  First program to collect food scraps at curbside.
-  All apartment buildings have access to PAYT.

## Seattle, Washington

**Seattle, Washington**

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type    Container _
-  516,259	 1981		Variable	    Cans
-  City offers 10, 20, 30, 60, or 90-gallon cans.
-  City uses totes, semi-automated collection for 	containers over 30 gallons.
-  25% of resident use 20-gallon cans.
-  Water/trash bills issued jointly:                      	City pays for trash, shuts off water.

## Austin, Texas 

**Austin, Texas **

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type__	__   Container _
-  465,622	 1991		Variable	    Cans
-  2000: Recycling rate 28.5%.
-  1991 (program began): Recycling rate 9.8%.
-  Switch to fully automated, one-person crews.
-  Residents can use 30-, 60-, or 90-gallon carts.
-  Excess garbage placed in bag with $2 sticker.
-  Bags without stickers charged $4/untagged bag.

## Vancouver, Washington

**Vancouver, Washington**

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type    Container _
-   69,000 	 1990		Variable	    Cans
-  Second-can rate 84% greater than first can.
-  500 residents switched to the mini-can.
-  Weekly recycling costs $3.10/month.
-  Set out 96 gallons of yard debris: $5.55/month.
-  City exceeded 50% recycling goal by 1995.

## Portland, Maine

**Portland, Maine**

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type__	__   Container _
-   64,000 	 1999		Variable	    Bags
-  Residents purchase bags for $0.68 each.
-  Pre-PAYT: No curbside recycling; recycling rate 7%.
-  After PAYT: Recycling rate now 35%.
-  Waste decreased by 80-100 tons/week.
-  City set up Q&A hotline before program began.

## Wilmington, North Carolina

**Wilmington, North Carolina**

- _Population __	__Start Date __	__Prgm. Type__	__   Container _
-   64,513 	 1992		Two-tiered	    Cans
-  Combat illegal dumping: City used newspapers, 	radio, and TV.
-  Citizen focus groups gathered support.
-  40-, 90-gallon roll-out carts collect waste weekly.
-  Biweekly pickup or stickers for overflow available.
-  Increase: 10% recyclables, 40% yard debris.