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Pay As You Throw FEATURE By Lisa Skumatz, economist and environmental/recycling/energy consultant, Town of Superior trustee and CML Executive Board member pay AS YOU THROW PAY AS YOU THROW is a trash rate put out more garbage – usually • Manual or automated collection strategy that charges households a measured either by the can or bag of trucks; higher bill for putting out more trash for garbage. Paying by volume (like paying • Wheelie or other types of containers; collection. Sounds fair — fee for service, for electricity, water, groceries, etc.) just as households are charged a higher provides households with an incentive • Urban (Boulder), suburban bill for using more water, electricity, etc. to recycle more and reduce disposal. (Lafayette) and small/rural areas (Aspen, Boulder County); and More than 7,000 (25 percent) of Communities have been implementing communities nationwide agree PAYT trash rate incentives in earnest • Set up by ordinance (Boulder and use some form of PAYT. since the late 1980s. The programs can County, Fort Collins), by contract The U.S. Environmental Protection provide a cost-effective method of (Lafayette) or city-run (Loveland). Agency Region 8 hopes to help more reducing landfill disposal, increasing How PAYT works Colorado cities and towns adopt PAYT recycling and improving equity, among The most common types of PAYT with a new program, offering free other effects. systems are: workshops, a dedicated Web site Experience in these 7,000 communities • Variable can or subscribed can (www.paytwest.org) and free consulting – including some right here in Colorado programs ask households to sign up for interested communities. – shows that these systems work very for a specific number of containers PAYT (also called variable rates, well in a variety of situations: (or size of wheelie container) as volume-based rates and other names) • Private haulers (Lafayette), multiple their usual garbage service and get provide a different way to bill for garbage haulers (Fort Collins) or city systems a bill that is higher for bigger service. Instead of paying a fixed bill for (Loveland); disposal volumes. This is common unlimited collection, these systems in areas with those fully-automated require households to pay more if they trucks using lifting arms. Wheelie 32 COLORADO MUNICIPALITIES HOW TO INCREASE RECYCLING AND DECREASE GREENHOUSE GAS — qUICKLY, FAIRLY AND COST EFFECTIVELY containers are also common in • Boulder’s PAYT program is similar to Colorado due to wildlife. the one in Fort Collins. The City • Bag or sticker/tag programs require worked with residents and haulers to households to buy specially-marked create an ordinance that ensures bags for trash; the bag price includes “free” or embedded unlimited the cost of collection and disposal. recycling and variable rates for trash Bags are usually sold at conve- service. Boulder implemented their nience and grocery stores in ordinance in 2001, and saw an addition to municipal outlets. Other potential for residents to make a positive increase in recycling rates from programs require households to buy change. The following is a short 17 percent prior to 2001 to close to special tags or stickers to place on description of a few of the successful 50 percent in 2007. bags or cans; pricing is similar to PAYT programs in Colorado: • Aspen takes the environment the bag option. • The City of Fort Collins passed an seriously, as its economy depends • A hybrid program uses the basic ordinance in 1995 that set conditions on natural splendor. PAYT and system — households keep paying for hauler licenses that allow haulers recycling was identified as an the bill they’ve always paid — but, to set their own rates as long as they integral part of reducing the city’s instead of covering the cost of “all” provide recycling at no extra cost environmental impact. Aspen’s PAYT or unlimited amounts of trash, it only and have variable rates for variable ordinance was modeled after those covers 30 or 60 gallons (one or two sizes of container. The city now in Boulder and Fort Collins, but metal-type cans). To get more diverts 27 percent of its residential takes it a step further: not only does service, more bags or stickers must waste and is aiming for 50 percent PAYT apply to all single family be purchased (as above). This diversion by 2010. residential units but also to system combines existing programs • The City of Loveland, not private commercial properties and multi- and new incentives, and minimizes haulers, collects residential waste family units, making recycling billing and collection changes. and recycling from 95 percent of its mandatory for the entire city. Again, wheelies can be used for the 65,000 residents. In 1993, Loveland PAYT increases recycling and base service, addressing Colorado’s was one of the first cities in the decreases tonnage going to the landfill, animal issues. western mountain region to extending the life of the landfill and • Some rural communities have drop- implement PAYT rates. Recycling is saving real dollars being set aside for off programs, where customers pay not embedded in the trash rates — landfill closure. Studies of hundreds of by the bag or weight at transfer all residents must pay for recycling communities with PAYT shows that stations using fees, bags, stickers or service at $6.25 per month, whether residential trash going to the landfill pre-paid punch cards. Some haulers they use the service or not. With the decreases by 16 to 17 percent and that also offer PAYT as an option, or combined incentive of PAYT and recycling increases by 50 to 100 customers may choose unlimited mandatory recycling, the city has percent. Yard waste composting also collection for a fixed fee. reached a greater than 50 percent increases. diversion rate as residents see that Although Colorado lags behind the rest Two-thirds of communities putting PAYT recycling will save them money. The in place state that their near-term costs of the nation in statewide recycling rates city is also one of the only places in (only 12.5 percent) and the number of and workloads stayed the same or the state that collects residential decreased; all expected long-term towns using PAYT, there are some curbside yard waste. highlights in the state showing the savings. APRIL 2008 33 After these programs are in place, more widely-dispersed RFP process, the • Education is critical. Residents need than 90 percent of households say they equity concern is met. PAYT systems to understand why you are adopting prefer the new, fairer system to paying can operate with one hauler, multiple the program and how they can make the same as people who overstuffed haulers or other organizations. it work for them. Information for new multiple cans. The option for cheaper The majority of communities see no cost residents will be needed over time. service is very well received by those on increase from these programs; however, • By far, the most important element is fixed or low incomes. Large disposers there may be a short-term increase in political will, not any kind of technical pay more, but have the same options to calls to municipal staff. There can also problem associated with PAYT. recycle more and reduce their bill. be implementation considerations, like Other issues can be resolved quite Many communities are establishing barriers in finding funds to purchase easily. Getting PAYT passed is the greenhouse gas and sustainability containers. As stated earlier, the majority hard part; households resoundingly goals. Municipalities are finding that of communities see no long-term prefer the system after the fact putting in PAYT and recycling is cheaper increase and some, even long-term according to all available research. and faster to implement than many savings. Whether or not PAYT ends up being strategies in energy and transportation. The programs work best when the the answer for your community, either There are some concerns, however, city or haulers increase the recycling via ordinance, city service, contract or including illegal dumping, equity and options available, possibly offering a other method, the evidence indicates cost. Increases in illegal dumping have combination of services: expanded it is probably worth discussion by a only resulted in about 20 percent of drop sites, curbside recycling (with the citizen advisory committee, staff or communities implementing PAYT, but cost of the program embedded in the other committees. Given EPA’s free the problem usually lasts only about PAYT program costs for all residents), assistance, now may be the opportune three months. Most communities use composting training, information on time. fines and visible enforcement as well as reducing junk mail and other diversion For more free PAYT information, tools, special options for bulky wastes (big information. Working with the residents fact sheets, talking points, information bundles, appliances, sofas, etc.) for a is better than challenging them to about upcoming workshops and other removal fee or on schedule. reduce trash but not providing materials for the EPA Region 8 project, As long as the new situation creates reasonable and visible options. visit www.paytwest.org or contact Lisa A. a “level playing field”, whether by The most important aspects to getting a Skumatz, SERA, 303-494-1178 or ordinance requiring PAYT by all PAYT program in place are two-fold and [email protected]. operators or (less preferred by haulers) relatively simple. LEGAL SIDEBAR TRASH BILLING STATUTE, A USEFUL TOOL In seeking to realize the wishes of residents and the community as a whole concerning trash collection, numerous municipalities have found the authority in the municipal solid waste “billing statute,” useful. The billing statute is located, curiously, amongst the county statutes, at §30-15-401(7) and (7.5), C.R.S.
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