Two of the main questions people ask about this method is how this technique actually works and how does recycling benefit them. Under a pay-as-you-throw plan, there are a variety of ways to implement this program; however, the most prevalent methods used are called the bag/sticker systems. The first step involves residents purchasing either bags or stickers to place on regular garbage bags to indicate whether they contain wastes or recyclables. These bags/stickers usually have different colors to assist in representing the waste or type of recyclable it holds. Once the waste is collected, the owner of the generated garbage is charged on either a weight or volume basis. The most accurate way is believed to be the weight-based accounting because the volume is a lot more challenging to calculate than the exact mass of waste. This type of plan has proven to be quite simple to apply and monitor. An advantage to this system is that it has a non-complicated billing system. The color coding makes it very straightforward for the residents and garbage haulers. Another benefit is that it creates a need for more employees which, in return, generates more jobs.
Even there are some difficulties that have to be faced using this type of a program, the benefits unquestionably outweigh the inconveniences. The use of landfills has become an increasingly huge problem in today's world. They are limited, filling up drastically, and unlikely to enlarge to accommodate the escalating amount of waste generated each day. A pay-as-you-throw program would decrease the strong need for landfills because the rise in recycling would reduce the amount of trash. Recycling not only lessens the need for landfills, but also saves energy, water, and the environment. For example, recycling paper reduces the amount of trees that are used to generate paper. Manufacturing with recyclable aluminum reduces the amount of energy expended by 95 percent. Being friendly to the environment is important but recycling can provide tangible benefits as well! Even the National Recycling Coalition states that recycling assists in saving families money, particularly people involved in a PAYT program.
On the other hand, there are some controversies that do exist with this type of a plan. Because the cost would be based on the amount of garbage a home produces, people that oppose this system are afraid that the public will begin to dispose of garbage illegally by dumping trash in unauthorized areas. This would end up harming our environment even more because the trash could cause pollutants to make their way into our waterways or habitats. Conversely, a study by Skumatz Economic Research Associates found that when using PAYT, most of the illegal dumping still came from construction and demolition debris (25%) and brush (40%). Another critique given to this type of a system is that people believe that low-income families will see an increase in their waste management bills since it is based on weight and isn't a fixed fee. However, what critics fail to understand is that those people have a lot of control over how much trash they produce and how much they reuse or compost.
Recently, there have been multiple attempts and experiments to see if the pay-as-you-throw system actually succeeds. In fact, there are now over four thousand PAYT programs in just the United States because of its demonstrated achievements.
For example, in Richmond, Rhode Island, a PAYT program was initiated by having a voluntary town trash transfer station. The trash was weighed and $3.00 was charged for the first 50 pounds and $2.00 for every 50 pounds thereafter. On top of that, recyclables were accepted at no cost. According to Bob Kenyon, in the year of 1993 alone, 21.5% of waste that usually went to landfills in the area was being recycled.
Accomplished PAYT programs are not implemented in the U.S. alone. There are many of these methods being used in Europe as well. Countries in Europe are coming up with modern ideas to encourage waste reduction principles through PAYT. The SULO group and WESOMA GmbH, two manufacturing companies in Germany, have created a unique air-lock waste container that can be accessed only with an electronic card owned by the tenant. These garbage containers include an electronic data carrier that mechanically allows the weight thrown away by each resident to be calculated, along with the date, time, and user of the waste deposited.
Providing convenient opportunities for people to be able to do something with their trash other than throw it out is of key importance these days. A pay-as-you-throw program gives people this opportunity. Spreading the word and educating others about this system will assist in extending the program globally. With everyone's efforts combined, hopefully one day we will accomplish a simple, universal, environmental-friendly, and economical system in dealing with our waste by using programs such as the PAYT organization.
Ashleigh Doran
References:
Kiesling, L. Lynn. (2001) Incentives and Waste: Pay-As-You-Throw. The Heartland Institute, http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results/10275/Incentives_and_Waste_PayasYouThrow.html.
Reichenback, Jan. (2005) Pay as you throw: Options, economics, and prospects across Europe. http://www.waste-management-world.com/.
Ruzzin, Mark. (2006) Pay-As-You-Throw - Let's Start Rewarding the Recyclers! http://www.ecocycle.org/zero/pay_throw.cfm.
National Recycling Coalition. (2005) Economic Recycling Benefits and Facts. http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-benefits.html.
Kenyon, Bob. (2009) Pay-As-You-Throw in Rhode Island. http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bpoladm/stratpp/payt/payt.htm.
United States Department of Environmental Protection Agency. (2003) Could PAYT Offer Hope for New York City's Recycling Program? http://nepis.epa.gov/.
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