Jan Canterbury Resource Conservation &
Sustainability Division
PAYT…SMART City Solution
Georgia Recycling Coalition
March 22, 2011
Climate & Waste Connection Recycling Cuts GHGs
Natural Resources & Citizens’ Money…!
PAYT… Conserves
of Greenhouse Gases
Transportation Energy “Solid Waste”
SW is a Major Climate Sector
of Greenhouse Gases
Transportation Energy “Solid Waste”
SW is a Major Climate Sector
3rd Largest Source of a City’s GHGs!
Garbage…. Natural Resources
Our Forests, Mountains, Air, Water, etc.
Extraction “Upstream”
• Oil Drilling• Mining Extraction• Tree Harvesting
Transportation
Manufacturing - Most BTUs & GHGs
Waste Reduction…Conserves Natural Resources & BTUs of Energy
3rd Largest Source of a City’s GHG Reductions!
Linear to Cyclical Life Cycle
It helps change the way
we VALUE Trash…!
Why PAYT is so Powerful?
Lack of “Value” for our Resources…
4.6 Pounds Trash/Day
5% World Population - yet, we Consume 25% of Energy & Natural Resources
U.S.
How much do you pay for Trash Services?
The Myth of “Free Waste”
Do you have a Garbage Fairy?
The Myth of “Free Waste”
Pay-As-You-Throw is SMARTSMART – Saves Money and Reduces Trash…! This creates a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste.
“3Es”
This is the fair & equitable way to pay for trash services.
PAYT Functions Like a UtilityResidents only pay for service they use
Types of PAYT ProgramsCans— fees based on size of containers
Bags— fees based on # of garbage bags
Stickers— stickers affixed to bags
Rate Structure Design
96 gal 64 32
$3 $2 $1
Bags / StickersCarts
Proportional Pricing
Multi-tiered PricingDirect Costs left in Tax base
$4 $1.50 $.50
$2 $3 $1
$2 $2
Duke University National Study
o 32 to 59% increase in Recycling
o 19% found slight increase in illegal dumping
This report is available online at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/payt/pdf/swlitrep.pdf
MA Study: 49% Less Trash
PAYT Drop off PAYT Curbside non-PAYT Drop off
non-PAYT Curbside
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Trash
Trash Lbs
• 250 Communities(7 million people)
Half the Waste per Capita
non-PAYT PAYT0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
RecyclingTrash 916
Lbs/capita
472 Lbs/capita
Lbs
Third Less in total Waste Generation
non-PAYT PAYT0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
RecyclingTrash
Source Reduction 35%
Lbs
Boston Globe Article - “Up in Smoke” 44% Increase in Recycling
Immediate Sustainable Change Worcester MA
24
Malden MA
Middletown RI
October
Novem
ber
Decembe
r
Janua
ry
Februa
ry0
200400600800
100012001400160018002000
20072008
Jul-07
Aug-07
Sep-07
Oct-07
Nov-07
Dec-07
Jan-08
Feb-08
Mar-08
Apr-08
May-08
Jun-08
Jul-08
Aug-08
Sep-08
Oct-08
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350Middletown, RI PAYT Results
Solid...
Tonn
age
Vancouver WA
Economics is the main driver
o Ft. Worth, TX – disp. costs dropped >$7 million. City earned $540,000 from the sale of recycled
materials over course of a year, after PAYT. (Monthly household costs not higher for PAYT.)
o Worcester, MA - decreased SWM costs >$1.2 million. Increased recycling rate from 3% to 36% immediately after adopting PAYT in 1993.
o Dover, NH - saved 27% of MSW budget ($1.2 million to $878,000) after adopting PAYT.
o San Jose, CA—(Population 850,000) reduced cost by $4 million annually
Economic value of waste reduction
Avoided Disposal Costso Cost becoming increasingly
important o Decrease disposal site availabilityo NIMBYo Rising costs
26
Decreased Labor through Source Reduction & Reuse
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Overall waste generation decrease - requires less handling & transport of materials
Job Creation
Recycling Revenue Potential
Commodities are market sensitive
In good markets - potential for additional revenue
$42 Billion Waste Industry
$200 Billion Recycling Industry
Jobs for Region & State
Jobs for America
Because of the “3Es”…
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
# of
Com
mun
ities
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Growth in PAYT Programs
Tally data based on SERA: Skumatz Economic Research Associates
SMART SuccessesMore than 7,000 PAYT cities in the U.S.
Tally data based on SERA: Skumatz Economic Research Associates
International Growth in PAYT
Large Cities adopting PAYTCity Population
Ft. Collins, CO 118,652Athens, GA 100,266San Jose, CA 782,248Portland, OR 437,319San Francisco, CA 723,959Dubuque, IA 57,686Portland, ME 230,000Platteville, WI 9,858Fayetteville, AR 68,726Ft. Worth, TX 1,728,826
SMART Cites Conserve…
Natural Resources and, Money…!
PAYT Web Site
www.epa.gov/payt
o Studies, reports, and articles
o Videoo PAYT Bulletinso Toolkito Presentationo Fact sheets, Success Stories, Lessons Learned
Barriers vs Myths
o Illegal Dumpingo Hidden Taxationo Regressivity/Low-Income Familieso Difficult to Change Status Quoo Incineration - Put or Pay Contractso Lack of Recycling Infrastructure
Real or Perceived?
Be Creative… Break BarriersLow Income
35
Political fear of change Residents want the right to choose
Illegal dumping
‘Kicking the Cans ‘July 29, 2008
Should people who throw out more trash pay higher
disposal bills?
84% - YES 16% - NO
Duke University study shows minimal dumping
New England study confirms minimal dumping – helps to have strict enforcement the first weeks
Solutions: Education; Enforcement: Peers
One free container
Waste limit
Free bags
Life line rate
Biggest Barrier: Fear of Change
Knowing WHY as important as knowing HOW!