The good, the bad and the trashy:
Reflecting on PAYT
IN THE CITY
by Dana H. Fowler
Recently, all of our school students received their report cards.
That was a reminder to me that I should give everyone an update, a report card so to speak, on the status of Pay As You Throw (PAYT) in Presque Isle including the six neighboring towns that utilize our landfill. Our PAYT program started on March 7 and we have been watching it closely ever since to determine if it is working here like it has in other communities.
The typical changes that occur at the beginning of a PAYT program are that there is an immediate and dramatic increase in the amount of recyclables at the recycling center and a decrease in the amount of tonnage that is landfilled. Both of these changes are significant in most communities.
We can report that our PAYT program has seen similar changes. To say that there was an immediate and dramatic impact at the recycling center would be an understatement. The volume was huge and pushed the limits of our personnel and equipment in keeping caught up. However, much of this volume was plastics and cans, which unfortunately, did not translate into the major increase in recycling tonnage that we had hoped for. Nonetheless, the actual tonnage increase at the recycling center has averaged 12 percent during the PAYT months, which is still a significant increase.
The landfill has seen a decrease in tonnage that can be attributed to PAYT. The average decrease in landfilled tonnage over the PAYT months has averaged over 16 percent. This means that the life of the landfill will be extended by that amount, which will delay the closure of the current landfill cell and postpone the construction of new space thereby saving taxes.
The decrease in the amount of waste landfilled is a two-edged sword. The good news is that landfill life is extended. The down side is that there is less revenue received due to the loss of that tonnage. This decrease in revenue has definitely impacted our budget and has resulted in changes in next year’s budget to more accurately reflect the expected revenues from PAYT bags.
Many residents have told us that they have saved money with PAYT. The typical family of four that recycles can save money with PAYT compared to the curbside collection costs of one year ago. This is good news for most, but savings depends on your particular circumstances and how much you throw away.
Many of you have discovered that Walmart has been out of PAYT bags. The City and Walmart have worked together to remedy this situation as quickly as possible. We are happy to report that PAYT bags will be on the shelves at Walmart in the very near future. In the interim, please visit the other businesses listed on the city’s website at http://www.presqueisle.govoffice2.com/ to purchase PAYT bags.
We have received some negative comments about the quality of the PAYT bags. If you have specific problems with your PAYT bag, please call the 800 number printed on the bag and voice your complaint directly to the manufacturer. We would ask that you also let us know of any problems with the PAYT bags or any other part of the PAYT system so that we can do our best to resolve any outstanding issues.
Dana H. Fowler, P.E. is the public services director for the city of Presque Isle. He can be contacted at 760-2712 or via e-mail at dfowler@presqueisleme.us.
