Thoughts on Pay As You Throw
IN THE CITY
Earlier this month the City Council requested comments from the public on their opinions of Pay As You Throw (PAYT), which has been in operation since March 2011. Contracts with the waste hauler who perform the PAYT collection will expire at the end of this year and the City Council would like to hear from citizens about their likes and dislikes of the program. This column will address some of the comments that have been made to the City Council.
Disposal Options: Presque Isle residents have three options for disposal of their refuse, which have always been available since the beginning of PAYT. One option is to participate in PAYT. The second option is to contract with a hauler for monthly subscription service. The third option is to haul your own trash to the landfill. PAYT may or may not be the least cost option for you. Residents can make the individual choice of what works best for them in their particular situation.
Cost of PAYT Bags: PAYT bags cost more than commercially available trash bags because the cost of the PAYT bag covers the collection of the PAYT bag at your house and the disposal of the bag at the landfill in addition to the manufacturing cost of the bag itself.
PAYT Bag Quality: Bag quality complaints were high especially in the first couple of years of the PAYT program. Bag manufacturer WasteZero was contacted numerous times when specific complaints were received. If the City was in possession of a defective bag, photos were forwarded to WasteZero. Defective bags were mailed to WasteZero for inspection and analysis. WasteZero is the only known vendor for bags for smaller municipal PAYT programs such as ours.
To remedy a bag quality issue, the following is suggested. Call WasteZero using the 800 number printed on every PAYT bag. Also, call the Solid Waste office at 760-2712 and let us know of any complaints you have. If you purchase a defective bag, we will exchange it for a good one. A thicker bag from WasteZero was considered early in the program, but was not approved by management. This should be considered again.
Blue Bins vs Blue Bags: Bins are used successfully in many communities for curbside recycling programs in the United States. However, most of the U.S. does not receive in excess of 100 inches of snow each winter. Recycling bins are going to get buried in the snow and damaged or destroyed. A second reason for not using bins is that wet paper is not recyclable. If it rains or snows with your bin outside, the paper will be worthless. A third reason not to use bins is that lightweight materials will get blown out of the bin on windy days.
Tags vs Blue Bags: Tags are easily removed from bags and stolen, so they are not typically used in PAYT programs. Tags can also be printed on home computer systems, which would result in loss of revenue.
Stickers vs Blue Bags: Stickers are used in some PAYT programs. Stickers do have the advantage of allowing the customer to use whatever bag they desire. The down side of stickers is that they can be counterfeited on home computer systems. Some programs have had problems with stickers not sticking on bags in cold weather. Sometimes users cut the stickers in half and attempt to use one sticker for two bags. Stickers would make it basically impossible to monitor a hauler’s load to ensure that only PAYT stickered bags are in the refuse truck for which the hauler pays no tipping fee at the landfill.
Low Cost Disposal Systems: In the northeastern United States, refuse disposal is relatively expensive. Any municipality that offers a low cost disposal system is collecting the true cost of disposal through some other means. If you pay $5 for a two-year sticker, someone somewhere is paying for the real cost of disposal, probably in the form of property taxes.
PAYT Program Economics: Certain assumptions were made in setting up the PAYT program that did not live up to expectations. Program revenues are not as high was what was anticipated when the program was planned. The end result is that approximately $22 of a $2,546 tax bill on a $100,000 property tax is for the shortfall in the PAYT program.
PAYT Bag Price Increases: The PAYT program started in 2011 with a 13-gallon bag costing $1.45 and a 30-gallon bag costing $3.05 and this increased to $1.75 and $3.35, respectively, in 2012. The last increase was in January 2014 when bags increased 10 cents for each size to $1.85 and $3.45, respectively.
If you have questions or comments on the PAYT program, please contact the Solid Waste Division at 760-2712. If you would like to voice your comments to the City Council, you can find their contact information on the City’s website at www.presqueislemaine.gov.
Dana H. Fowler, P.E., is public services director for the city of Presque Isle. He can be reached at 760-2707 or via email at dfowler@presqueisleme.us.
