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

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Trash

Trash Lbs

• 250 Communities(7 million people)

Half the Waste per Capita

non-PAYT PAYT0

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RecyclingTrash 916

Lbs/capita

472 Lbs/capita

Lbs

Third Less in total Waste Generation

non-PAYT PAYT0

200

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RecyclingTrash

Source Reduction 35%

Lbs

Boston Globe Article - “Up in Smoke” 44% Increase in Recycling

Immediate Sustainable Change Worcester MA

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Malden MA

Middletown RI

October

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ber

Decembe

r

Janua

ry

Februa

ry0

200400600800

100012001400160018002000

20072008

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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

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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

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# 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

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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!