An Introduction to Pay-As-You-Throw Sarah Nichols Solid Waste Management Specialist, NH RCAP Solutions-The Northeast Rural Community Assistance Partnership

What is Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT)? PAYT is any method by which households pay for each bag of waste they generate, similar to how they are charged for any other utility.

Pay-as-you-throw creates EQUITY

PAYT Will Lower the Municipal Solid Waste Management Budget Reduced waste leads to avoided disposal costs Unit-based fees from PAYT will offset the budget Recycling revenue could increase

Households gain more control over their costs with PAYT

How would PAYT affect me? Buy your bags at local businesses Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to avoid buying more bags Drop off waste in town- approved bags only Watch the Solid Waste Budget go down

What savings can we expect? Total SW Budget before PAYT Avoided Disposal Costs Income from PAYT Bags Total SW Budget after PAYT

47+ NH Towns “Pay-as-they-throw” Lancaster Population: 3,200 Solid waste budget dropped from $178,000 to $83,000 Lyme Population: 1,730 Solid waste budget dropped from $110,000 to $10,000 Franconia Easton & Sugar Hill Population:1,920 Municipal solid waste decreased by 59% and saved taxpayers $65,000

Peterborough, NH Recycling Rate ~ 75% They do it all! Pay-as-you-throw Mandatory Composting Hazardous Waste “Mini-Mall” Revenues earned from PAYT and recyclables have covered up to 92% of total costs !

PAYT is simply an economic incentive program that encourages residents to reduce, reuse, and recycle their waste. It enables the municipality to avoid increasingly expensive disposal costs and more equitably distributes those costs throughout the community.