An Introduction to Pay-As-You-Throw

Sarah NicholsSolid 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

Do you want to pay for your neighbors trash?

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

Without PAYT

$0.50 $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250Paid by Household through PAYT unit-based fees

Price Charged Per Unit of Waste

An

nu

al A

vera

ge H

oush

old

Sol

id W

aste

C

osts

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 CostsIncome 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

FranconiaEaston & 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.