the first year of pay-as-you-throw in plymouth mass

The First Year of Pay-as-You-Throwin Plymouth Mass.

John Craig, WasteZeroJonathan Beder, Plymouth Public Works Director

Oct. 7, 2014

Copyright © 2014 WasteZero2

John CraigDirector of Municipal PartnershipsWasteZero

Founded in 1991Offices in Massachusetts, Maine, and North CarolinaFocused on delivering best-in-class municipal waste reduction programs (100% customer retention rate for programs we design and manage)Work with approximately 800 municipalities and countless private customers across 41 statesCertified as a B Corp—meets rigorousstandards of social and environmentalperformanceCommitted to creating American jobs

About WasteZero


An Incentive to Waste?Solid waste is the only utility residents do not pay for based on actual use.

Electricity Gas

WaterTrash

Metered Unmetered

The fact that garbage is an unmetered utility leads toavoidable waste of financial and environmental resources.


Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) systems are an alternative to the traditional MSW payment model. These systems share one very basic concept: customers who put out more waste for collection pay more than those who put out less.

There are several benefits to PAYT policies:

Economic incentives for residents to reduce waste and increase diversion

Reduced solid waste collection and disposal costs

Positive environmental impact from decreased waste and increased recycling

Landfill life significantly extended

Why Pay-as-You-Throw?

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5922jq4d5u8YoM&tbnid=ANzZe57gGAteTM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://ian.umces.edu/imagelibrary/displayimage-4912.html&ei=MZusUanHMJLI0gGLu4HoCw&bvm=bv.47244034,d.dmg&psig=AFQjCNE5mstdIgbyay-kMhogtF0SNS03Ww&ust=1370352791120236





0

250

500

750

1000

12501,100 lbs.

900 lbs.

500 lbs.or less

Annual Pounds per Capita of US Household Solid Waste Disposed

WasteZero Trash Metering™ Results


1Assuming municipality has no managed waste reduction program at inception.

Trash tonnage drops to 50% of national average and sometimes even lower. Bills for tipping fees plummet.

Within 90 days: Long Term (Years 2-10):

• Tonnage can be reduced by up to 60%1.• Tipping fees continue to decline and

recycling revenues rise accordingly.• Residents become increasingly satisfied.

Recycling tonnage often doubles or even triples. Revenue from recycled material increases.

Immediate and Long-Term Results


WasteZero can provide a range of program services and community support to help municipal leaders with their waste reduction program, both during the program’s launch and on an ongoing basis.

Supplements the website, particularly for residents without Internet access

Toll-Free Number

Informs residents of the program’s launch and provides vital information

Launch Announcements

Provides critical, program-related information to residents

Program Website

Prepares officials to communicate effectively and consistently with media

Media Briefing Package

Explains the program and provides recycling and waste reduction tips

Educational Materials

Program Management

Provides the municipality with a main point of contact from WasteZero

Stocks municipal bags in local retail stores for convenient residential purchase

Retail Store Distribution™

Provides logistics and full accounting to manage the inventory of bags

Accounting and Financial Reporting

Manufactures highest quality, drawstring bags with custom imprinting and packaging

Custom Bags and Packaging

Helps officials communicate and celebrate the program’s successes

Progress Reports and Case Studies

Program Services Community Support

WasteZero Trash Metering™

Implementation and Management Support


Pay-as-you-throwbags purchased

at local retail storesConvenient

2

Solid waste funding shifts from flat fee to variable rate (payment per bag)

Fair

1

Pay-as-you-throw bags used for disposal (in city’s existing

collection system—automated carts, barrels, or

bags at curb)

Easy

3

Waste decreasesand recycling increases Effective

4

Resident Perspective


In a recent survey of almost 1,000 PAYT participants from 10 communities, significant majorities said they are satisfied with PAYT, see it as fair and easy to take part in, and believe it is effective.

• Favorability79% have either a very or somewhat favorable opinion of PAYT, with an outright majority (52%) having a very favorable opinion.

• FairnessMore than two-thirds—68%—see the program as fair.

• Ease of Participation74% think it is not difficult to take part in PAYT.

• Effectiveness89% said PAYT is performing better than or as well as they expected.

• Minimal Political Impact77% said they are either more likely to vote for leaders who brought in PAYT or that it does not make a difference in their vote.

Strong Support for Pay-as-You-Throw


Jonathan BederDirector of Public WorksTown of Plymouth

Town of Plymouth Solid Waste Program:

Automated curbside collection with single-stream recycling

One transfer station

Pay-as-you-throw with orange bags mandatory for both curbside and dropoff

About Plymouth’s Solid Waste Program


In late 2012 and early 2013, a number of issues converged to lead the town of Plymouth to consider moving to pay-as-you-throw:

Expiration of county lease at South Street transfer station

Capping of South Street transfer station

Upcoming expiration of SEMASS contract, with tipping fees expected to triple

Low recycling and high disposal rates in residential population

Declining sticker sales

Changes in future disposal markets

Increases in traffic and disposal tonnage at Manomet and Cedarville transfer stations with the closure of South Street

Background


To address the transfer station issues, impending tipping fee increases, and suboptimal residential disposal patterns, the town adopted a pay-as-you-throw program that began on July 1, 2013:

July 1, 2013:

— Closed South Street and Cedarville transfer stations and consolidated transfer station operations at Manomet

— Began requiring all transfer station customers to use orange Plymouth pay-as-you-throw bags for disposal (recycling remained free)

Jan. 1, 2014:

— Added option of automated curbside collection and single-stream recycling collection with pay-as-you-throw

This unique program was the preferred option of residents, for its convenience and improved service, and the town, for its ability to allow us to

control costs.

Plan of Action


In the first year of PAYT, Plymouth met its solid waste reduction targets, cutting MSW tonnage by 44%—from 1.14 tons per household in FY13 to .64 tons in FY14.

Reduced Solid Waste Tonnage


The recycling rate in Plymouth nearly doubled in the first year of PAYT.

Reduced Solid Waste Tonnage


In its first year, pay-as-you-throw has had a significant positive impact on Plymouth’s municipal finances.

These savings will be magnified once Plymouth’s tipping fee nearlytriples—from $22.53 per ton now to $65 per ton after Jan. 1, 2015.

Total disposal savings: $126,653

Net financial impact:

$102,922

Recycling losses:

$23,371

2

1

3

Financial Savings


Greenhouse Gas Reduction From PAYT

Equivalent to:

Emissions from1,700passenger vehicles

orReducing gasoline consumption by992,000 gallons

8,900 tons MTCO2e

Reduction in Energy Use From PAYT

Equivalent to:

Powering660residences

orInstalling9,100 rooftop solar panel arrays

74,000MMBTUs

Additional environmental benefits result from fewer transfer station trips(due to consolidation) and compressed natural gas collection trucks.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency WARM model

Environmental Benefits


With a successful first year of PAYT in the books, the town is considering the following steps to continue optimizing the program’s operations and results:

Food waste diversion

Anaerobic digestion

Continued improvements in curbside collection service

Next Steps and Questions

the first year of pay-as-you-throw in plymouth mass

Environment

plymouth solid waste

toavoidable waste of

program asfair

payt systems

payt participants

payt policies

year of pay

range of program services