Many municipalities have made the decision to implement trash disposal “pay-as-you-throw” programs as a way to decrease the amount of waste heading to landfills, increase the amount of recycling done by residents and businesses, and cut costs.

The outcomes are often very dramatic, with most communities seeing their recycling rate jump from twenty percent to over fifty percent in less than two months time. Paying by the bag programs also create a financial incentive for people – both households and businesses – to produce less waste and up their recycling efforts. Whereas traditional waste disposal fees are accessed through municipal taxes and government fees, these new programs place the fee burden on those who generate the most waste with less of a burden placed on those who do not.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are currently over seven thousand communities around the United States that use a pay-as-you-throw program, with more joining on every year.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Oftentimes, the community sees garbage collection as a “free” service. Trash goes out and a truck comes to collect it. Those who own a business realize that monthly trash hauling fees can really add up and cut into your bottom line. It pays to minimize your waste and boost your recycling wherever you can!