Councilor Advocates Pay As You Throw

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Could Landfill Life Be Extended?

By Warren Bender

Pay as you Throw...could it work? | Explore Superior

Pay as you Throw…could it work?

Time for the city to emulate Malden, Massachusetts.

They require residents to buy clear plastic bags at $1 for 15 gallons, and $2 for 33 gallon, i.e. Superior Trash Bags.  They then know who recycles and who not.

This Pay As You Throw system would lessen tonnage and tipping fees. This would also allow a Warning Ticket is something recyclable is in the bag as follows:

  • 1st time-warning ticket
  • 2nd time-$5 fine
  • 3rd time-$10 fine
  • subsequent-$20 fine

This would require two employees per truck, but only three trucks to determine compliance. That is adds one employee to the current city staff. The city would make (+/-) 50% profit per bag sale. Bags could be sold for profit at Supermarkets and discount stores. Here is a video about this program as implemented in Fall River, Massachusetts in 2014.

I believe that this could potentially prolong the life of the landfill past 2022.

Pay As You Throw works all over the state and the country.

Compliments of Waste Zero

Compliments of Waste Zero

I would also propose an increase for recycling to $5 per month thus earning $650,000 per year for the City minus $150,000 to Hartel’s or a $500,000 net profit. This might even realize more profit if this were offered to businesses that currently contract with another vendor for trash and recycling.

Maybe we could sell the existing 96 gal trash cans to Hartel’s or WM?

Here is a video a community (Madeira, Ohio) that implemented Pay As You Throw in 1993.

Two disclaimers: These are my own thoughts based on previous suggestions that I have made, and no plastic bags were harmed in preparation of this opinion post.

Thank you for reading

Warren Bender is the City Councilor for the 3rd District of Superior, Wisconsin
Councilor Bender can be reached at 715-394-7453

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