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- 1. How to Talk About Pay-as-You-Throw
Stephen Lisauskas
March 30, 2015
- 2. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
2
The Challenge: Bridging Policy and Politics
Widely Accepted as a
Successful Policy Option…
…But Still Politically Challenging to
Move Through the Approval Process
There can be a disconnect between the policy and the politics of pay-as-you-throw.
The good news: This is a problem with a solution.
It’s a New Fee!
It Looks Hard!
I Don’t
Like Change!
~150 Programs
Across
Massachusetts
44% Average
MSW Decrease
(Bag-Based
Programs)
- 3. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
3
The Solution: Communication & Education
Overcoming the political challenge of pay-as-you-throw requires clear, thought-out
communication to residents—both on how PAYT will help them and on how it will work.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
- 4. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
4
Explaining the Problem
The first step in talking about pay-as-you-throw is explaining the context. People need to
understand there is a problem that requires us to change the status quo.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
1. The overall problem
2. How their community is involved in the problem
3. How the audience and their neighbors are involved
- 5. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
5
Disposal Options Have Disappeared, For Good and Bad
302: Number of operating landfills 30 years ago in MA
16: Number in 2012
11: Number today
6: Number by 2020, per DEP predictions
Accept trash from host communities only
Possible Landfill Locations in 2020 (all require
permit extensions)
Bourne Carver
Dartmouth Middleborough
Nantucket Westminster
Landfills Operating in Massachusetts - 2014
- 6. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
6
-
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Peabody Plymouth Taunton Chicopee Weymouth Revere Methuen Barnstable Statewide PAYT
Solid Waste in Comparison Communities
+/- 5,000 population, 2013 data, pounds of trash per person served
The Numbers – Solid Waste
Peabody residents pay to dispose of more solid waste than other communities
Medford excluded due to apparent data error
- 7. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
7
Explaining the Problem
The first step in talking about pay-as-you-throw is explaining the context. People need to
understand there is a problem that requires us to change the status quo.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
2013 %
Composition
Estimated Total
(tons)
Beverly
BOTE (lbs)
Food Waste 18.6% 878,289 4,325,244
Paper 14.6% 687,465 3,395,084
Textiles 5.2% 246,578 1,209,208
Plastic (non-film) 5.0% 236,320 1,162,700
Plastic Film 2.0% 94,455 465,080
Metal 2.4% 112,963 558,096
Glass 1.4% 68,228 325,556
Total 49.2% 2,324,298 11,440,968
- 8. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
8
Explaining the Problem
The first step in talking about pay-as-you-throw is explaining the context. People need to
understand there is a problem that requires us to change the status quo.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Pay Set Amount Regardless of UsePay Based on Use
ElectricityWater Gas
Garbage
Conserved Wasted
- 9. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
9
Explaining Financial Benefits
Residents must also understand the financial impact—usually positive—that pay-as-you-
throw will have on them.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Baseline Trash
Cost
Baseline Trash
Cost
Spending on Bags
Disposal Savings
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Before PAYT With PAYT
HouseholdSpending
onGarbage
When an existing
fee is being
reduced, to be
replaced by
spending on bags…
… Show that
household costs
can stay stable
1
- 10. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
10
Explaining Financial Benefits
Residents must also understand the financial impact—usually positive—that pay-as-you-
throw will have on them.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Baseline
Trash Cost
Baseline
Trash Cost
Disposal Savings
Spending on
Bags
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Before PAYT With PAYT
HouseholdSpending
onGarbage
… Show concretely
what the new
household costs
will be used to fund
Example: Curbside
Recycling
2 When PAYT is being
used fund other
municipal goals…
- 11. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
11
Explaining Financial Benefits
Residents must also understand the financial impact—usually positive—that pay-as-you-
throw will have on them.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Contribution
From
Residents Contribution
From
Residents
Disposal
Savings
$0.00
$0.25
$0.50
$0.75
$1.00
1. Increase Taxes
to Generate Revenue
2. Use PAYT
to Generate Revenue
OR… Show that PAYT is
a more efficient way
to meet budget
goals because of
decreased disposal
spending
3 When PAYT is being
used in place of a
tax increase…
- 12. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
12
Explaining Operational Benefits
Pay-as-you-throw brings significant, but often uncommunicated, operational benefits to
the communities that implement it.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Having less garbage
to collect means
quicker—and
sometimes fewer—
routes…
…Enabling public
works staff to
perform other
municipal services
Bulky Item Pickup
Yard Waste Collection Road Repairs
- 13. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
13
Explaining Environmental Benefits
Residents who are interested in sustainability may be motivated by pay-as-you-throw’s
positive impact on their community’s environmental footprint.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Annual Carbon Emissions Savings—
Like Taking Away…
5,000
Passenger
Vehicles
2,859,000
Gallons of
Gasoline
Annual Energy Savings—
Like Capturing the Energy From…
21,000
Rooftop
Solar Arrays
1,500
Single-Family
Houses
- 14. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
14
Explaining Ease of Use
Pay-as-you-throw is easy to take part in, usually no change in household operations is
required. This is another point that is often lost. Big results require big changes, right?
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
Purchase Trash Bags at Store Dispose of Trash Bags
in the Same Manner as Before PAYT
Curb Transfer Station
Cart
Average:
1.2 large bags
per household
per week
1 2
- 15. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
15
Education and Outreach
A comprehensive resident education campaign incorporating information about the
benefits of PAYT and answering any operational questions is also key.
Explaining
Operational
Benefits
Explaining
Ease
of Use
Explaining
Financial
Benefits
Explaining
Environmental
Benefits
Education
and
Outreach
Explaining
the Problem
- 16. Copyright © 2015 WasteZero
16
Timing
Pre-Implementation Support Ongoing Support
Community
Outreach Meetings
Program
Design and
Message
Development
Resident Education Materials
Resident-Facing Web Site
Part of how to talk about pay-as-you-throw is also when and where to talk about
pay-as-you-throw. This is true both before and after implementation.
When municipal leaders are armed with messages that resonate with residents, they
can make policy ideas into political reality.