Mayor Carolyn Kirk discusses the efforts of the City of Gloucester to increase waste diversion.

1. TRAILBLAZERS OF MUNICIPAL
WASTE DIVERSION
R3 Conference
April 8, 2014

2. GLOUCESTER’S PAY-AS-YOU-THROW STORY
About the City of Gloucester
Why we converted to bag-based PAYT
Rolling out the “purple bags”
Results for the City
Objections you may hear
Lessons learned
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3. ABOUT THE CITY OF GLOUCESTER
America’s oldest seaport
26 square miles with 62 miles of
coastline
38 miles north of Boston
~30,000 residents, ~13,000
households
Urban core with several suburban
areas
Community with progressive values
Early adopters of pay-as-you-throw
• Tag/sticker program started in 1990
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4. GREAT PROGRAM –
NEEDED BETTER IMPLEMENTATION
HOUSEHOLD waste and
recycling program only
Exclusions: non-profits,
commercial businesses,
residences over 4 units
Exceptions made throughout
the years
Well-defined local ordinances –
almost impossible to enforce
Weekly trash pickup
Every-other-week recycling
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5. WHY WE CONVERTED TO A BAG-BASED
PROGRAM OR “TRASH METERING”
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6. WHY WE CONVERTED TO A BAG-BASED
PROGRAM OR “TRASH METERING”
Our tag/sticker program was a good start, but:
• Not enough incentives for recycling
• Litter was a problem; it impacted quality of life
• We wanted to get out of the business of selling stickers
(managing collections and handling cash)
There was no equity for residents:
• Residents put stickers on different-sized bags
• There were many ways to “cheat” the system
• Too hard for the hauler to enforce
We lost revenue in several ways:
• Stickers were often cut in half and used on multiple bags
• Stickers were placed on top bag only
• Low volume sales of non-household/oversize item
stickers ($5 and $25)
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7. ROLLING OUT OUR “PURPLE BAGS”
Two-tier decision-making process
• First decision: PAYT – yes or no?
• Second decision: What would replace the stickers?
Re-bid waste hauler contract
• Efficient pickup of uniform bags drove down
collection and disposal costs by 22% in first year –
budget basis
Increase focus on recycling
• Moved to weekly collection
• Huge convenience for residents storing recyclables for 2
weeks at a time
Effectively communicate to program and expectations
• Programmatic approach – went back to the basics of
original household waste and recycling program
• Provided options for all items that can’t fit in a purple
bag 7

8. ROLLING OUT OUR “PURPLE BAGS”
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9. RESULTS FOR GLOUCESTER –
FINANCIAL SUCCESS
1. 22% gross savings of collection and
disposal contract with the hauler in first
year Tip fee came in 21% lower in first
year.
2. 28% to 30% decrease in MSW tonnage
annually (6,000 tons in three years)
Disposal costs reduced by 38% in first
year.
3. 125% increase in non-household /oversize
item revenue in first year
4. Increased bag revenue compared to
sticker revenue 38% reduction in amount
of trash per bag – from 37 to 23 pounds.
Revenue increased by 5% in first year. 9
Four financial triggers led to the financial success of the program.

10. RESULTS FOR GLOUCESTER –
QUALITY OF LIFE
Cleaner streets on trash day
Less litter every day
Easy-to-get bags
Pride in recycling
Better understanding of what to do with other trash
items
More patience when stuck behind trash truck
because operation is so efficient
Protection of and investment in other services –
(police, fire, public works, library, etc.) due to
program savings
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6000
7500
9000
10500
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Tonnage
Program
Starts

11. OBJECTIONS YOU WILL HEAR,
SO BE READY!
Can senior citizens get a smaller bag?
• Yes
How do we handle low income populations?
• Take time to explain program and articulate
expectations
• Personal visits/neighborhood meetings if necessary
What about our non-English-speaking population?
• Same standard as any other city service
My residents will hate this!
• Actually, this is a popular option. With education,
they see the benefits!
Won’t illegal dumping increase?
• No! We experienced no increase in illegal dumping
(except for this guy!).
• This is one of the greatest myths around PAYT. 11

12. OBJECTIONS YOU WILL HEAR,
SO BE READY!
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13. LESSONS LEARNED
Before you start a new program
• Run your numbers!
• Talk with other towns near you
• Know the details of your landfill and waste management
contracts
• Educate your residents on the benefits of PAYT!
Consider the retailers
• They will be concerned about no-profit bags (but will
benefit from foot traffic).
• An in-person visit to each store goes a long way.
Know your limits:
• You don’t have to manage the program yourselves.
• Your biggest partner is your waste hauler.
• Consider partnering with a vendor for distribution of the
bags to stores, accounting and collections, resident
education, and more.
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14. 5- YEAR RESULTS
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15. 5- YEAR RESULTS
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