Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
3 <br /> Incentivizes more use of recycling and other waste reduction programs: Many municipalities have <br /> invested heavily in recycling programs that are mostly underutilized and the financial incentive to <br /> reduce waste by employing PAYT has been shown to generally increase recycling as one response to the <br /> desire to reduce waste (others responses being, for example, backyard composting and 'smart shopping' <br /> e.g. buying in bulk, buying only what's needed, bringing your own bag) <br /> Some of the disadvantages can include: <br /> Varying response rates cause funding uncertainty: If PAYT revenues from bag or tag sales are used to <br /> cover the majority of system operating costs, then the desired decline in waste disposed means reduced <br /> revenue which causes financial stress on the system as a large proportion of waste management system <br /> costs are fixed and only the disposal portion truly varies. <br /> Minimal financial incentive to reduce if PAYT is based solely on disposal:The majority of costs of <br /> residential waste management are in the collection and only a minor part in disposal. As an example a <br /> thirty gallon bag of waste typically holds 25 pounds and disposal costs here (tipping fees) are now <br /> $42.50 per ton or$0.53 per bag and adding a cost of a bag could put it at$0.75 which is not a great <br /> incentive. Other pricing mechanisms including some or all collection costs may be applied. <br /> Politically challenging to implement:The experience in many communities that have implemented <br /> PAYT is that it is typically a multi-year process to plan, implement and refine.This may be especially true <br /> where there are immediately adjacent municipalities that may not adopt the strategy simultaneously or <br /> other nearby large institutions with many dumpsters, unstaffed recycling sites and other places that the <br /> now'expensive'trash might be surreptitiously disposed.Those concerns have all arisen in Orange <br /> County during previous discussions of PAYT. If all municipalities and the County were to implement <br /> PAYT together,that would obviate some, but not all, of these concerns. Staff believes it is likely that <br /> implementation of PAYT at Orange County convenience center sites would be very unpopular with <br /> county residents. <br /> Charging properly and equitably for bulky items:Various towns charge varying amounts of cash or <br /> `stickers'/tags' in PAYT for curbside collection thus resolving that issue generally, except for matters of <br /> illegal disposal that are minimal in this community except among students at move-out time and even <br /> that has been largely resolved with only a few remaining trouble spots.This is a particular challenge at <br /> convenience centers where site attendants have to constantly judge if a particular item is subject to a <br /> certain fee level e.g. is a large sectional sofa charged the same 'furniture rate' a folding chair? Is a <br /> 'pickup truck load' in a small, compact pickup equal to that in a large, dual wheeled, long-bed? Given <br /> that 30%of waste coming to Orange County convenience sites is bulky waste or home remodeling <br /> waste; this is a significant issue especially as there is no alternative as there is when a community has a <br /> landfill or transfer station. <br /> Illegal disposal: There is always a concern in any community about illegal disposal via dumping, burning <br /> or disposing in someone else's trash dumpster. It occurs in Orange County even with 'free'waste <br /> disposal at convenience sites or the curbside. It does increase with PAYT, at least initially. Most <br /> communities report they experience this only temporarily, nonetheless it is a concern. <br /> 3 <br />