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<br /> Comprehensive Review of <br /> S olid W aste Collection and Disposal Options <br /> <br />v2.1 114 10/22/12 <br />8.0 DISPOSAL OPTION – PAY -AS-YOU -THROW <br />Pay-As-You-Throw, commonly called PAYT, is a solid waste rate strategy that charges <br />households solid waste collection and disposal fees commensurate with the amount of waste they <br />place curbside for collection or transport to a disposal facility. Simply stated, the more waste a <br />household produces, the more the household must pay for service. Appropriately-priced PAYT <br />programs create a financial incentive for consumers to produce less waste, and thereby <br />promoting improved reduction, re-use, and recycling. <br />The amount of waste is typically measured and billed according to a volumetric measurement <br />(i.e., cubic yards, per bag, per bin); however, some PAYT programs measure waste by weight <br />(i.e., pounds or tons). A volumetric measurement is the most common measurement due to the <br />variation inherent to the weight of various waste streams, as this variability impacts capital cost <br />recovery from the program capital cost. <br />According to national statistics, PAYT programs have been implemented in more than 7,100 <br />communities across the U.S.9 North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural <br />Resources (NCDENR) records more than 30 North Carolina communities participating in a <br />PAYT program. Notably, of these communities, only four counties in North Carolina use weight <br />of waste as a measurement for their PAYT program.10 <br />8.1 PAYT APPRO ACHES <br />PAYT systems can take many forms. Rate structures and the type and size of containers are <br />often related, and combinations of techniques are often used. <br />8.1.1 Bag P rograms <br />Households purchase specially marked bags that must be used to set out waste on collection day <br />or for acceptance at the disposal facility. The annual cost to the resident is directly proportional <br />to the number of bags purchased and used. This approach is used by several North Carolina <br />counties for the collection of waste in unincorporated areas either through curbside collection or <br />drop-off programs at convenience centers. These PAYT bag programs are currently operated in: <br /> <br /> Alamance County <br /> Alexander County <br /> Buncombe County <br /> Catawba County <br /> Mitchell County <br /> Onslow County <br /> Randolph County <br /> Union County <br /> Wilkes County <br /> <br /> <br />The advantages and disadvantages of PAYT bag programs are presented in Exhibit 8-1. <br /> <br />9 Ecoconservation Institute, http://www.paytnow.org. <br />12 NCDENR PAYT, http://infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/01/00365.pdf <br />