TRAILBLAZERS OF MUNICIPAL

WASTE DIVERSION

R3 Conference

April 8, 2014

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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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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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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WHY WE CONVERTED TO A BAG-BASED

PROGRAM OR “TRASH METERING”

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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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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

ROLLING OUT OUR “PURPLE BAGS”

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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.

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

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

OBJECTIONS YOU WILL HEAR,

SO BE READY!

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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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5- YEAR RESULTS

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5- YEAR RESULTS

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