Rethinking the Waste Stream to Cut Costs and Reduce Landfills

By Matt Riiska
One topic that has always interested me, believe it or not, is the amount of municipal solid waste we
generate, how we can reduce it and how we process what we cannot recycle. In recent posts I have
expressed my concern that the cost for the town to dispose of our trash will go up from $72 per ton six
years ago to $132 per ton next year. We all need to do our part to reduce what we throw away. This can
be done in a number of ways.

We can start by buying products with a few things in mind, such as “do I really need it?” Or “can I repair
or reuse something I already have?” Or, most importantly, “how is the item I am purchasing packaged,
and how much of the packaging is going to be thrown away?”

There are ways to reduce the quantity of trash we throw into the bin at the transfer station. One is Pay-
As-You-Throw (PAYT), which means paying for only the amount of trash you throw out. Residents can
purchase trash bags of a specific color, size and marking from the town. In East Lyme, Conn., one of only
nine towns in Connecticut that has a PAYT plan, bags are sold in two sizes: 33 (large) and 15 (small)
gallons. A sleeve of five 33-gallon bags costs $9, and a sleeve of five 15-gallon bags costs $6. All trash
must be placed in these specific bags or it will not be accepted. PAYT can reduce the amount of trash
that is tossed by 45 to 60 percent. PAYT programs treat trash like other utilities, such as water, sewer
and electricity. It is pay for what you use, or in this case, toss in the dumpster. The money that residents
spend on the bags goes to the town to pay for trash disposal. PAYT reduces the tons of trash generated
and therefore reduces disposal costs by as much as 45 to 60 percent. It encourages reuse and makes us
all consider our purchases for a real need and how the product is packaged.

What else? The recycling of organic waste and food scraps. Although Norfolk would not generate much
organic food scrap waste, every little bit helps. A recent study shows that 41 percent of residential waste
is organic (food scraps and yard waste) and can be converted to energy through anaerobic digestion or
processed into animal feed. Food scraps alone represent 22 percent of residential trash and are among
the heavier materials regularly thrown away. Removing them from the waste stream reduces the costs
of disposal, as municipalities pay by weight. Here again, residents can purchase bags of a specific color
and size that would be placed in a separate bin at the transfer station. We would subscribe to a service
to collect the bags. This system is currently being used at the Litchfield Transfer Station.

Regardless of how much money we can save using PAYT, the real issue is that we are running out of
suitable landfill sites. I believe our future should include conscious purchasing habits, recycling what we
can and the building of trash-to-energy plants.

Take care and stay healthy.

For more information on PAYT, visit mass.gov/lists/pay-as-you-throw-paytsave-money-and-reduce-
trash-smart.