how to talk about pay-as-you-throw

How to Talk About Pay-as-You-ThrowStephen Lisauskas

March 30, 2015

Copyright © 2015 WasteZero2

The Challenge: Bridging Policy and Politics

Widely Accepted as aSuccessful Policy Option…

…But Still Politically Challenging to Move Through the Approval Process

There can be a disconnect between the policy and the politics of pay-as-you-throw.

The good news: This is a problem with a solution.

It’s a New Fee!

It Looks Hard!

I Don’tLike Change!

~150 Programs Across

Massachusetts

44% Average MSW Decrease

(Bag-Based Programs)


The Solution: Communication & Education

Overcoming the political challenge of pay-as-you-throw requires clear, thought-out communication to residents—both on how PAYT will help them and on how it will work.

Explaining Operational

Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use

Explaining FinancialBenefits

Explaining Environmental

Benefits

Educationand

Outreach

Explainingthe Problem


Explaining the Problem

The first step in talking about pay-as-you-throw is explaining the context around the decision. Residents must understand why continuing the status quo is not an option.


Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


19901992

19941996

19982000

20022004

20062008

20102012

20142016

20182020

400

425

450

475

500

525

550

575

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000More Trash, Fewer Landfills

Source: US EPA

MunicipalSolid Waste

ActiveLandfills





Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 20100

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400 The Increasing Cost of Trash





Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


Pay Set Amount Regardless of UsePay Based on Use

ElectricityWater Gas

Garbage

Conserved Wasted


Explaining Financial Benefits

Residents must also understand the financial impact—usually positive—that pay-as-you-throw will have on them.


Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


Before PAYT With PAYT0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Baseline Trash Cost

Baseline Trash Cost

Spending on Bags

Disposal Sav-ings

Hous

ehol

d Sp

endi

ngon

Gar

bage

When an existing fee is being reduced,

to be replaced by spending on bags…

… Show that household costswill stay stable

1





Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


Before PAYT With PAYT0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Baseline Trash Cost

Baseline Trash Cost

Disposal Sav-ings

Spending on Bags

Hous

ehol

d Sp

endi

ngon

Gar

bage

… Show concretely what the new

household costswill be used to fund

Example: Curbside Recycling

2 When PAYT is being used to fund other municipal goals…





Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


1. Increase Taxesto Generate Revenue

2. Use PAYTto Generate Revenue

$0.00

$0.25

$0.50

$0.75

$1.00

ContributionFrom Resi-

dents ContributionFrom Resi-

dents

Disposal Sav-ings

OR… Show that PAYT is a more efficient way

to meet budget goals because of

decreased disposal spending

3 When PAYT is being used in place of a

tax increase…


Explaining Operational Benefits

Pay-as-you-throw brings significant, but often uncommunicated, operational benefits to the communities that implement it.


Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


Having less garbage to collect means

quicker—and sometimes fewer—

routes…

…Enabling public works staff to perform other

municipal services

Bulky Item Pickup

Loose Limb Collection Road Repairs


Explaining Environmental Benefits

It can be extremely beneficial to educate residents who are motivated by sustainability concerns on how pay-as-you-throw will lessen their town or city’s environmental impact.


Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


Annual Carbon Emissions Savings—Like Taking Away…

5,000 Passenger Vehicles

2,859,000 Gallons of Gasoline

Annual Energy Savings—Like Capturing the Energy From…

21,000 Rooftop

Solar Arrays

1,500Single-Family

Houses

Example—

90,000-resident city


Explaining Ease of Use

Pay-as-you-throw is easy to take part in, usually requiring nearly no changes in household operations. This is another point that must be communicated.


Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach


Purchase Trash Bags at Store

Dispose of Trash Bagsin the Same Manner as Before PAYT

Curb Transfer Station

Cart

Average:1.2 large bagsper household

per week

1 2


Education and Outreach

A comprehensive resident education campaign incorporating information about the benefits of PAYT and answering any operational questions is also key.


Benefits

Explaining Ease

of Use



Benefits

Educationand

Outreach



Timing

Pre-Implementation Support Ongoing Support

CommunityOutreach Meetings

Program Design and

MessageDevelopment

Resident Education Materials

Resident-Facing Web Site

Part of how to talk about pay-as-you-throw is also when and where to talk aboutpay-as-you-throw. This is true both before and after implementation.

When municipal leaders are armed with messaging tools that resonate with their residents, they can move pay-as-you-throw from policy idea to political reality.

how to talk about pay-as-you-throw

Environment

operational benefits

financial benefits residents

ease of use

politics of pay

communication education

political challenge

increasing cost of trash

successful policy option