Pay as you throw
Monday, December 8, 2008 at 5:51PM If the thermostat ever rises above 68 degrees in the wintertime, it’s probably because we have company. Otherwise, the missus and I bundle up while we’re on the couch, and throw an extra quilt on the bed at night.
The reason, of course, is that natural gas is expensive and we pay for out own heat.
When I was a renter, however, I was fortunate in that my apartments included heat and hot water. Consequently I set the thermostat as high as I wanted to. I had absolutely no incentive not to. Indeed, I was already paying for heat in my rent, so I might as well use it to make myself as comfortable as possible.
And if I was not a proponent of reducing my impact on the environment, my logic would be similar with regard to trash disposal. For here in Manchester, I am not charged for how much trash I put at the curb every Monday. Whether I toss out one bag or eight, the cost to me is the same.
In fact, as trash pickup in Manchester is financed through property taxes, my wife and I, whose weekly trash amounts to about three-fourths of a 13-gallon bag, essentially subsidize trash disposal for our fellow residents whose weekly trash output would appear to be equal to or greater than that of an entire city block.
It should come as no surprise then that I am intrigued by a “pay as you throw” scheme floated last week at City Hall.
According to yesterday's Union Leader, such an idea has been shot down several times over the past dozen or so years. But with the economy – and with it municipal revenue – taking a dive, a proposal to charge city residents based on how much garbage they throw away is once again seeing the light of day.
In his City Hall column, Union Leader reporter Scott Brooks quoted Environmental Protection Agency consultant Kristen Brown as telling aldermen last week that not only would such a plan encourage residents to throw out less garbage and recycle more, but that the sale of trash bags has the potential to add between $500,000 and $4 million to city coffers. On top of this, she added, the plan also has the potential to shave $1.4 million off the city’s annual waste budget – money that could be used for any other number of things, from fixing pot holes to improving city schools and police protection. Bags such as these are sold by the city of Natick, Mass., for $1 each:
The EPA’s website reports that some 6,000 municipalities across the U.S. utilize “pay as you throw.” There are still many questions to be answered – including, of course, how much said bags would cost here in Manchester – but I think it’s an idea Manchester should at least explore.
If you agree, I encourage you call or email your alderman and tell him/her so. Don't know who your alderman is? Find out here.
Will Stewart
Speaking at a Neighborhood Watch meeting last night, Alderman Ted Gatsas said bag-and-tag is "closer than it's ever been" to becoming a reality in Manchester. He noted switching to the program is expected to save the City $4-5 million a year.
Reader Comments (5)
I don't know....just think about how much trash would be piling up Granite Square if residents had to buy their own bags. Its a frightening thought since apparently they can't reach the trash can 50% of the time anyhow. I'm all about reducing trash....I just am not optimistic for those around us to do the same.
That's a good point.
Rich and I had a long discussion about this last night. For example, Charlottesville VA enacted this about 7 years ago and has a great success. However, Charlottesville is highly educated and middle to upper class for the most part, and a university town which, tend to be a bit more progressive in terms of environmental awareness.
Once Manchester quit picking up televisions, suddenly, they seem to be breeding like rabbits on the west side (and continue to breed). At one point, we had 4, yes 4, televisions in our alley until Rich got fed up and took them all to the dump. Which is great that he did that and I'm pretty sure he did another TV run for the Granite Square block not long ago.... But I guess my point is, concerned citizens, like us, the Hasty's, Diane, we love to do the quarterly neighborhood clean ups. But weekly neighborhood clean-ups are probably not feasible and definitely not sustainable. Due to the nature of some of the neighborhoods in Manchester, the cost of paying for bags, even if subsidized or provided by landlords, may lead to an increase in litter and dumping, which is my prediction, since that is exactly what we've seen once TV's were no longer picked up and residents had to make more of an effort to take them to the dump.
So I am going to take a NIMBY stance. I hate to do it, but this one time, I'm a NIMBY. I think it would work great for Milford, just not Manchester. Ack. I can't believe I just wrote that!!
You know what I would love to see though? More trash cans on corners AND recycling bins. That would be cool:)
Um, no, it wouldn't work great for Milford. In fact, I think that if you tried to foist this sort of nonsense on Milford, all Milford residents should be encouraged to load their trash in pickup trucks and dump in front of homes like yours in Manchester as a form of protest.
Aren't double standards fun?
I was hoping for some useful tips as regards the mountain of garbage hauled to the curb each week.
Beware, a trip down your local alley or behind your favorite restaurant could be mind boggling.
Does this pay for your trash program come with tax relief?