Dive Brief:
- Hanson, MA reported it has reduced its solid waste by 64%, more than doubled its recycling rate to 38% and saved $51,000 in disposal fees after one year of its pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) program managed by WasteZero.
- Under the program, residents use official orange bags to dispose of trash at the town's transfer station. The 30-gallon bags are $2 each, and 15-gallon bags are $1.25 each. Recycling at the transfer station is free.
- Hanson adopted its PAYT program partly in response to an increase in its tipping fee — the cost the town pays to dispose of its garbage — from $34.50 per ton to $55 per ton.
Dive Insight:
Other cities are switching to or considering PAYT programs, which encourage residents to recycle more to reduce waste.
"I am very happy with the partnership between Hanson and WasteZero," Hanson Town Administrator Ron San Angelo said. "We dramatically improved recycling, reduced solid waste, and saved taxpayers a considerable amount of money."
