Dive Brief:

• The Raleigh City Council in North Carolina is considering a "Pay As You Throw" (PAYT) trash system. Residents would pay for each bag of garbage they generated, while recycling services would be free.
• The potential to decrease costs and potentially generate profit is a draw for towns. According to WUNC, Raleigh currently pays $33 for each ton landfilled. Each ton recycled could yield $30 per ton.
• If the transition occurs, North Carolina-based WasteZero could potentially receive the bag-based contract. The company would manufacture bags with a city seal on it, and residents would pay for each individual bag instead of receiving a bill for trash collection services. Some of the bag fees go to the company, while the rest goes to the municipality.

Dive Insight:

WasteZero does not yet have clients in the state of North Carolina, but does contract with around 800 cities that are out-of-state, as reported by WUNC. The PAYT system was implemented in Worcester, MA 20 years ago, and is an example of success, for both the town and WasteZero: Worcester has saved between $10 to $20 million dollars since it began using the bags.