Pay As You Throw Model
Pay As You Throw
In July 1998, the City of Decatur instituted the Pay as You Throw (PAYT) system for its sanitation collection. Switching to the PAYT system was twofold:
- To meet the state requirements in which jurisdictions were required to reduce landfill deposits.
- To complement the City’s recycling program, diverting more recyclable items into away from the landfill.
How It Works
- A task force made up of Decatur residents studying reduction in landfill deposits recommended the "Pay as You Throw" program, gathered information about other types of systems, held public hearings, and made a recommendation based on their findings to the City Commission.
- Residents pay a nominal annual fee for trash, yard waste, recyclables, bulky item collections, and street sweeping.
- Residents purchase special PAYT trash bags from local stores and markets. Bags come in three sizes: 33 gallon (blue), 15 gallon (yellow), and 8 gallon (green). The price per pack of 10 bags includes the cost of the bags, state sales tax, and tipping fees at the landfill. All household trash must be placed in a PAYT bag in order to be collected.
- The cost for sanitation services per household is dependent on the volume of trash collected. Residents who use fewer bags pay less; residents who use more bags pay more.
