‘Pay-As-You-Throw’ mulled in Milford

Thursday, June 16, 2011

MILFORD – “Pay-As-You-Throw” trash disposal plans might be controversial in some towns, but Town Administrator Guy Scaife told selectmen Monday night the idea deserves some consideration here.

Pay-as-you-throw involves requiring residents to buy garbage bags from the town or buy stickers to put on existing bags. There would be no charge for disposing of recycled items. The idea is that if they have to buy the bags, people will be more careful of what they throw away, and the town would get needed revenue.

Scaife told selectmen such a program would cut costs and increase revenue and he gave board members a list of 38 New Hampshire towns and cities that have programs.

Pay-as-you-throw is the “biggest thing a community can do to increase recycling and minimize solid waste,” he said, though admitting it has been “a politically hot items in some communities. But history has proven it has had a very positive impact.”

In Merrimack this year, voters rejected the municipal budget containing a pay-as-you-throw plan after councilors added it near the end of their budget deliberations, citing cost savings and environmental benefits.

In addition to saving the town $153,000 in spending, Merrimack councilors said the new system would have raised more than $485,000 in new revenue. By eliminating the proposal, councilors added more than $600,000 into a default budget that was 7 percent less than the original spending plan.

But opponents called the plan a double tax, adding to the tax dollars they already pay to fund the transfer station.

Milford selectmen did not discuss the proposal Monday night. Gary Daniels, who was acting as chairman in the absence of Nate Carmen, said the Recycling Committee can “do some legwork” on the idea.

Milford anticipates paying $262,000 to its vendor, Waste Management, for the disposal and hauling of the solid waste collected at the transfer station for a full year. There are additional costs of employees, plus electricity to run the compactors over and above the disposal cost, Scaife said.

In Milford, any change to pay-as-you-throw would probably go to voters, he said.

The 38 New Hampshire communities that have the program range from the city of Dover, which started the program in 1991 and charges $1.45 per 15-gallon bag, to Shelburne, (population 382), which started its program in 2005 and charges $1.50 for a 33-gallon bag.

The smallest town, Chatham (population 276), did not provide updated information.

The information was provided by Northeast Resource Recovery Association, which provides technical and marketing assistance related to waste reduction and recycling in New England.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100, ext. 21, or kcleveland@cabinet.com.