NYC considers pay-as-you-throw program

New York City is considering a pay-as-you-throw program to reduce waste disposal costs, a report by CBS New York says. The proposed plan’s goal is to mitigate the $300 million cost of shipping waste from the Hamilton Avenue Transfer Station in Brooklyn out of state per year.

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has hired a consultant for $1 million to design the program. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website, a pay-as-you-throw program charges residents for municipal solid waste (MSW) collection based on the amount they throw away, creating an economic incentive to divert recyclables and generate less waste.

According to the report, the city would charge single-family homeowners, renters and co-op and condo owners a price to dispose of their MSW. While the city has yet to determine a price, there are currently 1,200 other cities that charge resident $40 to $50 per month using different strategies.

Katheryn Garcia, sanitation commissioner, says in the report that some municipalities use cans, bags, tags or measure the amount of waste collected by a resident by weight. Garcia says in the report that, if the program is implemented, she could not promise a reduction in resident’s property taxes.

The consultant is expected to release a more formal proposal for the program within a year.