Dive Brief:

• The Citizens Budget Commission, a nonprofit watchdog group, argues that a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system in New York City would eliminate waste and promote recycling, as well as reduce the city's $1.5 billion budget allotted for waste collection. 
• The group proposes that the city could charge residents $1.50 per 30-gallon bag and 75 cents per 15-gallon bag, or $18 a month for a household generating 90 gallons of trash per week.
• Figures from 2013 estimate the city's cost of waste removal at $300 million. New York City spends an average of $500 per household on hauling and disposal annually, amounting to around 1,700 pounds of waste every year. 

Dive Insight:

Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia calls the group's proposal “thought-provoking,” but said that it has the potential to encourage illegal dumping. 

There are possible benefits to adopting a PAYT program. One case study concluded that PAYT households increased the amount of materials recycled while reducing their trash output. In Worcester, MA, PAYT has saved the city up to $20 million over the course of 20 years. The system has also been touted as helping to raise recycling rates.