Dive Brief:
- Worcester, Massachusetts has a "Pay-As-You-Throw" (PAYT) collection system that has saved the city between $10 and $20 million dollars throughout the past two decades.
- A case study found that through the PAYT system, the volume of trash has decreased while the recycling rate has grown. The citywide recycling rate is 43%, 13% above the state average.
- WasteZero partnered with Worcester for the program and is now working to create recycling initiatives for the community. The company is starting a pilot program that would use bags instead of bins for recyclables.
Dive Insight:
The initiatives will be in conjunction with the Zero Sort recycling program. According to Worcester.com, Joseph Fusco, the vice-president of Casella Waste Systems told GoLocalWorcester: "Zero Sort is the next generation of recycling; it doesn't require you to sort out your recyclables. The technology has become available where people no longer need a bunch of bins for each kind of recyclable. It has made recycling really convenient." Zero Sort increases the volume of recycling due to its ease.
