Pay-as-you-throw Research Articles

Incentivizing recycling in local governments: the moderating role of fiscal conditions in the adoption of Pay-As-You-Throw recycling programs

This article aims to extend the political market framework by exploring whether policy demand or supply is the key consideration for local governments’ policymaking and under what financial conditions local governments favor one over the other. We expect that local governments with good fiscal conditions are more likely to respond to public demand, but local governments with poor fiscal conditions pay more attention to supply influences. To test this idea, this study examines the moderating role of fiscal conditions within the political market framework regarding what factors account for adopting local governments’ Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) recycling programs in solid waste management (SWM). The results of the fixed-effect logistic model support that fiscal conditions play a moderating role in shifting organizational attention on the supply side based on cross-section data covering 1,840 local governments in the United States.

The Efficient Management OS Urban Waste to Promote the Circular Economy

In 2020, the European Commission adopted its second Action Plan for the Circular Economy, increasing the targets to be met by the member states and encouraging a change in the environmental and economic paradigm - from a linear system to a circular system. As established by the European Union (COM (2020) 98 final), an efficient management of urban waste and its recovery, by cities and the citizens who live in them, contributes to the current transition to a circular economy, and, for this to happen, they need to motivate the selective disposal of urban waste to increase recycling rates. Thus, the polluter pays principle must be applied fairly and effectively, with the use of PAYT (pay as you throw) systems, that is the best way to motivate the selective disposal of urban waste, increasing recycling and promoting the circular economy

Public acceptability and its determinants of unit pricing for municipal solid waste disposal: Evidence from a household survey in Beijing

Unit pricing for domestic waste, or pay-as-you-throw (PAYT), affords a promising policy option for waste classification and reduction at source. As an emerging economy, China intends to adopt the sophisticated instrument of unit pricing. The public attitude to this policy is of high relevance for its actual implementation. For the first time in China, this paper quantitatively examined the acceptability of the policy among urban residents by randomly delivering 632 questionnaires by taking Beijing, a megacity expected to introduce the practice, as an example. Based on the ordered logit model, determinants of acceptability were empirically tested including intrinsic, external and demographic factors. The results show that the acceptability rate of PAYT in Beijing is less than half, with the proportion of firm support reaching only 42.6%. The respectively low acceptability rate indicates substantial compliance costs, due to intensive resistance to policy implementation and more resources to be invested to promote acceptability. Empirical analysis further indicates that (1) regarding demographic features, aged or less educated residents tend to accept unit pricing, (2) as for intrinsic factors, a friendly environmental attitude, deeper understanding of charging policy and better social perception can significantly improve the public acceptability of the policy, and (3) in terms of external factors, better property services and transparent funding mechanisms play significant roles in enhancing public acceptability. These findings are further confirmed by replacing the dependent variable with either the willingness to pay for household waste disposal or the acceptability of the operated sewage treatment fee. The status of residents’ preference for specific pricing methods is further investigated with underlying reasons being revealed. For developing regions with an urgent demand for waste reduction, it is proposed to install unit pricing in time to avoid possible growing social acceptability costs. Specific measures are proposed including changes in intrinsic factors, paying attention to focus groups, and building social consensus for unit pricing.

Acceptance of pay-as-you-throw solid waste charging methods among urban residents in China

Aim: Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) is a recognized waste-charging method commonly used in developed countries to reduce waste effectively and improve resource utilization efficiency. China is currently transitioning from a traditional fixed-fee model to a PAYT model.Method: In this study, a sample of 1,346 urban residents in China is analyzed empirically to investigate their willingness to accept this change and the waste fees they are willing to pay for it.Results: The results indicate that, 1) at present, the proportion of urban residents willing to accept the PAYT charging model is low, accounting for only 54.53%. 2) The average annual cost for residents’ households willing to pay for PAYT is 58.616 RMB, which is relatively low. 3) The main reasons for the residents’ low acceptance of PAYT are behavioral attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control factors. 4) Income and education levels mainly explain the low level of expenses paid by residents.Conclusion: Therefore, we suggest that, in the short term, publicity and education should be used to encourage residents to establish a correct environmental concept and a sense of environmental governance ownership, increase their knowledge of waste recycling and disposal and their awareness of waste charging rules, and thus improve their willingness to accept the PAYT charging model. In the long term, the PAYT charging model should be compatible with the levels of economic development and family education, and residents’ waste charges for PAYT should increase steadily.

Pay-as-You-Throw (PAYT) for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Greece: On Public Opinion and Acceptance

As municipal solid waste increases on a global scale, local and national governments strive for the implementation of efficient waste management systems in urban settings. The importance of the optimization of waste management lies with the fact that it constitutes a key step towards energy and material independence as well as the development of sustainable societies. In order for municipalities to fall in line with European legislations and strategies (i.e., European Green Deal, Waste Framework Directive, Sustainable Development Goals, etc.), they need to choose strategic, targeted schemes for adequate waste management, taking into account the area profile under investigation (i.e., population, demographic, public opinion, etc.). The present study investigates the level of knowledge of citizens regarding a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system in Greece. The aim of the investigation is to elucidate the attitude towards PAYT implementation within a socioeconomic context. A survey was conducted using an online questionnaire in 2021 while the results show valuable insight on the degree of public acceptance and understanding. At the same time, shortcomings (e.g., communication about the implementation from government and local authorities to citizens) have been pinpointed.

HOUSEHOLD FOOD WASTE POLICY: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: Food waste (FW) is a serious problem and significantly impacts the environment, economy, and social. Globally, the average FW reaches 121 kg/ capita/year, and households are the main contributors to FW. Several countries have implemented various strategies to prevent household FW. This review aims to explore the household FW prevention policies and their potential to be implemented in Indonesia. Discussion: Three strategies have been widely applied worldwide, including economic incentives, regulations, as well as FW awareness and behavior campaigns. In this case, the economic incentives include landfill tax, incineration tax, and Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT). Many laws and regulations have been implemented related to waste management, food, economics, and those regulations are either directly or indirectly related to FW. The awareness and behavior change campaign is the most widely applied strategy to prevent household FW globally. Conclusion: Well-designed policies and regulations supported by education and awareness campaigns are the potential strategies for household food waste reduction and prevention in Indonesia.

Adoption of new household waste management technologies: The role of financial incentives and pro-environmental behavior

New technological solutions can encourage lower household waste production and higher levels of waste separation. This paper focuses on analyzing the role of different behavioral factors, such as empowerment and pro-environmental behavior (PEB), have on citizens' intention to use a novel household waste management and separation system and how these interact with the financial incentives typically applied in this area, pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) and save-as-you-throw (SAYT). The proposed model was tested in Portugal using the structural equation modeling approach. Survey data from 400 respondents found that empowerment plays a vital role in adopting an innovative waste management system. The research discerns pro-environmental behavior (PEB) both as an antecedent and a moderator between system use and empowerment, system use and behavioral intention, and also between system use and financial incentives. We discovered that for people with low perceived PEB, PAYT actually reduces the use of the new waste management system, while SAYT can increase the use of the system. Furthermore, increasing the empowerment of users in the system can work exceptionally well at encouraging consumers that already have a high level of PEB. The paper concludes with a discussion section about the developed framework's application and implication in the waste management sector. This study is valuable for understanding how citizens will adopt a new waste management system and essential for encouraging citizens to engage in recycling behavior regularly.

Impact of charging and reward-penalty policies on household recycling: A case study in China.

With the drastically growing amount of household waste in China, increasing the recovery rate of household recyclable waste (HRW) is important for creating an environmentally friendly and green future. The waste charging policy, pay as you throw (PAYT), is widely used in developed countries, but it is not applicable in China with some unique features of waste recycling. Particularly, residents in China can sell HRW to formal recyclers, or throw waste to a waste sit under the supervision of classification superintendents (CSs). In this study, we propose an improved pay as a site throws (PAST) policy. And two complementary policies, the reward policy (RP) and reward-penalty policy (RPP), are considered to increase the feasibility of PAST. An integrated HRW recycling system model is developed, which combines the system dynamics (SD) approach and game theory to explore the impacts of these policies on the proportion of classified waste, recovery rates, recycling prices, profits, and social profit. Results show that (1) the PAST policy effectively promotes the waste classification proportion and HRW recovery rate. (2) An RP or RPP should be implemented along with the PAST policy to compensate for CSs' losses. (3) These polices should be applied for CSs in the early stage which can reduce the HRW recycling price, combat the likelihood of residents selling HRW, and promote waste classification. (4) When they are applied for recycling companies in the late stage more social profit is obtained. This study provides more targeted policies for China's HRW recycling measures. It also provides insights for HRW policy making in other developing countries.

INDUSTRIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA (Vernoniaamygdalina & Allium sativum extracts)

This paper examined industrial waste management practices in Kaduna Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria. A mixed method was used in carrying out the study as it involved surveys as well the use of GIS for site suitability. A total of 200 copies of the questionnaire were administered by adopting simple random sampling and used for the analysis. A simple lab test was conducted and findings revealed that there is a wide variation in the levels of zinc and nickel availability, though within the standards for drinking water, suggesting a change in water quality at various locations. High mercury levels in one of the samples are a reason for concern. It was recommended based on the findings amongst others that awareness and education regarding appropriate waste management, including collection and disposal, is essential for all construction workforces and should be provided by firms, in conjunction with the industry, The study recommends that the Kaduna State Government should consider measures, such as the introduction of regulatory policy, including site waste management plan (SWMP), Pay-As-YouThrow (PAYT), and landfill ban to divert material wastes from landfills. PPUV is a Pay-Per-Unit volume of waste generated and its purpose is to reduce waste and encourage reuse and recycling management of industries needs to change the misconception that landfilling is a cheaper option when compared to reuse and recycling. The design team should adopt effective design minimization measures, while other professionals are to ensure efficient waste reduction approaches.

Biowaste Management and Circular Economy: Usage of Pay as you Throw System and Autonomous Composting Units in Municipality of Probishtip

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is still a significant environmental problem for all Balkan and Mediterranean countries, under constant pressure from relevant EU legislation and public. In general, waste management services in the Republic of North Macedonia do not comply with national and international regulations. They are incomplete and contain only inefficient waste collection and poorly controlled or uncontrolled landfill, with no additional elements of advanced waste management as defined in EU waste directives. The municipal solid waste management continues to be a significant challenge in all states of the European Community and is an important element in the transition to a circular economy. An important aspect of implementation of the circular economy assumptions in the case of MSW is a plan for reducing waste amounts deposited at landfills and enhancing the share of waste, which can be returned to the system as material and organic recycling. In the light of soon expected establishment of regional integrated and self-sustainable waste management system in the east and north-east planning regions of the Republic of North Macedonia, in order to increase awareness by the local population and hospitality enterprises for source separation schemes of organic waste, as the largest producers of organic waste, University Goce Delchev and Hellenic Mediterranean University together with Municipality of Katerini, Municipality of Yermasoyia, and Municipality of Probishtip launched a joint project co-founded by EU, “Utilizing Pay as You Throw Systems and Autonomous Composting Units for Biowaste Management in Touristic Areas.” PAYT system and ACUs as innovative technologies for biowaste management involve source separation schemes of organic waste. The aim of this paper is to present the transfer and application of innovative technologies Pay As You Throw (PAYT) system and Autonomous Composting Units (ACUs) for biowaste management in Municipality of Probishtip, thus reinforce the system of circular economy (CE) in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Weight-based pay-as-you-throw pricing model: Encouraging sorting in households through waste fees

Municipal solid waste is associated with different systemic challenges, such as climate change, resource scarcity, and ocean plastic pollution. European countries are striving towards more circular material use and the European Commission has advocated the use of economic incentives to boost recycling. The pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) scheme is an economic instrument that applies the ‘polluter pays’ principle by charging for waste according to the actual amount of generated waste. Volume-based PAYT fees have shown to be potentially less effective in waste prevention and recycling than weight-based fees. This paper illustrates how waste management operators can price residual waste with weight-based fees that encourage recycling, are fair with respect to service levels, and cover the current income for municipal waste operators. The result, obtained by forming equations satisfying the above conditions, is a model with a linear, discrete price function, where the price of the residual waste generated by the citizen is a function of the service level. This model encourages efficient source separation through internal subsidies, wherein a citizen can decrease the price of household waste by 32% if they increase the sorting efficiency from a default of 40% to 80% efficiency. The application of the model was illustrated in a case example. The model developed in this study can be used to implement weight-based PAYT schemes locally, thereby supporting the formulation of waste management systems that facilitate waste reduction and recycling.

Effects of a Per-Bag Trash Collection Fee Program: Evidence from a Synthetic Control Method

Pay As You Throw (PAYT) policies are implemented worldwide to reduce waste. This paper estimates the effects of a PAYT policy in New Taipei City - per-bag trash collection fee (PBCF) program - on households' waste disposal. Under the PBCF, people have to buy certified bags for their unsorted waste, while sorted waste (food and recyclable waste) is disposed of for free. We apply a synthetic control method that allows cities/counties to have different trends in waste disposal. The estimation results using the city/county-level administrative data suggest that the PBCF decreases unsorted waste by about 27.2% and recyclable waste by about 20.8%. Food waste almost doubles in the short term, but the magnitude gradually reduces over time. Overall, the program reduces total waste by about 17.4%. These results suggest that waste avoidance behavior resulting from the PBCF appears not only in unsorted waste but also in recycling. Finally, we estimate that the welfare gain from the PBCF is about 30,000 NTD per household per year.

Waste management in insular areas: A Pay-As-You-Throw system in Funchal

The issue of municipal waste is regarded as one of the biggest environmental problems worldwide given its uncontrolled growth. Efficient waste management is an important step towards an energy and material sustainable society. This problem is particularly serious in insular regions due to logistic difficulties. As a result, municipalities need to find effective measures to balance their waste management systems as the inherent costs of the service are high and the charges applied are inefficient. One possible solution to achieve efficient waste management is the application of a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) system, which considers the amount of waste produced by each agent, making her/him responsible for reducing waste production. Furthermore, increases in recycling rates decrease the need to obtain materials from virgin resources, which leads to lower energy consumption. Based on real data, we propose a reformulation of the old incentive mechanisms in Funchal, Portugal, replacing them by the application of a PAYT system to the non-domestic sector, namely to hotel enterprises. Our simulation results for a representative hotel shows that the PAYT system provides important tariff reductions, which can go from 47% to 70%, when unsorted waste decreases according to the goals set by the European Union of achieving a percentage of recyclable waste on total waste of 55% in 2025, 60% in 2030 and 65% in 2035. Hence, the system is a good incentive to the increase in sorted waste, contributing to a more sustainable waste management mechanism.

Residential curbside waste collection programs design: A multicriteria and participatory approach using choosing by advantages

Policy making involves translating political visions into programs that seek to change a social behavior. To design these programs, decision makers must consider multiple aspects to achieve sustainable solutions. Furthermore, decision makers must manage interrelated information and preferences of different stakeholders to ensure the policy suits the community and accomplishes its goals. This research provides evidence of the applicability of the Choosing by Advantages (CBA) decision system to make environmental public policies, in particular to design a waste collection program for a city in Canada. The methodology is based on a case study where CBA was used to choose the recycling, organics, and PAYT (Pay as you throw) utility components of the program. To analyze the process, researchers measured decision makers’ perceptions of levels of satisfaction or frustration during the program-design process by conducting surveys with decision-makers at different stages in time. The research also measured decision-makers’ preference for applying CBA over traditional practices where no formal decision-making method is used, in terms of (1) reaching consensus and transparency, (2) making complex decisions, and (3) making faster decisions. The results show that CBA helped to include multiple aspects in designing for sustainability, and to consider the municipality and community preferences into the program. The study also evidenced that satisfaction levels increased as the process progressed. Finally, 75% of decision makers reported preference for CBA regarding reaching consensus and transparency, while this preference was milder (55%) regarding making complex decisions, and the opposite (27%) regarding making faster decisions.

Towards a circular economy for sustainable development: An application of full cost accounting to municipal waste recyclables

From a circular economy perspective, the municipal waste (MW) sector remains a valuable input source for waste recyclable re-industrialization among food, pollution, and energy. In this study, different accounting approaches and scenarios for sustainable MW management are explored to find the most cost efficient and profitable approach. The Full Cost Accounting (FCA) method is adopted as the basis of analysis in this study where an integrated sustainable framework for the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) pricing model is developed and designed that can optimize MW management in attaining ‘zero waste disposal’ at the lowest cost as well as generating economic, environmental and social benefits. Using waste management data from 27 councils in Egypt and two different PAYT methods (i.e. weight-based and volume-based) under three case scenarios, this study documents that the prepaid bag system under the volume-based PAYT method leads to the lowest waste costs and creates more incentives for households in terms of economic, social and environmental benefits. These findings have various implications for the policy makers, government councils, waste managers, businesses and communities in the adoption of volume based PAYT schemes for cost-effective, profitable and socially acceptable reusing and recycling of waste. Such valuable addition to MW management can contribute to the environmental and socially sustainable development in emerging markets and in moving towards a circular economy model.

How Neighbourhood Food Environments and a Pay-as-You-Throw (PAYT) Waste Program Impact Household Food Waste Disposal in the City of Toronto

Household food waste has negative, and largely unnecessary, environmental, social and economic impacts. A better understanding of current household food waste disposal is needed to help develop and implement effective interventions to reduce food wasting. A four-season waste characterization study was undertaken with 200 single-family households across eight neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The City of Toronto provides residents with a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) waste program that includes a choice of four garbage cart sizes (Small [S], Medium [M], Large [L], Extra Large [XL]), with increasing annual user fees ($18.00–$411.00 CAD), as well as a green cart (organic waste) and blue cart (recycling). On average, each household disposed 4.22 kg/week of total food waste, 69.90% of which was disposed in the green cart, and disposal increased significantly (p = 0.03) by garbage cart size to L but not XL garbage carts. Of this total, 61.78% consisted of avoidable food waste, annually valued at $630.00–$847.00 CAD/household. Toronto’s PAYT waste program has been effective at diverting food waste into the green cart but not at reducing its generation. Higher median incomes were positively correlated, while higher neighbourhood dwelling and population density were negatively correlated, with total and avoidable food waste disposal. Regression analyses explained 40–67% of the variance in total avoidable food waste disposal. Higher supermarket density and distance to healthier food outlets were associated with more, while dwelling density was related to less, total and avoidable food waste disposal. Distance to fast food restaurants and less healthy food outlet density were both negatively associated with avoidable food waste disposal in the garbage and green cart, respectively. Avoidable food waste reduction interventions could include increasing garbage cart fees, weight-based PAYT, or messaging to households on the monetary value of avoidable food waste, and working with food retailers to improve how households shop for their food.

Waste generation and management status in the fast-expanding Indian cities: A review

ABSTRACT India is witnessing the formation of many densely populated megacities where management of burgeoning wastes, both municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial hazardous waste (IHW), has become a very critical issue. The city municipalities are showing their inability to manage the waste efficiently. In this paper, the core indicator of environmental pressure, i.e., per capita municipal solid waste (MSW) generation for the top 10 most populous Indian cities and their trend over the years, has been ascertained to understand the severity of the problem. The study finds that the MSW generation per capita is increasing in all the top 10 populated cities of the country. In terms of growth of MSW generation, the city Surat and Delhi grew alarmingly at the rate of 2172% and 1036%, respectively, during the period 1971 to 2015. The level of per capita waste generation of three large Indian cities, i.e.,, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai, was almost at par the level of OECD member countries. All the 10 cities are broadly indicating the existence of “coupling,” i.e., the standard of living increments was associated with an increase in MSW generation per capita. The city of Mumbai is also facing the challenge of managing the growing IHW generation as well. However, the city municipalities are helplessly witnessing untreated waste lying for months and years at dumpsites. The reported case of contaminated waste dumping sites raising concern toward imminent health hazards for the city dwellers. To counter the waste-related health hazards, the municipalities the top 10 cities first required to launch “generators as segregators” program for efficient handling of generated waste followed by pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system to discourage waste generation without any delay. Implications: The burgeoning per capita municipality solid waste (MSW) generation for the top 10 most populated Indian cities and their upward trend through 1971 to 2015 calls for the need for scientific disposal of waste and policies to encourage waste minimization with the adoption of cleaner technologies. A complete mismatch between population increase and waste processing capacity increase, in the case of the top 10 populous cities of India, is raising a concern toward imminent health hazards for the city dwellers. This paper depicted the dismal MSW and IHW management performance in populous Indian cities and proposed a strategy for realistic measurement and management of waste.

Exercising social control in PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) violations: The role of subjective evaluations and social capital

In this paper we examine the relative importance of an individual’s subjective evaluations and social capital on his/her decision to exercise social control (i.e. confront the offender) on the hypothetical instance of witnessing a PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) scheme violation. Our data (N = 299) originates from an online questionnaire filled in by residents of Greece in early summer 2016. Through logistic regression modeling, we find that the subjective evaluation of the offence and social capital components have independent and complementary effects on the decision to exercise social control, over and above the demographic characteristics of the respondent.

An Assessment of Material Waste Disposal Methods in the Nigerian Construction Industry

The construction industry is faced with many challenges, among which is waste management. Aside from the fact that wastage contributes to time and cost overrun, it also has environmental implications in the form of pollution. However, the industry has the capacity to effectively manage waste, from generation to disposal. All stages of the management process are important, but scholars and governments have provided the final step, being disposal, unabated attention in order to ensure effective management. Potential waste disposal methods, including incineration, burning, landfilling, recycling, reuse, open dumping, pyrolysis, and shredding have emerged from the literature around the globe. Despite various waste minimisation and sustainable disposal options that are available, construction material waste is still increasing in Nigeria, while disposal remains a major issue for firms and government. Therefore, this study assesses disposal methods among construction firms to determine whether there is a relationship between their practices towards waste disposal. The research followed a concurrent triangulation design in a cross sectional survey, while data were collected via a convergent parallel mixed methods. The quantitative phase employed a structured questionnaire to collect data from 243 building construction firms, while the qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 65 professionals from 10 on-going construction projects in Lagos, Nigeria. The research revealed that landfilling is the most common method of waste disposal, which is closely followed by reuse as backfill and recycling. In addition, the study revealed no association between company’s ownership statuses, age, project specialisation, and disposal methods, except company’s size. In conclusion, the study establishes the need for regulatory policies, such as site waste management plan (SWMP), pay as you throw (PAYT), and landfill ban, which would minimise material waste and divert them from landfills. Recycling and reuse are recommended as sustainable approaches for waste disposal.

Which US municipalities adopt Pay-As-You-Throw and curbside recycling?

This study investigates the drivers of curbside recycling program adoption and Pay as You Throw (PAYT) program adoption in 1,856 US local governments using a 2015 survey. While 50% of municipalities and counties adopt curbside recycling programs, we find that the adoption of curbside recycling is limited by capacity constraints; local governments with lower per capita public expenditures and more poverty are less likely to implement curbside recycling. PAYT programs are less common overall (10% of municipalities) and less common in richer communities and more common in communities with higher education levels. Local official political affiliation is not significant in either model. Both programs are less likely in rural places. Our results point to the need for local governments adopting such innovations to address equity, capacity constraints, and efficiency concerns.