Why does trash collection cost Hampstead only $234,000, while it costs Atkinson over $550,000?

from the Eagle Tribune;

Hampstead may opt for pay-as-you-throw trash system
By Margo Sullivan
margosullivan@eagletribune.com

HAMPSTEAD — Faced with rising costs, Hampstead is considering charging residents by the bag to get rid of their trash.

About 45 New Hampshire cities and towns — Concord being the most recent — have adopted the system, which is designed to cut down on the amount of trash and encourage recycling, according to Donald Maurer, solid waste technical assistance supervisor with the state Department of Environmental Services.

Hampstead's Solid Waste Committee has been studying pay-as-you-throw as a possible solution to the town's long-term trash problem, Selectman Priscilla Lindquist said. Hampstead pays Waste Management for curbside pickup and to cart trash to the Rochester transfer station.

Trash collection costs Hampstead $78.20 a ton, according to Tina Harrington in the selectmen's office. The town disposes of roughly 3,000 tons of trash every year, bringing the annual cost to around $234,600.

At the same time, Hampstead's recycling rate is between 17 percent and 20 percent, she said, so the selectmen want to find a way to boost recycling.

The recycling average for New Hampshire municipalities is 20 percent to 21 percent, Maurer said. That's poor, he added.

Improving the recycling rate by just 1 percent can save a community a significant amount of money, he said.

Trash hauling is big business. New Hampshire spends $250 million to $300 million a year on trash collection. The industry employs 5,000 people, but because it is fragmented, people may not realize how much money is being spent on garbage, Maurer said.

"One of the best ways to encourage recycling is to give people an understanding of the costs," he said.

Pay-as-you-throw is one of the proven ways to improve the recycling rate, he said. But it has been a tough sell in some communities because people see the bag charge as a new tax, Maurer said.

"It isn't," he said, "if done properly."

Hampstead would be the first local community to adopt pay-as-you-throw, if the selectmen settle on that option.

Londonderry recently went to a new trash collection system which gives residents one 65-gallon trash barrel free, but charges for additional barrels. Doris Beatty of the Londonderry Solid Waste Department, said she calls the new system "limited waste."

The change went into effect two weeks ago and Beatty said she has already seen a reduction in the amount of trash curbside.

Derry considered pay-as-you-throw some 10 years ago, according to Mike Fowler, public works director. But people hated the idea and ultimately solved the problem by recycling more, he said. Ten years ago, the Derry transfer station processed about 14,000 tons of trash, which had to be carted away. Now, with better recycling, the trash is down to 9,500 tons. Derry's recycling rate is around 35 percent, Fowler said.

Pelham also considered charging for garbage bags, but the idea never gained traction with town officials, according to Town Administrator Thomas Gaydos.

"Pay-as-you-throw was not recommended by the Recycling Committee over a year ago," he said.

Pelham residents bring their trash to the transfer station, where recycling is mandatory.