South Windsor Considers "Pay-As-You-Throw" Trash Program

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT - The town is considering adopting a program that would charge residents about $2 to throw away each bag of trash. NBC reported that the town council recently heard a proposal from SMART - Save Money and Reduce Trash - a program from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Under the program, residents would pay fees to purchase trash bags - 80 cents for an 8-gallon bag; $1.25 for a 13 gallon bag; and $2 for a 33 gallon trash bag, according to the Hartford Courant.

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The program is intended to encourage residents to dispose of less trash by consuming less, recycling more and donating items they are no longer using. However, some residents are saying that they already pay enough in property taxes and oppose the program, the Courant reported.

South Windsor is one of 11 towns across the state considering the SMART program. The organization's website notes that 7,000 communities across the country are using the program and that it charges consumers "in the same way that they are charged for electricity, gas, and other utilities."

The DEEP estimates that those in this pricing scheme may reduce their trash disposal rate by more than 50 percent, from an average of 1,124 lbs. annually to 400-600 lbs. annually.

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