On the surface, any Pay As You Throw (PAYT) program looks fairly simple.  Typically, the municipality provides official waste bags, which residents purchase at local retailers.  The retailers then remit the bag revenues to the municipality.  The purchase price is set high enough to encourage residents to minimize their use of bags by recycling more.  As a result, the municipality benefits from bag revenues, increased recycling revenues, reduced landfill or incinerator fees, and so on.

However, a well-run Pay As You Throw (PAYT) program is more complex than it looks.  Consider the following questions:

• How should the municipality determine the optimum bag price?
• What’s the best way to educate residents about the program and ensure a smooth launch?
• How do the bags and other support materials get distributed to retailers?
• What’s the best way to manage inventories so residents can always get materials when they need them?
• How should the revenues be managed and accounted for on an ongoing basis?
• What is the best way to measure the program’s results?

These can be challenging questions, but our programs are designed to answer all of them.  In fact, WasteZero provides a full range of services to address all of the issues raised above.

WasteZero Pay As You Throw programs are designed to be as straightforward and “turn-key” as possible.  We organize our services into four main groups:

• Manufacturing
• Distribution
• Accounting and Funds Management
• Communications and Consulting