Promoting Recycling and Waste Reduction in Rhode Island:

A Methodological Approach

By: Nicholas Bayard

May 2004

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the A.B. degree in Environmental Studies at Brown University and approved for Honors

Executive Summary

As the costs of disposing of municipal solid waste have increased, as the United States population has continued to grow, and as municipal budgets have continued to be overburdened, state and municipal governments in many jurisdictions have implemented user fees for disposal of residential waste.  The internalization of the cost of waste disposal achieves a number of goals: citizens are directly accountable for the waste they produce, creating incentives for waste reduction and creating equity in a system where there was none before; waste reduction and increased recycling are leading to environmental benefits such as allowing for more open space and less mining and production of raw materials; and solid waste budgets are shifted off of the tax roll, reducing the pressure of property taxes for residents and allowing cities more freedom in the decision-making process.  Over 6,000 cities in the US have implemented user fee, or “Pay As You Throw” (PAYT) programs.[1]

Rather than a PAYT program, automated collection services are being explored in Rhode Island as a way for municipalities to save money on curbside collection and increase recycling.  These types of programs are widespread in the southern and western regions of the United States and have led to significant cost savings, but have not proven to be comparable to PAYT in terms of recycling promotion and waste reduction.  Automated programs have not yet taken hold in New England because many city planners fear that automated trucks will not be able to function properly in crowded city streets.  The only example of an automated program in the region is a successful pilot program in Warwick, RI, which has been functioning smoothly since its inception in August of 2003. 

PAYT has not been widespread in Rhode Island due to the artificially low cost of solid waste disposal and fear of political backlash.  Rhode Island is an ideal state in which to mandate PAYT on the statewide level because of the shared stake of all municipalities in extending the life of the only functional landfill in the state, and because of the shared interest of town planners, city officials, and environmental groups in reducing municipal solid waste, increasing recycling, and reducing the pressure of property taxes for property owners.  Through background research, case study analyses, a large population of interviews, and calculations of projected PAYT programs in various towns, this study concludes that without a state mandate, municipalities are overwhelmingly reluctant to implement PAYT, and that responses to proposed financial incentives will be acted on slowly, if at all.  These incentives include raising the municipal tipping fee at the Johnston Central Landfill and incrementally lowering the municipal cap over which municipalities must pay for refuse disposal at the higher commercial rate.  Such a mandate should be implemented quickly and require PAYT to be in place and fully functional by 2008.