Letter to the editor: N.D. homeowners should pay real cost of garbage

Talk about it

With North Dakota Recycles Day behind us (Nov. 15), many have pledged to increase recycling efforts at home and work, purchase items made with recycled content and learn more about the benefits of recycling. But before we can truly see a significant increase in recycling efforts, residents of North Dakota will need to take a hard look at a more fair garbage system. Sometimes referred to as volume-based, pay-as-you-throw or variable-rate pricing, this type of system is based on paying for what you are actually throwing out.

Traditional systems show residents pay for their waste disposal through taxes, a city or county utility bill or direct billing from a private company. Oftentimes people don’t realize the cost of their garbage disposal because taxes and utility bills typically combine other services or fees. When residents know the actual cost of disposal, there is an incentive to control or reduce their waste and in turn, reduce their expenses.

If a person thinks about a neighbor who runs his sprinklers daily in the summer months compared to his own water use, our guess is he wouldn’t want to pay his neighbor’s water bill. So why would you want to pay the same garbage bill when you set out one small convenience store bag of garbage, compared to your neighbor who sets out five garbage cans every week? That is what a majority of North Dakotans face on a weekly basis: no choice or control of their garbage bill. About 10 cities in North Dakota operate on a “pay-as-you-throw” system, where residents pay based on the amount of garbage they set out.

Some communities, like Devils Lake and Wahpeton, have been on a volume-based system for years, while others such as Fargo have recently made the switch. In Fargo, residents have an option of three different size garbage cans: 48 gallons ($6/month), 64 gallons ($9/month) and 96 gallons ($14/month), so there is an incentive to pay less for throwing away less. People can throw away less garbage and pay less on this type of system, by removing items to be recycled and/or composted. Products such as aluminum and steel cans, corrugated cardboard and newspapers are more common items recycled across North Dakota. Some communities also collect magazines, plastic bottles, office paper and glass for recycling. Items typically composted include yard waste (grass, leaves, garden trimmings), fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells and more. Studies show when communities switch to a pay-as-you-throw system, diversion of waste increases by 25 to 35 percent.

To educate or encourage community leaders to switch to a volume-based or pay-as-you-throw system, learn more at www.epa.gov/payt or contact the North Dakota Solid Waste and Recycling Association at www.ndswra.org or 701-650-8857.

Angela Beoshans

Carrington, N.D.

(Beoshans is executive director of the North Dakota Solid Waste and Recycling Association)

Tags: home owners, opinion, letters, homeowners, recycling, garbage