Reducing the rubbish heap.

• Author: Starkey, Deb
• Position: Unit pricing instead of flat-fee trash payment

A number of places are rethinking the traditional tax-based or flat-fee trash bill that stays the same no matter how much garbage. With unit pricing, consumers pay only for the amount of trash they discard.

Out of sight, out of mind. Or at least that's what many Americans think once the local garbage truck rolls around to pick up the debris of modern life.

That mindset is changing, however, with increased environmental consciousness as well as recent community regulations and state laws that allow consumers to pay only for the amount of waste they discard instead of a flat fee for weekly curbside service. The result? The less rubbish, the lower the price for hauling it off.

Known as unit pricing, variable rate prices or pay-as-you-throw, the method gives customers "an economic incentive to reduce the amount they discard, a link between behavior and their waste bill," according to Lisa Skumatz, a consultant from Washington state who assists communities in solid waste planning. In the long run, these systems encourage recycling and discourage increasing volumes of garbage that must be disposed of in local landfills.

HOW IT WORKS

There are four basic types of unit pricing systems: can, bag, tag or sticker, hybrid and weight-based:

* Can system - Customers choose the number of trash cans they will set out for normal service. Each can size represents different gallon or weight limits. Disposal fees are based on the number of cans used.

* Bag system - All the trash a consumer wants collected must be put in a bag with a special color or logo. The disposal fee is prepaid when the customer buys the bag at a local grocery or convenience store, city hall or other designated location. The bag guarantees collection. The more bags needed, the more a customer pays. Tags and stickers work the same way: Once purchased and placed on a container, they guarantee collection and disposal.

* Two-tier system - This is a combination of a traditional system, such as property taxes or monthly fees, and a user fee. In a two-tier system, customers pay a flat fee for trash removal through a tax or monthly bill. This usually provides for collection of a can or bag. Collection of any trash above that amount is charged through a bag or sticker system.

* Weight-based system - Charges are assessed according to the number of pounds of garbage put out for collection.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

With unit pricing systems, "consumers begin to link their everyday choices with the health...