The proposed pay-as-you-throw overhaul in Amherst, Massachusetts, would affect more than 5,000 households by moving them to curbside trash and recycling service.
Here’s what to know
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, the Town Council’s Town Services and Outreach Committee is wrapping up a request for proposals for curbside collection at just over 5,000 homes. Trash and recycling are both included in the plan, and compost pickup could be added as well.
Town officials are looking at a pay-as-you-throw setup because they believe charging based on waste volume could push households to throw away less. They also want to reduce Amherst’s dependence on landfills and incinerators and lower emissions connected to disposing of trash.
One of the biggest issues still being weighed is what happens to the Belchertown Road transfer station. More than a quarter of town residents use it for household trash because they either don’t hire a private hauler or don’t live in a building that already provides service…