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MassDEP urges municipalities to use technical assistance ahead of Pay‑As‑You‑Throw grant applications
Summary
MassDEP outlined Pay‑As‑You‑Throw (PAYT) grant opportunities, said TA is required before applying for PAYT funds, and highlighted evidence of PAYT effectiveness (average household reductions of about 500 pounds/year).
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection presenters urged municipalities considering Pay‑As‑You‑Throw (PAYT) programs to use available technical assistance (TA) before applying for PAYT grants and described the program’s track record in reducing household trash.
Ron Cochran, a MassDEP regional planner and MAC, described PAYT as among the most effective municipal tools to reduce trash and change resident behavior. He said municipalities that implement PAYT see measurable reductions—presenters used a poll context to note an average reduction figure of roughly 32% versus non‑PAYT communities and routinely cited an average reduction of about 500 pounds of trash per household per year. Cochran also said nearly half of Massachusetts communities already use PAYT and that the SMRP grant includes TA funding: applicants must complete a TA grant before applying for PAYT implementation funds so municipalities are better prepared to design, model and run a program.
Cochran reviewed multiple implementation paths—drop‑off, hybrid, or full cart-based systems—and noted a pathway for communities using a 64‑gallon cart to transition by switching to a 35‑gallon unit and implementing every‑other‑week collection to qualify for PAYT funding. He encouraged municipalities to use MACs, the PAYT webinar series and peer examples to plan and model programs before applying.
MassDEP said the PAYT grant can support upgrades (for example, to 35‑gallon carts), program modeling and outreach; past awards in 2024 and 2025 funded new programs and upgrades in several towns.
