On December 15th, 6:00 p.m., at the City Council meeting, our city leaders will discuss and possibly decide upon the renewal of our City`s 5 year waste hauling contract. This decision will affect everyone on the island. The Cedar Key Energy Advisory Panel is a small volunteer group whose goals are ENERGY AWARENESS, CONSERVATION and SUSTAINABILITY. We are excited about what we have been able to accomplish since we started this project nine months ago and are proud of the commitment many of you have made to reduce the amount of material going into our landfills by increasing your recycling efforts. But there is so much more we can do and we need the support and help of the community to take the necessary next steps to decrease trash and increase recycling.
Please read the following information on a program that is working in many communities around the country. If you agree with us that a program like this could work in Cedar Key and would make a difference, please COME TO THE MEETING ON DECEMBER 15TH. Mark it on your calendar. Just your being there will speak volumes. Thank you. PAY AS YOU THROW ( P-A-Y-T ) What Is It? And Why Does It Work?
In communities with PAY-AS-YOU-THROW programs residents are charged for the collection of municipal solid waste (big words for your ordinary household trash) based on the amount they throw away. Thus, PAYT programs, also known as unit pricing, create a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less trash. Hereá€TMs how ----
In contrast, the traditional way of paying for trash collection, like what we presently have in Cedar Key, requires that residents pay a fixed fee or property tax, regardless of how much----- or how little----trash they generate. The PAY -AS-YOU-THROW program treats trash services just like electricity or water or any other utility. Households pay a variable rate depending on the amount of services they use. Most communities with P-A-Y-T charge residents a fee for each bag or can of waste they generate. Either way, these programs are simple and fair. The bottom line - the less trash individuals throw away, the less they pay. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports this approach for three reasons: 1] ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Communities that have implemented P-A-Y-T programs report significant increases in recycling and reductions in trash, due primarily to the waste reduction incentive created by P-A-Y-T. Therefore, fewer natural resources are used and less greenhouse gases are created in the production of new materials and disposal of waste. 2] ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY P-A-Y-T is an effective tool for communities coping with ever increasing municipal solid waste management expenses. Residents benefit also because they have the opportunity to take control of their trash bill. 3] FAIRNESS When trash pick up is billed as a flat rate, residents who recycle and reduce waste subsidize the people that don`t. Under P-A-Y-T, residents pay only for what they throw away.
Over 7,000 communities across the country are using the P-A-Y-T program to manage trash in a way that is fair, economically sound and environmentally sustainable. Many of these locations have recycling rates of over 50%. IN CEDAR KEY WE PRODUCE OVER 3,000,000 POUNDS OF TRASH AND YARD WASTE PER YEAR. 3 million pounds!!!! OUR RECYCLING RATE IS AROUND 7%. What program do you think works the best?
ON DECEMBER 15TH AT 6:00 pm IN CITY HALL, OUR GOVERNMENT LEADERS WILL BE DISCUSSING AND POSSIBLY DECIDING ON WHAT APPROACH TO TAKE WHEN WE RENEW OUR WASTE HAULING CONTRACT IN A FEW MONTHS. PLEASE COME TO THAT MEETING AND ENCOURAGE OUR CITY LEADERS TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE. YOUR PRESENCE THERE WILL MAKE A STATEMENT. | 
