Weston adopted PAYT because it is the best way to reduce the amount of trash we throw away. The 44% of towns in Massachusetts that have adopted similar programs throw away only 2/3rds as much solid waste as towns without such programs. Our neighbors Acton, Concord, Holliston, Hudson, Littleton, Maynard, Natick, Needham, Sudbury, and Wayland have all adopted PAYT, and more towns are adopting it every year. Most of us understand that we need to find ways to reduce our environmental footprint. In fact, under the recently adopted Climate Action and Resilience Plan, Weston has made a commitment to reduce its solid waste.
PAYT is also a fairer system. As with many other resources we use (such as water, electricity, and gas), PAYT requires you to pay for your usage. Under the previous flat-fee permit system, smaller households and conscientious recyclers subsidized other households; PAYT removes this inequity.
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