Goodbye ‘Tags, Hello ‘Pay As You Throw’ Trash

It's a change that been 38 years in the making.  The city of Grand Rapids hopes to phase out its tags  and trash bags for a more modern system aimed at reducing cost and encouraging Grand Rapids residents to recycle.  On paper it makes sense.  Every household will be issued a 35, 64 or 96 gallon cart.  Every time  you wheel it out to the curb, you will be charged $2, $4 or $6. ( by size of cart)   A computerized radio chip inside the cart will ring like a cash register and you'll be billed accordingly.  The city will save about $1 million dollars by doing away with the tag and bag system and employees will not have to bend down and pick up the sometimes heavy bags.

“We're hoping to create a strong incentive to recycle and we're want to make sure it's sustainable for the long term,” City Manager Greg Sundstrom said.  “People will continue to be incentivized to use a smaller cart,” Sundstrom said. Unlike most private accounts, consumers will be charged only when they set out their cart.

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