Pay-as-you-throw isn't paying for itself yet
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Nearly two years since launching a pay-as-you-throw system, the city's still figuring out how to ensure it succeeds.
The big picture: The system that charges residents per trash bin was meant to improve Denver's diversion rate, or the amount of waste recycled and composted.
- By giving more people the option to recycle and compost, they were expected to throw less away, prompting them to get smaller trash bins — which the system provides.
Yes, but: The city is nowhere close to its 2027 target of a 50% diversion rate, sitting at about 26% this year, a three-point bump from 2023.
Between the lines: The program isn't yet self-sustaining, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) executive director Amy Ford told Denver City Council members during a meeting Monday.
The intrigue: Margaret Medellin, deputy manager at DOTI, told council members the program wasn't initially set up to pay for itself, though that could change in the future.
- She says becoming self-sustaining would require charging more. Bin rates presently start at $9 a month for the lowest-cost option.
By the numbers: The program will receive $15.7 million from the city's General Fund to operate next year, Ford said, after getting $9 million this year.
Reality check: Some Denverites remain frustrated with trash not being picked up on time, billing issues and returning to biweekly recycling pickups.
- The latter is something Council President Amanda Sandoval on Monday called "baffling" since weekly pickup was a key component of the original plan advocated by the city council.
Zoom in: About 20% of waste collected by DOTI is recycled; 6% is composted.
- The city wants recycling to reach 25% and composting to hit 50% — which Councilmember Kevin Flynn says he's doubtful the city can achieve. Unlike trash and recycling, composting is optional.
What's next: The city will begin biweekly recycling pickups on Jan. 6 and aims to finish delivering compost bins by March 15.