Dear Editor:
Well, I guess I will try one more time to convince the St. Charles Parish officials to consider looking at the possibility of having a PAYT (Pay As You Throw) recycling program.
In this program, you pay for what you send to the landfill, just as you pay for water, gas, phone and electricity. Why should an elderly live alone person have to subsidize a family of six by paying the same monthly fee. It is just not right.
About 12 years ago, I presented the parish council with this proposal, but only Ron Phillips and Dee looked at it. It didn’t impress any other council members or any one in the administration. Seattle, Wash. had just started it’s PAYT program and I acquired a copy of it’s setup and how they went about getting it started. It was a large 10 volume document. I gave this to every council member and the administration a copy for records. I have not heard from anyone since.
Seattle uses the system called “variable can rate.” The residents rent a can from the city just big enough to hold their landfill waste after removing all recyclables from their waste. They are charged for the size of garbage can they rent.
Now, is that not a simple system?
I read a recent article that the parish is going to make a survey to see how many would like to see a curbside recycling program started again with a $2 or $3 monthly fee.
I agree with Colleen Landry.
It will probably be about 10 percent yes. They want something in return and a PAYT program will do just that. Some residents could see their monthly charge drop from $18 to maybe $6.
PAYT is a national organization with eight districts. Louisiana is District 7 and the contact is Deanna De Bose at 214-665-6461. I have talked to her and she is willing to help any way she can to get a PAYT program started.
There are thousands of communities in the USA using this PAYT method to recycle. You can expect about 2/3 of household waste to be recycled. This is about the only way a recycle company would be interested in being the contractor.
I have more to say, but maybe later.
Cletus Martin
Luling
lilyky@aol.com
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