Imagine paying for your trash the same way you would for a salad bar. Frederick County, Md., is one step closer to implementing such a program.
The Maryland House of Delegates approved a measure that would allow the county to create a "pay as you throw" pilot program. It would create a volume- or weight-based system that charges more for throwing out garbage and less for recycling.
"The goal is to give people an economic incentive to participate [in recycling] or to participate more," Commissioner Kai Hagen told the Frederick News-Post. Hagen said it could also help decrease trash expenses.
If state lawmakers give Frederick the OK, county officials said they would start work on the program by the end of the year. Such a program could provide helpful data if lawmakers ever want to implement the concept statewide.
The bill passed in the House 136-3. It will now go to the State Senate.
