Making individuals? garbage fees reflect how much the town hauls away would ease Sykesville?s trash troubles, said Town Manager Matthew Candland.
The town is making waste management a top priority as the county mulls partnering with Frederick County to build a $320 million waste-to-energy incinerator.
“The message we were trying to send is the current method ? we collect and process waste and recycle ? is not going to last,” Candland said. “I don?t think there?s any approach that is perfect or that does not require some rate of change. I do think there is quite a bit of merit to financial incentives.”
Candland supported creating financial incentives to recycle more and throw away less during a discussion Saturday at the town?s annual retreat.
A pay-per-throw, or variable rate, program would require residents to pay more if they throw away more garbage, rather than have everyone pay the same rate regardless of how much garbage they put on the curb.
Pennsylvania has hundreds of towns with pay-per-throw programs, but the only one in Maryland Candland knew of was Harford County?s Aberdeen, which boasts the highest recycling rate in the state.
Carroll?s recycling rate is among the worst in the state, at 27 percent, and about 90 percent of its garbage is trucked to landfills in Virginia, said Mike Evans, the county?s public works director.
“In Maryland it?s kind of out of sight, out of mind,” Candland said. “It hasn?t been nearly the pressing issue that it has in Pennsylvania and Virginia, but all Virginia has to do is say, ?No more.? So it?s not a sustainable option.”
Some residents support mandatory recycling or a pay-per-throw program.
People may balk at paying more for waste disposal, but they would get used to it, said Brenda Dorenfeld, who lives in Eldersburg, just outside Sykesville.
“We can have an impact on everybody,” she said. “It should be 100 percent. There?s no excuse.”
