Colo. Resort Town Mulls 'Pay as You Throw' Trash Plan

A Colorado resort town is trying out a newer, greener trash collection program, the Denver Post reports. The new “pay-as-you-throw” system would charge residents of Vail based on how much junk they throw away each week, but provide curbside recycling for free.

Such programs are catching on across the country, but can be hard to implement in places like Vail, where many come for only a few weeks. But a transient population hasn’t stopped Aspen, which implemented a similar system in 2005. “It just incentivizes people to recycle more,” said an environmental health specialist, adding that Aspen had worked with hotels to get visitors on board with the program. (More trash stories.)