'Pay Per Weight' System
Pay Per Use Schemes were introduced and are promoted by Government through its "polluter pays principle" policy. The aim of this policy is to encourage greater recycling in households throughout the country. There are a myriad of different schemes on the market including pay by weight, pay per lift, different bin sizes, tags and some schemes that adopt a comibination of pay per lift, service charge and weight charged.
Based on the research conducted within the local community, Thorntons Recycling decided to introduce the Pay Per Weight scheme. The 'pay by weight' system was implemented by Thorntons Recycling in June 2005 on a trial basis. Since the 1st of January 2006 the system is fully operational and has proved to be a huge success. This was the preferred option of the majority of residents and following their suggestions, we have created bands of charges based on weight. The table below displays the different charge bands and the percentage of our customers on each band.
| Band | Weight | Charges inc. VAT | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Less than 400 kgs | €230 | 11% |
| B | 400 kgs - 700 kgs | €285 | 80% |
| C | 701 kgs - 1,000kgs | €320 | 7% |
| D | 1,000 kgs to 1,250kgs | €360 | 2% |
Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about our Pay Per Weight Scheme:
Q: What is a pay per use system?
A: The householder pays for the amount of waste they produce, the less waste they produce the greater the saving.
Q: How can I reduce my waste bill?
A: By recycling more household waste. Thorntons Recycling accept all clean packaging – except glass – for recycling including cardboard, newsprint, tetrapak, plastic bottles and cans. Glass can be recycled atThorntons Civic Amenity Centre at Dunboyne.
Q: Where does household waste go?
A: As required by our EPA Licence the non-recyclable household waste (Black Bin) goes to a licensed landfill facility for disposal. The contents of your Brown Bin - organic material - is sent to our Compost Facility at Kilmainhamwood, Co Meath and turned into a compost product thus diverting this material from landfill.
Q: Where does recycled household waste go?
A: All recycled material is brought to our materials handling facility where it is sorted and processed before shipment to EPA approved outlets.
Q: How are the bins weighed and can we trust the system?
A: The bins are weighed automatically by a weighing system on the collection vehicle. When the bin is lifted the system records the full weight and the empty bin weight when it is lowered. There is no manual calculation and you are only charged for the net weight recorded. The system has been tested and approved by the Weights and Measurements, the independent regulatory authority and will be subject to regular testing by the authority. All customers will receive a half yearly statement from Thorntons Recycling confirming the waste weights recorded for the preceding period.
