The Town of Frisco has allocated $3,900 in funding for residents in need of financial assistance if there is a difference in cost for waste removal services under the new Pay as You Throw (PAYT) Town of Frisco ordinance. Individuals within Frisco town limits, who have seen an increase in their service bill after downsizing their trash service container with PAYT, are encouraged to apply for low-income assistance. Additionally, to be eligible, households must be at or below 80% AMI and/or receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or equivalent federal assistance. The low-income assistance application is available at www.SustainableFrisco.com on the waste reduction page and will require supporting documentation to show proof of financial hardship, service bill costs, and residency. Those individuals who are approved for the grant will have the difference in cost paid for up to two years.
Pay As You Throw Will Help Reach Frisco’s Waste Diversion Goal
The PAYT and Universal Recycling (URO) ordinance (22-04) were passed by Frisco Town Council on March 22, 2022. This ordinance was passed to support Frisco’s community-wide goal of 40% waste diversion by 2035 by changing how waste providers charge for residential curbside collection and how businesses manage waste. The program will provide an economic incentive to reduce waste and increase recycling by requiring haulers to offer residents three trash service container options: small, medium, or large, with recycling included at all service levels. The smaller the trash bin, the lower the bill. PAYT programs have helped communities across Colorado and the nation dramatically increase their recycling rates. The 2022 report “The State of Recycling and Composting in Colorado” identifies PAYT as a common theme among the Colorado communities with the highest recycling rates. Frisco residents should expect changes in trash pickup options in coming months, as waste pick up providers will have PAYT services in place by October 1, 2023 or sooner. Waste service providers will be communicating these new options directly to customers starting now.
Commercial/Business Impacts Coming in 2024
A second component of new Frisco requirements includes Universal Recycling, which requires any commercial property (including businesses and HOAs with shared dumpsters) with trash service also have recycling service. Businesses and HOAs may email recycling@highcountryconservation.org with questions or to request a free site visit. Additional information and resources will become available later in 2023, and well in advance of the first Universal Recycling compliance deadline of June 1, 2024.
More information regarding financial assistance for Pay As You Throw, may be found by visiting www.SustainableFrisco.com or by emailing Hilary Sueoka, Frisco Environmental Programs Coordinator, at HilaryS@townoffirsco.com.