South Portland says no to city-issued trash bags
South Portland City Council has decided against a pay‑as‑you‑throw (PAYT) trash‑bag program, keeping the town’s existing municipal waste collection system in place while keeping the door open to curbside composting.
The ruling came after a public workshop held on Tuesday, in which councilors weighed the potential benefits of city‑issued trash bags against the financial burden the scheme could impose on residents. “We can’t afford to add more to the budgets of people who are already feeling squeezed,” one councilor said, noting that many families are juggling rising costs of living.
Mayor Elyse Tipton said the council was “open to a citywide curbside compost program,” but cautioned that residents would need to actively participate in reducing food waste. “If people don’t cut back, we’ll have to revisit waste diversion in a couple of years,” she explained.
Sustainability Director Julie Rosenbach provided the financial figures that underpinned the decision. She estimated that the average household would spend about $192 a year on trash disposal under a PAYT scheme—$165 from the tax impact and $27 for the regular trash bags. For households that used one small bag per week, the annual cost would be roughly $200, with about half coming from the bags themselves. Those that used two large bags weekly could pay up to $450 a year, with $300 of that amount attributed to bag costs.
The council’s analysis also looked at the broader fiscal picture. Municipal waste‑disposal costs are projected to rise by $188,000—about 10 percent—this fiscal year. The town’s landfills are nearing capacity, and the cost of keeping municipal waste under control is increasing. Rosenbach noted that a PAYT system combined with a city‑run compost program could have saved the city roughly $750,000.
The decision to keep the current system was also driven by the town’s overall budget concerns. Residents are already set to see higher sewer bills—$9.30 per month in fiscal year 2027, $11.72 in 2028, and $14.76 in 2029—to fund a new pump station and other wastewater infrastructure. In addition, an $88.6 million bond to build a new police and fire station will go to the November ballot, and a vote in favor would likely raise taxes further.
While the city has ruled out a PAYT trash‑bag system for now, it remains open to curbside composting. Rosenbach projects that about 3,600 households—roughly 40 percent of the town—would opt into a curbside compost program, which would double the city’s diversion of food waste from trash. Currently, 850 households pay $228 a year for a private compost service; a municipal program could save them that money.
The idea of a PAYT system was first introduced at a July workshop when many councilors expressed interest in reducing municipal disposal costs by encouraging residents to generate less trash. National studies have shown that communities with PAYT systems produce about 30 percent less trash per household than those with flat‑rate systems, and southern Maine towns like Sanford and Yarmouth that use PAYT have higher recycling rates and half as much trash.
The council’s decision reflects a broader debate over how best to manage waste in a growing town. “It’s a tough balance,” said the mayor. “We want to encourage waste reduction, but we can’t add more to the burden on families who are already paying high taxes and bills.”
South Portland residents will have the option to vote on the new police and fire station bond next month, which could further impact city finances. In the meantime, the council will continue to monitor waste‑diversion metrics and may revisit the PAYT model in the future if conditions change.
The town’s sustainability office will keep residents informed of any updates to the waste‑management strategy, and councilors encourage community participation in any future initiatives.
