Here's How Much New Westborough Trash Bags Will Cost Under PAYT

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Westborough will soon implement a new trash system that will require residents to buy special trash bags in addition to a transfer station sticker.

The town will join the dozens of other municipalities in Massachusetts that use pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) trash systems. Starting July 1, Westborough residents will have to buy a transfer station sticker, and buy special bags to throw refuse away.

According to the town, the special trash bags will cost $10 per roll — either for ten 15-gallon bags, or five 33-gallon bags. Residents can throw away anything that can fit in the bags (within reason: no radioactive materials or unexploded World War II ordinance, for example).

The Westborough Waste Management Exploratory Committee began looking for a new trash system in 2022 to reduce the town's waste output. The worked kicked into higher gear when E.L. Harvey announced it would close its Westborough transfer station. The PAYT system is expected to reduce overall waste output by 25 to 50 percent.

Westborough is only the latest community in Massachusetts to implement PAYT. As of the end of 2023, 157 communities across the state were using the system, including Worcester, Shrewsbury and Northborough. Cities and towns use different PAYT forms, with some offering curbside pickup of the special bags as opposed to a dropoff model.