I support pay-as-you-throw trash disposal. Costs for trash collection should be allocated among citizens the same way cities now charge for water and sewer service — how much people pay depends on how much they use or, in this case, no longer use.

The most important advantage may be the fairness and greater control over costs that it offers.

Do you have neighbors that never seem to recycle and always leave out six or seven bags of trash? While you may not have thought about it, right now you are paying to dispose of their waste.

Under PAYT, everyone pays only for what they generate — so you won’t have to subsidize your neighbor’s wastefulness any more. It’s only fair.

With PAYT, when you recycle and prevent waste, you might pay $1 for your small bag of trash while others pay their fair share.

One-fourth of all U.S. cities now have some form of PAYT. One-hundred-fifty communities in Maine, including Portland, have successfully implemented pay-per-bag. What are the results? The average Portland resident discards 17 ounces of trash per day, compared to 33 ounces in Auburn.

Trash pickup should be provided by the city for free, but I am tired of paying for other residents’ wastefulness. PAYT revenue would at least cover the huge yearly bill at Mid-Maine Waste Action Corp.

Diana Carson, Auburn