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1. How does PAYT work?

Under PAYT, permit stickers for the Transfer Station are available to be purchased online for a fee.

Residents who are new to the Transfer Station may visit Town Hall to receive their permits. Please bring your vehicle registration information with you. Each sticker must be assigned to a car registered in Weston, and affixed to that car’s driver's side windshield.  

The Transfer Station sticker will enable the resident to enter the Transfer Station, and the resident may, without charge, dispose of recyclables, yard waste, and compost, and may access the volunteer run Swap Shed.

Anyone with a sticker may throw trash away at the Transfer Station, and the trash must be bagged in official Weston PAYT bags, which are purchased separately at local retailers.

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2. How can I purchase/renew a Transfer Station permit sticker?

Transfer Station permit stickers are available to be purchased/renewed online, by mail, or in-person.

3. Where can I get PAYT bags and what do they cost?

PAYT bags may be purchased at the following locations:

• Brother's Marketplace in the Town Center
• Roche Brothers in Wellesley
• Market Basket in Waltham
• Donelan's in Wayland and Lincoln
• Stop & Shop in Wayland

Bags are available in two sizes and are sold in rolls of 10:

• a large 30-gallon (30” x 35”), is $4.00 per bag
• a 15-gallon (24” x 28” - standard kitchen size), is $2.00 per bag

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4. How do I reduce the amount of household waste I generate?

For recycling and reuse tips, refer to WestonMA.gov/RSW for resources on how to reduce what goes into your trash bag.  Mass DEP’s Recyclopedia is also a useful source of recycling information.

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5. Why did Weston adopt Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT)?

Weston adopted PAYT because it is the best way to reduce the amount of trash we throw away.  The 44% of towns in Massachusetts that have adopted similar programs throw away only 2/3rds as much solid waste as towns without such programs. Our neighbors Acton, Concord, Holliston, Hudson, Littleton, Maynard, Natick, Needham, Sudbury, and Wayland have all adopted PAYT, and more towns are adopting it every year.   Most of us understand that we need to find ways to reduce our environmental footprint. In fact, under the recently adopted Climate Action and Resilience Plan, Weston has made a commitment to reduce its solid waste.  

PAYT is also a fairer system. As with many other resources we use (such as water, electricity, and gas), PAYT requires you to pay for your usage. Under the previous flat-fee permit system, smaller households and conscientious recyclers subsidized other households; PAYT removes this inequity.

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6. How was this program developed for Weston?

The Select Board charged a Working Group to study and analyze the program for Weston. Working with a consultant from the state, the Working Group studied the program and the cost impacts to the town and residents. A presentation of its report and recommendation to the Select Board was made on April 13, 2021. The Working Group's Presentation (PDF) is available online and the meeting was recorded by Weston Media Center (mm 1:30:00).