How more cities around the world are adopting the 'you throw, you pay' policy

To encourage city dwellers to throw away less, some cities are taxing residents according to the amount of waste they produce. Photo: AFP

"Pay-as-you-throw." In other words, if you produce waste you will take out your wallet. That's a policy that may seem somewhat punitive but it's being adopted in many cities around the world. And it seems to be paying off.

In the United States, the practice is widespread, with cities such as Seattle, Berkeley, Austin and Portland using it. The principle is simple since it consists, in most cases, of paying additional taxes according to individual waste production.