CPWM CPWM Waste Management Planning and Program Economics Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'solid waste management plan' (SWMP) primarily used for by municipalities?
- Setting landfill tipping fees
- Guiding long-term decisions on waste collection, treatment, and disposal infrastructure (Correct answer)
- Calculating employee wages
- Registering hazardous waste generators
Correct answer: Guiding long-term decisions on waste collection, treatment, and disposal infrastructure
A SWMP provides a comprehensive framework for managing waste streams over a planning horizon, addressing infrastructure, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Question 2: What does 'tipping fee' mean in waste management economics?
- A fee paid to truck drivers for safe tipping
- The charge per ton for disposing of waste at a facility (Correct answer)
- A surcharge on recycling bins
- A federal permit fee for landfill operators
Correct answer: The charge per ton for disposing of waste at a facility
A tipping fee (gate fee) is the per-ton charge that waste haulers pay to dispose of waste at a landfill, transfer station, or processing facility.
Question 3: Which financial instrument is commonly used by municipalities to fund large capital projects such as a new materials recovery facility?
- Tipping fee credits
- General obligation or revenue bonds (Correct answer)
- EPA Section 129 grants only
- State lottery proceeds
Correct answer: General obligation or revenue bonds
Municipalities frequently issue general obligation or revenue bonds to raise capital for large waste management infrastructure projects, repaying bondholders from taxes or facility revenues.
Question 4: A 'pay-as-you-throw' (PAYT) program charges residents based on:
- Their annual income
- The volume or weight of trash they set out for collection (Correct answer)
- The number of recycling bins they use
- Their distance from the landfill
Correct answer: The volume or weight of trash they set out for collection
PAYT programs incentivize waste reduction by charging residents a variable fee tied to the amount of trash they generate, encouraging recycling and source reduction.
Question 5: What is 'lifecycle cost analysis' (LCCA) used for in waste management planning?
- Estimating worker age demographics
- Evaluating the total costs of a system over its entire operational life (Correct answer)
- Setting recyclable commodity prices
- Determining landfill airspace consumption
Correct answer: Evaluating the total costs of a system over its entire operational life
LCCA compares the total costs (capital, operating, maintenance, closure) of alternative waste management systems over their full lifespans to support sound investment decisions.
Question 6: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs shift the cost of end-of-life product management to:
- Municipal governments via property tax
- Producers and brand owners of the products (Correct answer)
- Consumers through purchase surcharges only
- Federal agencies via grants
Correct answer: Producers and brand owners of the products
EPR policies require manufacturers and brand owners to fund, manage, or take back their products at end-of-life, internalizing disposal costs into product pricing.
CPWM CPWM Waste Management Planning and Program Economics Questions and Answers 1
What is a 'solid waste management plan' (SWMP) primarily used for by municipalities?