Making people pay for the quantity of trash they throw away is a concept that has long been successfully implemented in my native Switzerland ("'Pay as you throw' trash collection suggested for Marylanders," Jan. 2).
With land at a premium, Swiss recycling is highly refined. But it is also puts a lot of responsibility on citizens. There are separate neighborhood collection points for kitchen and yard waste and for recyclables, as well as public bins for old clothing, shoes and electronics.
Only household trash is picked up weekly at the door, along with a monthly paper pick-up in major cities. Household trash has to be placed into specially marked garbage bags that are sold in every grocery store. They range in price from 85 cents to $7.50 per bag depending on size.
These are the only types of bags that are picked up. To discourage cheaters, illegal bags are often traced back to the owner through their contents, and the result is a stiff fine.
In a further attempt to spare the environment, Swiss grocery stores do not offer free bags of any kind, though they do sell shopping bags at a premium price to customers who forget to bring their own.
Having to pay for shopping bags and the disposal of garbage encourages people to be very careful in how they shop, what they buy and how they dispose of their trash, and this has contributed to Switzerland's top rating for environmental action.
Sabine Oishi, Baltimore