Background Increasing waste production and the increasingly hazardous nature of waste have led to ever higher waste-management costs. Waste management has now become one of the largest industries in the world. Pricing mechanisms in this industry based on the ‘polluter-pays principle’, the ‘precautionary principle’ and the ‘producer-responsibility principle’ (OECD) have sought to reduce the environmental impacts of waste streams in ways that are fair to citizens. The European Commission's thematic strategy on waste prevention and recycling has recognised that waste-management systems with user fees - based on the ‘Pay As You Throw’ (PAYT) principle - could lead to a recycling-minded society and facilitate the achievement of relevant EU targets. Several promising applications and innovative schemes were already being used to implement PAYT municipal waste services in Europe, however no such schemes yet existed in Greece, Cyprus or Estonia. The Municipality of Elefsina was already co-operating with the Hellenic Recovery Recycling Corporation (HERRCO) on the recycling of several household waste streams, including packaging waste. It had also implemented pilot waste-management schemes, such as providing 250 households with composting bins. Objectives The LIFE HEC PAYT project aimed to promote PAYT systems in Greece, Estonia and Cyprus through examination and re-evaluation of costs and pricing mechanisms to identify a best-practice model. It planned to do this by conducting a thorough analysis of existing systems and evaluating a demonstration PAYT system on a pilot scale in 1 500 households in the Greek municipality of Elefsina. By developing and implementing a demonstration project for the application of PAYT in Elefsina, the project sought to: create synergies between Greek waste-management stakeholders to optimise the system engage the public around achieving waste management objectives reach high recycling targets, including: 20% of packaging waste; 4kg per person of WEEE; and composting of 20% of discarded bio-waste reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by at least 20%.As well as providing a best practice model for use of PAYT in Greece, the project sought to examine the obstacles that two ‘new’[ member states - Cyprus and Estonia - face in implementing good practice and meeting the requirements of European waste management legislation. Ultimately, the project aimed to provide a roadmap for implementing the polluter-pays principle in waste management, increasing waste diversion from the mixed waste stream and indirectly supporting and developing recycling industries and markets. Results The HEC PAYT project successfully developed, implemented and evaluated a pilot demonstration Pay As You Throw (PAYT) system in the Municipality of Elefsina, Greece, with high stakeholder involvement identifying good practice. It also provided guidance on how PAYT schemes could be implemented in Greece, Estonia and Cyprus, where no such concepts as yet existed. To provide a sound basis for its investigations, the project conducted a worldwide institutional survey of PAYT schemes based on literature reviews. It examined different legislative frameworks, modes of cost accounting, rate setting and charging structures, as well as issues around municipal approval, technical procurement and dissemination to the public. It identified both good and "bad" examples from countries all over the world and the different parameters that contribute to the successful implementation of a PAYT scheme. The project undertook country studies of Greece, Cyprus and Estonia, which examined the existing waste management situation, legislative framework and charging schemes being used in each country. It also conducted a case study of a new PAYT scheme in the Cypriot Municipality of Aglatzia and a survey in Tallinn, Estonia The project implemented the first pilot PAYT system in Greece using four scenarios covering 1 500 households in Elefsina. Weighing equipment was purchased and installed on garbage collection trucks and a sensitivity analysis carried out to compare the impact of different pricing schemes. Based on an exhaustive inventory of waste production, implementation was regularly assessed and adjustments made as required. The following waste management improvements were achieved, surpassing most objectives: 25.8% of waste was diverted from landfill recycling of 56% of packaging waste recycling of 4.6kg of WEEE per participating person composting of 17.1% of organic waste.The project held a stakeholders' forum six times to discuss the systems and related pricing issues. Perhaps the most important outcome of this forum and associated lobbying work was an amendment of the Greek legal framework to calculate landfill fees to municipalities on the basis of the weight of waste deposited rather than as a set percentage of the budget. This was a significant achievement which will facilitate the introduction of PAYT. It is hoped that the project marks a breakthrough in solid waste management practices in Greece and it has supported their implementation with practical guidelines and dissemination activities that were more extensive than foreseen. The project found that PAYT schemes are also feasible in Cyprus, although probably not yet in Estonia. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section)