Implementation of the new city ordinance requiring biodegradable bags for yard waste has been pushed back until April.
The new start date is April 5, which is after the last major fall of leaves for the season, said Harry Hayes, the city’s solid waste director.
By then, there should be more than enough of the bags available at stores to meet the anticipated demand, he said.
The city expects residents to use up to 25,000 bags a week during peak times for falling leaves, but only 11,000 bags now are reaching stores in a week.
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City officials predict that the change will result in the diversion of 60,000 tons of organic material from local landfills at an annual savings of more than $1.5 million in landfill fees—nearly 10 percent of the city’s yearly budget for waste disposal.
The biodegradable bags are more expensive, prompting protests from some residents who compare the mandate to a tax increase.
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Among the new policy’s critics, Kingwood resident Glenn Whitehead said it would make more sense for the city to provide reusable bins for yard trimmings.
He has started a petition drive to pressure the City Council into repealing the ordinance.
How much would that cost, and how would the city pay for it? Sorry, but I think that putting the cost of this on the people who produce the yard waste is the right idea. Incentives to create less waste are good things.
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