ARCHDALE – Bagged yard waste collection services in Archdale are being suspended by the end of the month.
City manager Zeb Holden said that the change in policy impacts a small percentage of residents but solutions are being sought.
Holden said the facility where bagged yard waste has been going discontinued accepting plastic bags.
“I know some folks are going to be disappointed,” Holden said.
A notice from the city reads, in part: “City staff continue to evaluate options for the possibility collecting yard waste in the future. … The City understands the inconvenience this suspension may cause and encourages residents to explore these alternative approaches to manage their yard waste in an environmentally conscious manner.”
About 10 percent of residents use the bagged waste option, Holden estimated. That percentage varies in different parts of the city.
“In some neighborhoods that might approach 25 percent,” he said. “It’s a small percentage of homes that use it, but those that use it use it a lot.”
Archdale is following the City of High Point in suspending collection of yard waste in clear plastic bags.
High Point’s arrangement for disposal of yard waste at Ingleside Compost Facility is ending. Archdale had contracted with High Point to dispose of yard waste.
“We collected waste and carried it there,” Holden said. “They changed what they’re accepting.”
Archdale’s notification to residents points out that “this service has provided a convenient way to handle yard trimmings and organic debris, which is outlawed from landfills.”
Holden emphasized the city’s stance that the service has been “suspended” in hopes that there’s a workable alternative.
The city is recommending composting, mulching or grasscycling (leaving grass clippings on the lawn as natural fertilizer).
Loose leaves are collected in fall and winter months when placed near the curb.
Using specially designed paper bags is also something that might be considered for yard waste, Holden said.
“We’re doing some experimentation with that,” he said.
The situation in Archdale and High Point comes after Greensboro city officials announced that they’re making plans to alter the format in which yard waste is collected in that city. Among the proposals in Greensboro is eliminating collection of loose leaves, though that’s not likely to be implemented until 2024.
“The timing of all this is kind of crazy,” Holden said of multiple municipalities dealing with similar topics.
