Trash talking

The N&O reports that the Durham Solid Waste department has been mixing yard waste with regular trash since late last year. As you may recall, the city charges an extra $60 a year to pick up yard waste, on top of the 40 bucks or so it gets for the separate yard waste cart. In fact, the city's website cautions us to, "(r)emember that State laws prohibit yard waste from being mixed with regular household waste." The website also notes that the city recycles all yard waste at it's compost center, which does not reflect the fact that the compost center has been closed since late last year, following a fire and the revelation that it lacked the necessary permits from the state.

So what does Donald Long, the new Solid Waste Department director have to say about the situation?

"That's a very temporary arrangement," said Donald Long, the city solid waste management director.

The city will continue to collect the $60 annual fee, Long said. "The fee is for us to pick it up," he said. "The fee is not contingent on what we do with it."

Uhhh, Donald? Fewer than a quarter of the city's households participate in the yard waste program. Even allowing for some cart sharing among neighbors, probably 2/3 of the yard waste in the city goes uncollected. We need to be encouraging people to participate. If you're not going to eliminate the fee, at least those of us who have been paying it while we don't need to could get a discount on the next year's service?