THUNDER BAY -- Despite a few concerns, residents will have now have to use paper bags if they want their leaf and yard waste picked up this fall.
City solid waste diversion coordinator Jason Sherband said getting people to use paper bags for the city's bai-annual yard waste pick-up means that everything, bag and all, can now go into teh city's compost pile. It's a method used by many other cities.
"We're not re-inventing the wheel here," he said.
Coun. Larry Hebert said he himself has seen paper bags destroyed after getting wet. Coun. Linda Ryhdolm asked about people in rural areas who have a lot of land. They're concerned that the paper bags might be chewed on by rodents. For both cases Sherband suggested covering up the bags with tarps until they're collected.
The city also approved extending a plan with Habitat for Humanity that sees the organization collect what it can when people take advantage of free week at the landfill. Last year 5.5 tonnes were taken out.
"Which is material that otherwise would've been buried,” Sherband said.
This year Habitat for Humanity will be there for all of free week plus every other Saturday in May.
