Curbside recycling looks promising in Fruit Heights

FRUIT HEIGHTS — Green waste curbside service may come to fruition in Fruit Heights.

The City Council is expected next Tuesday to discuss what appears to be a positive response from residents to start a pilot program.

It would cost $6 a month for homes to have a garbage can for collecting green waste, which includes grass and yard clippings, vegetable waste and tree limbs.

The waste would be hauled to the Layton landfill, which is owned by the Wasatch Integrated Waste Management District, composted and sold to the public.

In April, the council voted to send postcards to 1,500 households asking whether residents would participate. Postcards that aren't returned to the city by next Tuesday will be considered a yes vote, the cards state.

So far, 500 postcards have been returned, said city manager Brandon Green, adding that the majority of them have positive responses.

"It's looking feasible," he said.

For the program to work, at least 800 homes need to participate.

The waste management district, which receives garbage from all Davis County cities except Bountiful, picked Fruit Heights as its pilot city because of the high number of homes — 55 percent — which have a second garbage can.

Residents currently pay $8.30 a month for a second can, meaning those who have a second can could save $2.30 a month if they replace that can with a green waste can.

If the pilot program is successful, it could be implemented in other cities in the district.

Residents with questions may call the city for more information at 801-546-0861.

— Joseph M. Dougherty