Furthering their commitment to preserve the environment, the Town of North Hempstead will offer biodegradable paper leaf bags for residents at a cost of $2 for five large bags that hold as much as 30 gallons of waste.
“We are proud to be offering our residents an environmental friendly way of disposing of their yard waste,” said Supervisor Judi Bosworth. “Not only will these biodegradable bags help reduce the use of plastic bags, but they will also help us contribute to creating a greener environment. This initiative will reduce the amount of garbage we send to landfills by making sure that yard waste is diverted to composting facilities.”
The biodegradable paper bags are intended only for yard waste, specifically grass and leaves, and will be collected curbside on residents’ designated collection day.
“Using compostable paper bags is an important way to save manpower and to reduce plastic contamination of our compost,” Chief Sustainability Officer Erin Reilley said. “Plastic bags must be manually removed from compost piles, and if garbage haulers don’t know that plastic bags left curbside contain leaves, then they end up in a landfill instead of being turned into compost.”
Residents can purchase the bags at the Solid Waste Management Authority at 802 West Shore Rd. in Port Washington; the Town’s Aquatic Activity Center at Michael J. Tully Park, 1801 Evergreen Ave. in New Hyde Park; and at the Yes We Can Community Center, 141 Garden St. in Westbury.
For further information, call 311 or 516-869-6311.
