Charlotte residents who still have plastic yard waste bags laying around their home can exchange them for kraft paper ones this weekend, the city said Wednesday.
Solid Waste Services will host a yard waste bag exchange event at 1200 Otts St. on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for residents who receive city collection.
The event and paper bags are free, the city said in a tweet on Wednesday.
The city banned plastic bags for yard waste collection over the summer. The change went into effect on July 5, part of an effort to limit the environmental problems created by plastic bags — including more than 8 million tons of waste in the ocean every year and the emission of toxic and poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
To get their yard waste picked up, residents can use compostable paper bags or personal reusable containers that weigh less than 75 pounds.
Solid Waste Services no longer provides courtesy collections for residents who still use plastic bags, city officials said. Residents who continue to use them are subject to a minimum fine of $150. Residents also can take yard waste — in paper bags or reusable containers — to one of the county’s four full-service recycling centers:
- Foxhole Recycling Center: 17131 Lancaster Highway, Charlotte
- North Mecklenburg Recycling Center: 12300 N. Statesville Road, Huntersville
- Hickory Grove Recycling Center: 8007 Pence Road, Charlotte
- Compost Central and Recycling Center: 140 Valleydale Road, Charlotte
