Yellow trash bags will likely soon be a thing of the past in Eureka Springs.
The Eureka Springs City Council voted 5-1 at its monthly meeting on Monday, Dec. 11, to have city attorney Forrest Jacobi draft a new proposed ordinance that would eliminate the need for the yellow bags, which have been required for residents for many years.
Instead, the proposed new ordinance will allow residents to use any kind of trash bag they desire, with a limit of two bags of trash per week. If more bags of trash are needed, then the additional bags must have a tag attached. Tags for excess bags can be purchased for a fee.
The proposed new policy is uniform with similar policies that have been in place for many years in Berryville and Green Forest, according to representatives of the Carroll County Solid Waste District.
The idea to switch plans will take the burden of having to purchase the yellow bags off of residents and the weekly limit will encourage recycling, council members said.
“We all felt as though maybe the two-bag program would be the best program,” council member Autumn Slane said regarding a recent workshop on the issue. “It’s any two bags, 35 gallons. Then, if you wanted to do additional bags, you could do additional tags. That would stop the yellow bags.”
Extra bag tags cost $1.75 each for cus- tomers in Berryville and Green Forest and a similar price will likely be in Eureka Springs’ proposed new ordinance. In addition, residents still have the option to purchase a bin to put trash in.
Council member Harry Meyer was the lone dissenting vote on drafting the new ordinance, saying he feels the current system is sufficient.
“The last time solid waste was here they told us that we were the best recyclers in the state,” Meyer said. “… As far as I’m concerned, the current situation works fine.”
Council members discussed the idea that limiting the amount of bags a customer uses will help encourage more recycling. More education on what can be recycled is also a key and information will soon be added to the city’s website, Mayor Butch Berry said.
“Education is absolutely key,” Slane said. “The yellow bags have lost their meaning over time and that is 100 percent due to education. Whatever we choose, we absolutely need to push recycling.”
Meyer agreed. “Education sounds really good to me,” he said. “Let’s try education first.”
Carroll County Solid Waste District does use a “recycling trailer” that it takes to area schools to teach the importance of recycling, council members were told, although consistent efforts were disrupted because of COVID-19.
“I’d like to see the recycling trailer back at the schools and all that,” council member Terry McClung said. “Education all starts with the kids because the kids push it on their parents. That’s how I started doing [recycling]. My kids rode me about it.
“The yellow bags are inconvenient, but I’ve lived with doing it a long time and can continue to do so if that’s the way we go. I’m flexible.”
In the end, McClung, Slane and council members Melissa Greene, David Avanzino and Steve Holifield agreed that doing away with the yellow bags and going to a two-bag plus tags system would be the best option for both the city and the Carroll County Solid Waste District.
“I just think the best option is doing away with the yellow bags,” Slane said.
In the only other action taken during the quick council meeting, Susan Daniels was approved unanimously as a new member of the Historic District Commission.
Because of the Christmas holiday, the council will not have a second meeting in December. Its next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8.
