ohnson County will see higher fees for more trash in 2012 - How will this Affect Olathe and Overland Park, Kansas?

Johnson County will see higher fees for more trash in 2012 - How will this Affect Olathe and Overland Park, Kansas?

To encourage more recycling, the Johnson County, Kansas Commission approved new rules Thursday requiring trash haulers to offer curbside recycling to every resident and charge extra for garbage over 96 gallons.

The rules will take effect Jan. 1, 2012. Only one county commissioner voted "NO" because of concerns of trash hauling fees.

“The measures are intended to move the county toward a more manageable … system that achieves a recycling rate at least as high as the national average,” said Cindy Kemper, the county’s environmental director.

“The national average is 34 percent and Johnson County is at a 23% recycling rate.”

In anticipation of the new rules, seven cities already have adopted a “pay as you throw” system. They are Mission, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Shawnee, Leawood, Mission Hills and Westwood.

The Cities of Overland Park and Lenexa, have said they planned to meet or exceed the new standards but were waiting for the county’s vote.

The county’s new rules also require yard waste to be composted or mulched rather than hauled to landfills. County officials worry that the amount of trash and yard waste being dumped in the Johnson County landfill will force it to shut down sooner than the planned date of 2027.

Kemper said Olathe, KS. has been aggressively pursuing a recycling strategy since January, when it gave each household a 65-gallon recycling container, in addition to a 95-gallon trash can. Olathe does not charge extra for garbage that doesn’t fit in the can.

According to , Kemper, Olathe has achieved a 35 percent recycling rate. And 70 percent of households are taking advantage of curbside recycling.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/10/07/2289560/johnson-county-will-see-higher.html#ixzz11laTNpaV

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