ALPENA — Beginning this year, composting bags will be required for lawn waste to be picked up curbside in Alpena.

Plastic bags will not be collected. The use of the bags brings multiple benefits to the city’s composting program which include being less labor intensive, eliminating landfilling the black plastic bags, and speeds up the composting process. The most common brown paper composting lawn bags are locally available at several retailers.

The local yard waste pick up scheduled is listed below:

May 18 – bagged only

June 22 – Bagged & Brush

July – None

August 10 – bagged & brush

September – None

October 5 – bagged and brush

November 2 – Bagged and brush

November 30 or December 7, weather dependent, bagged only

The above schedule is subject to change. A news release will be issued announcing any changes or clarifications.

Bagged Lawn Material Drop off at DPW Building, no brush.

Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For clarity of the overall program, the following procedure has been established:

All bagged lawn waste material & brush shall be placed on the curbline by Monday at 6:00 a.m. Any material placed at the curb after Monday, at 6:00 a.m. will not be collected. Material shall not be placed more than

48 hours in advance of Monday morning.

· Bagged lawn waste material & brush pickup is for residential properties only.

· Please remember that the bags may sit in front of your house for up to 4 days before being collected.

· Bagged lawn waste shall contain lawn waste only. No soil, bushes or household waste will be accepted.

· All brush shall be stacked with the cut edge facing the street.

· All brush piles shall be no larger than 6 ft by 6 ft. For reference, this would be a pile not larger than a standard size couch or three sections of standard size sidewalk sections about waist high.

· Brush piles and bagged material should be piled separately.

In the event that a pile has not been removed for any of the above reasons, City employees will place a door hanger at the residence explaining the reasoning. Any material left within the right of way shall be re- moved within seven days to prevent code enforcement involvement.