Brookhaven switches to paper bags for yard waste pickup

Brookhaven Town will transition from plastic bags to paper bags for yard waste pickup.

Councilwoman Connie Kepert introduced an initiative to make the switch, and it was approved by the town board on Tuesday. The transition could occur by April 2013, Kepert said.

Brookhaven’s switch to paper will be preceded by a yearlong effort by the town to educate residents and businesses about the change, Kepert said.

“Moving away from plastic bags to paper bags is a proven simple strategy,” Kepert said in a statement.

The town’s waste department estimates that the average Brookhaven homeowner will pay about $4.50 more per year because of the switch.

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, cheered the move.

“A clear win for residents, the town and our environment,” Esposito said in a statement.

The Suffolk County towns of Riverhead and Southold have already made the switch to paper, as has North Hempstead in Nassau County.