Lynn Schenkman

Fort Worth, Texas –- City Council members are facing indecision over how garbage is collected. Currently, Fort Worth's residential trash is picked up twice per week in bags, with most residents paying $14.75 per month for the service. However, a newly proposed pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) system using plastic carts is being tested in some neighborhoods.

City council members believe bags will be the winning choice because residents in test neighborhoods say the carts are cumbersome and unsightly. However, cart supporters say the bins encourage recycling.

Officials must quickly make a collection container choice, as Fort Worth's contract with Waste Management, Houston, already has been extended once. Meantime, the city also is determining whether the area’s Southeast landfill should be turned over to Trinity Waste Services, Fort Worth. The re-evaluation follows concerns raised in a 1990s antitrust case.