Leaf season is almost upon us.

As Portland weighs different covered trash pickup systems, I suggest including the option of a rolling plastic cart with hinged cover for picking up green waste. A truck with an automatic arm lifts the carts. This might save money and be simpler for residents and businesses than filling many tall brown paper bags for pickup; covered carts work better in rain or snow.

Kensington, California, uses two 32-gallon carts, picked up by hand, one for mixed recycling and the other for green waste (bush and tree trimmings, grass, leaves, flowers, uncooked fruits and vegetable) and household garbage so it is not mixed with trash.

Trash could continue to be picked up by the city in the purple Portland bags; without food in them, crows wouldn’t peck them open. Or resources could be saved by abandoning the bags for resident-purchased trash containers dumped into trucks.

Many communities, like Denver, are going to carts of different sizes – 95 gallons, 65 gallons or 35 gallons, depending on the size of household or the number of trees. The city runs the program, and bills residents depending on amount of collection and size of containers.

Portland’s Garbage to Garden program is excellent. A green-waste cart would not impinge on that. Just substitute for the many bags needed to capture leaves, fallen branches, yard trimmings and household garbage.

I hope we consider this.

Lindy Hough

Portland