A proposed ordinance that would do away with Darlington County’s so-called yellow bag program for solid waste disposal is now before Darlington County Council for consideration after getting first reading Tuesday.

Council took no vote on the measure. No action is taken on first reading of an ordinance. The first vote will come when the measure comes up for second reading, which will likely be at council’s August meeting set for Aug. 15.

The ordinance did generate some debate among council members, however.

Councilman Wesley Blackwell of Hartsville reiterated his position that doing away with the pay-as-you-throw yellow bag program, which requires the use of specially designated plastic yellow trash bags for disposal of household garbage in the county’s solid waste system, will cost the county revenue. “It’s going to cost us a lot more money to do away with it,” he said.

Blackwell said that while county staff puts the lost revenue figure at $290,000, he still thinks it is closer to $500,000.

The pay-as-you-throw program requires consumers to purchase the bags from local retailers. Households that generate more trash end up buying more bags, while those that produce less garbage buy fewer bags. The program is aimed at encouraging recycling and reducing the volume of household trash that goes into landfills. The concept behind it is that the more a household recycles, the fewer bags it will have to buy.

Blackwell said he believes eliminating the program will result in a significant increase in the tonnage of solid waste going into the county’s system as people throw more recyclables into their household garbage rather than recycling them. He cited one estimated increase from the head of the company that provides the bags for the system of 8,000 to 12,000 tons a year. Those figures came from Mark Dancy, chief executive of WasteZero, which is headquartered in Murrells Inlet and which serves some 300 customers nationwide, including Darlington County.

“I think pay as you throw is the way to go. If we’re looking at reducing solid waste, the yellow bags are the way to go,” Blackwell said.

“We’re going to have a difficult time reducing solid waste if we do away with pay-as-you-throw,” he said. “That’s why I stand so strongly for the yellow bags. I think it’s most important that we protect our environment, and if we don’t stay with the yellow bags we are not protecting our environment.”

Councilman Dannie Douglas of Society Hill agreed that solid waste tonnage will increase, but he said it will not be the result of more recyclables going into the system. He said trash that now gets dumped along roadsides, in ditches and elsewhere in the county by people who do not want to buy the yellow bags will begin to wind up at the proper disposal sites once those people no longer have to buy the bags.

Douglas and Councilwoman Mozella “Pennie” Nicholson of Hartsville suggested putting the yellow bag issue on the ballot in a referendum and letting Darlington County voters decide the matter. “I think rather than going back and forth, maybe it’s time we take it to the voters,” Nicholson said.

Chairman Billy Baldwin of Darlington, who had the ordinance put on the agenda, asked why, if the pay-as-you-throw system works so well, is Darlington County the only county among South Carolina’s 46 counties using it and the only customer WasteZero has in South Carolina.

Baldwin, who wants to get rid of the yellow bag system, has said repeatedly that he wants council to vote on an ordinance one way or another. He said the county can raise the $35 recycling fee it currently charges households annually to replace the $290,000 in revenue county officials say will be lost without the program.

Councilwoman Wilhelmina Johnson of Darlington said the newly adopted county budget that went into effect on July 1 is based on continuation of the program and the revenue it generates for at least another year. Johnson also questioned why the proposed ordinance was back on council’s agenda for first reading for a second time after a tied vote prevented it from moving forward in June.

Baldwin had the measure put on the agenda for first reading at council’s June 6 meeting, but Councilman Le Flowers of Darlington questioned whether the chairman had the authority to do so without approval of a motion to reconsider the original ordinance by council. Nicholson offered a motion to reconsider during the same meeting, which got a second but failed on a 4 – 4 tie with Flowers, Blackwell, Johnson and Councilman Alex “Buz” Shaw of Hartsville voting against the motion and Nicholson, Douglas, Baldwin and Councilman Bobby Hudson of Lamar voting for it.

Since that meeting, however, County Attorney Jim Cox told council that the chairman did have the legal authority to put the matter on the agenda. “The chairman sets the agenda,” he said again Tuesday.

Council also heard from some members of the public about the yellow bag program. Darlington County resident Rufus Hamlin said he thinks council should get rid of the program. Hamlin said the quality of the bags is poor and that they tear easily.

Resident Dr. Aaron Ard said he supports keeping the program because the cost to individuals is based on use. “The user fee system makes the best economic sense,” he said.

Hartsville Mayor Mel Pennington urged council to do away with the program but he also urged adding a strong recycling component in its place.

Pennington also discussed Hartsville’s new recycling system. The City of Hartsville recently opted out of the yellow bag program. He said the city has increased its recycling by about 30 percent over the last three months.

Flowers pointed out that even though the city no longer participates in the program, Hartsville residents still pay the county’s $35 per household fee.

If the ordinance wins preliminary approval on second reading in August, a public hearing and final vote on third reading could come in September.