NORTH SALT LAKE — North Salt Lake is about to get on board the south Davis curbside recycling wagon.

Though an official resolution hasn’t yet been presented for approval, the North Salt Lake City Council recently decided to go ahead with an opt-out curbside recycling program that is likely to start sometime after the beginning of next year.

Though specific details of the program are still uncertain, including the length of the window residents will be given to opt-out, the council decided that it was the direction that the majority of the city wanted to go in.

“We’ve had two public hearings on the topic, and a lot of people seem to want it,” said North Salt Lake City Council Member Stan Porter. “And since we’re going with opt-out, I figure it’s really their choice.”

City staff hope to have an official resolution in front of the council for their Oct. 6 meeting, with certain details worked out such as whether the city should buy its own containers and whether to give resident a 30 or 60 day window to opt out.

In order to work out some of these answers, staff plans to look at data from other cities who have started curbside recycling programs, including Centerville.

“We’ll have to do some additional research,” said North Salt Lake City Manager Collin Wood.

Pricing is also another question, though the specifics won’t be known on that until after the opt-out period. Early estimates had the per-household cost for curbside recycling coming to about $4 if 25 percent of residents choose to opt-out, but several factors could change the final number.

“We anticipate that the final number will be less than 25 percent,” said Wood. “But if it’s more than that, the price will go up. It just kind of depends.”

North Salt Lake began considering the question of whether or not to initiate a curbside recycling program earlier this summer, after other south Davis Cities began their own programs.

They went on to hold two different public hearings on the topic, where several residents expressed their support for an opt-out curbside program.

“Recycling doesn’t happen unless you make it convenient for people,” said North Salt Lake resident Paul Tanner.

Other residents, however, expressed concerns about the cost and stated in advance that they would opt out of a program if one was initiated.

“I already have a compost pile, and take my newspapers to the bins in front of the elementary school,” said Dee Lalliss. “With curbside recycling, I’d have to pay someone just to take care of my milk bottles.”

In the end, the council saw an opt-out program as the best fit for both parties.

“I’m in favor of recycling, but some people don’t care about it,” said North Salt Lake resident Stewart Harmon. “Opt-out gives them the ability to choose.”

jwardell@davisclipper.com