A new style of recycling will come to 200 Fort Dodge households during a six month trial program that will start Aug. 1.
In those households, separating the paper, plastic, glass and metal cans will no longer be necessary. All of that stuff can be tossed together into a 96-gallon container the city government will provide.
That container will be emptied every other Wednesday.
Two areas, both including 100 houses, will be included in the program introduced at Monday's City Council meeting.
One area, extends from 10th Avenue North up 26th Street to 22nd Avenue North. The other includes parts of Highland Park Avenue, South 20th Street, South 21st Street and Oleson Park Avenue.
The program is intended to be a test run in advance of a switch to a new way of collecting both trash and recycling materal, according to Public Works Director Greg Koch. That new system, scheduled to begin in 2014, will feature trucks with mechanical arms that will pick up and empty containers of garbage and recycling materials.
Koch said allowing people to put all the recycling materials in one container without sorting them will hopefully lead to increased recycling and lower landfill costs for trash.
''You make it easier for them to recycle it than throw it away,'' City Manager David Fierke said.
Koch said all of the homeowners affected by the trial program will receive detailed information in the mail.
The homeowners will not have to pay for the new containers, he said.