Dive Brief:

• A recently passed Iowa law will overturn a 1991 state ban on yard waste being deposited into landfills, as long as the the landfill has a gas capturing system. This will allow Iowa's biggest landfill, Metro Park East, to accept yard waste deposits from the Des Moines metro area. 
• The legislation, which took effect this month, could save $2 million a year in waste hauler and landfill fees, according to Metro Waste Authority officials. The law may also lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase electricity produced at the landfill, and lower the amount that customers pay for waste collection. 
• Critics are opposing the new law by stating that adding yard waste into the municipal waste stream could shorten the lifespan of Iowa's landfills.

Dive Insight:

While the addition of yard waste to the municipal waste stream can have a positive impact on Iowa residents, it may be hard to get customers to comply to the new habit. "Folks have been trained to keep it out, and now all of the sudden we're telling them to put it in," said Reo Menning, executive director of Metro Waste Authority.

With the law in effect, the remainder of the 2015 year will be spent educating customers on the new process. No actual changes will take effect until 2016.