Faced with the possible closure of its municipal landfill, Albany may replace free trash collection for capital residents with a by-the-bag "pay as you throw" system, coupled with strict recycling rules, according to the Albany Times Union.

The Rapp Road facility is expected to reach capacity last year unless an expansion is authorized.The new plan would impose similar restrictions on the 11 neighboring municipalities and all commercial haulers that use the capital's Rapp Road landfill.  The goal, according to the plan prepared by consulting firm Clough, Harbour & Associates, is to extend as much as possible the useful life of the waste management facility.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is reviewing both the new fee and recycling plan and Albany's request to expand, for the fourth time, this dump, which is located in the environmentally sensitive Pine Bush area. Without  an expansion, the landfill would reach capacity by the end of next year.