Voluntary Recycling to Begin
A voluntary curb-side recycling program in which residents will separate newspapers, glass, aluminum cans, plastic containers and yard waste will go into effect May 1.
City officials hope that the program will eventually pay for itself, but the city will subsidize it initially with a payment of $54,000 to Best Disposal Co.
Duarte will be the second city in San Gabriel Valley to try voluntary recycling to reduce dependence on landfills for household trash. A similar program was introduced in Claremont in 1982.
The city has signed an agreement with Best for an automated pickup system that will provide wheeled trash containers to every household. The charge will be $6 a month for a 60-gallon container and $7.35 for a 90-gallon container. Additional containers will cost $2 each.
Residents now spend $8.11 a month for disposal of an unlimited amount of trash.
The program was adopted Tuesday by the City Council after a series of public meetings at which residents opposed limiting the amount of trash that could be collected. The plan was amended to allow unlimited pickup after many residents said the amount of trash they generate varies from month to month, mostly because of yard clippings.
The city also will consider personal handicaps and unusual property configurations that might make handling the containers difficult.
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