City’s Curbside Recycling Program May Soon Reach 80,000 Households

More than 80,000 households in San Diego could be offered curbside recycling service by early next year under a plan to extend the use of city landfills.

The city now picks up materials for recycling at the curbsides of about 13,000 households under a pilot program established in 1988 in University City. Another 27,000 residences will get the service this fall.

Next year’s expansion proposal would increase the number to 80,000 households throughout the city, or a little more than 25% of all San Diego residences.

Trash collection and curbside recycling services are free, but if voters approve a possible November ballot measure, customers would be charged a monthly fee of $8.50 per household for both services.

The citywide fees would generate about $250,000 a year, or about one-fourth of the estimated $1 million it will cost the city to expand its recycling services, officials said.

The city would raise additional funds by selling the materials for recycling. Residents would not be paid for materials left on their curbs for recycling.

San Diego is the only city in the county that does not charge a fee for trash collection and disposal.

The City Council’s Public Services and Safety Committee on Wednesday sent the recycling expansion proposal to full council, recommending its passage. The council is expected to approve the measure later this month.

The proposal calls for pickups to be phased in from September through April, 1991. Recycling drop-off points would be established at all city recreation facilities. City crews now pick up the materials, but a private contractor, Waste Management of San Diego, would take over half of the expanded program.

Receiving the new service would be areas of Bay Park, Clairemont, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, North City West, Otay Mesa, Paradise Hills, Point Loma, Rancho Bernardo, San Carlos, Scripps Ranch, Skyline, Southeast San Diego, University City and Uptown.

The areas were selected based on trash collection dates, access to freeways and other factors, including dividing the service among the eight council districts.

Under the proposal, curbside collections would be on regularly scheduled collection days. Residences would get free color-coded containers in which to put materials.

City officials are not concerned about losing revenue to “scavengers,” people who illegally take and sell materials left on curbsides before the city collection.

“We’ve seen some scavenging, but it is relatively small. We don’t think it will have a major impact,” said Ernie Anderson, deputy director in the city’s Waste Management Department.

The council’s goal of recycling 25% of the city’s annual trash load by 1992 is “definitely attainable,” said Councilwoman Judy McCarty.

Recent recycling efforts have extended the life span of the Miramar Landfill from 1995 to 2003, and a task force is trying locate sites for new landfills, McCarty said.

“We’re moving forward with our recycling efforts,” the councilwoman added. “This is something that everyone should be doing, and now it will be much easier.”

The proposal also will expand the types of materials that will be picked up for recycling to include a variety of paper products and plastic containers. Newspapers, glass, and aluminum and tin containers are now accepted.

The November ballot proposal, which would require a majority approval, is designed to offset expenses of the expanded curbside recycling program and make all residents pay an equitable share for trash collection.

Trash collection, which will cost the city about $25 million this fiscal year, is paid for from the city’s General Fund.

The cost of the city’s recycling services, set at $3.8 million in fiscal year 1991, is partly paid for through landfill dumping fees.

A grand jury report in May concluded that San Diego needs to undertake a massive recycling to extend use of its landfills.

The report said San Diegans generate 3.5 million tons of waste annually, a rate that is increasing 10% a year, creating a “serious environmental problem” in establishing new landfills.

Recycling should be mandatory if voluntary efforts fail, the report concluded.