San Diego Well on the Way to Meeting Recycling Goals

Within just a few years, San Diego County communities have grabbed a leading role in Southern California’s move to curbside recycling, with all but one of its cities either offering or phasing in programs that allow residents to put recyclables on the curb to be collected with the trash.

Although curbside collection is common in several Northern California counties, much of the Southland has been slower to provide for pickup. Neighboring Orange County, for example, has only six curbside collection programs among its almost 30 cities.

In San Diego County, however, 17 of 18 cities have curbside programs or are phasing in the service. A few years ago, only three cities offered curbside collection. El Cajon, the last holdout, is considering curbside collection.

Recycling centers and haulers throughout the county report a surge in calls from residents interested in joining the recycling movement. Commercial and industrial companies, which produce most solid waste, also are expressing interest as dumping fees at landfills skyrocket.

“People are beginning to finally understand the significance of recycling,” said Richard Anthony, solid waste program manager for San Diego County. “It is no longer a luxury but something that has to be done.”

Gaye Soroka, executive director of I Love a Clean San Diego, a nonprofit group that helps organize recycling programs, praised area governments for taking up the recycling banner and supporting community education programs.

“It is a rapidly growing arena that more and more people are getting interested in,” said Soroka, who in September will become manager of environmental affairs for Waste Management of California.

In 1988, San Diego City Council set a goal of reducing its solid waste by 25% by 1992. The County Board of Supervisors set a 30% reduction goal by the same deadline. Within the first two years, the city and county have reached the 15% point.

In San Diego, curbside recycling is offered to 13,000 residents. That number will increase to 40,000 this fall and to 80,000 by spring.

“San Diego city and county are very progressive in terms of waste reduction and extending the life of our landfills,” Soroka said. “Whether it’s curbside collection or recycling phone books or Christmas trees, every little bit helps. It’s pretty exciting.”

Curbside recycling programs serve a varying percentage of households--from 3% to 100%--in each city.

Several communities are expanding the service to help satisfy a recent state law that requires municipalities to reduce solid waste by 25% by 1995, and by 50% by 2000. Officials say an increasing number of residents are participating in available curbside collections.

El Cajon has met with its privately contracted hauler, Universal Refuse Removal, but no timetable has been set for starting curbside collection, said Kathy Hubert, assistant to the city manager.

Curbside recycling is one option that the city is considering to reduce solid waste, Hubert said.

“Recycling won’t take care of the whole problem, so we have to address other areas, including finding money in the budget to fund these services,” she said.

El Cajon is considering starting a “greens” recycling, for grass clippings, leaves and tree branches, before curbside collection, Hubert added.

With San Diego’s population projected to continue growing, solid waste should concern every resident, Soroka said.

“The community is growing, and tourism will continue to be a large source of recycleable trash, with all the one-time use items,” she said.

Officials recommend reducing the amount of waste produced, since each person generates about 1.5 tons of solid waste annually.

Also, purchasing products made of recycled material fosters the market for recycled goods, officials added.

The National Recycling Congress will hold its annual convention tomorrow through Friday in San Diego.