Cerritos : Low Participation Dooms ‘Green Waste’ Recycling

Cerritos is canceling a pilot trash diversion program due to lack of interest.

For the past year, the city’s trash hauler has collected “green waste” yard cuttings in an 1,800-home area near Del Amo and Pioneer boulevards. Public services director Vince Brar said the program was attractive to the hauler because green waste is accepted by Los Angeles County landfills as cover material. The city also liked it because the state in the future may give cities credit for such waste to help them meet mandates for 25% trash reductions by 1995.

The trouble is, most people in the neighborhood ignored the program despite the mailing of promotional materials that included green ribbons and magnets. Brar said some people have private gardeners who remove the cuttings, and others said they would participate only if special barrels were provided. The program, which cost the city $2,500 a month, never had participation by more than 29% of the homes.

Green waste collection will stop at the end of November.