Budget Woes May Stall L.A. Recycling Project’s Expansion : Sanitation: The garbage program is supposed to be extended throughout the Valley during the next 15 months. It’s already a year behind schedule.

Los Angeles’ new refuse collection and recycling program is supposed to be extended throughout the San Fernando Valley during the next 15 months, but budget woes could delay the expansion indefinitely, sanitation officials said.

Already a year behind schedule, the program is the centerpiece of city efforts to comply with a new state law limiting landfill dumping. It currently serves 173,000 of 720,000 households citywide. Included are 26,000 households in the East Valley--which have each been issued a recycling bin and special trash containers.

Current plans call for phasing in the remaining 112,000 households in the East Valley--the area east of Woodley Avenue--between April and August, and reaching all 120,000 households in the West Valley from August through May, 1993, according to Drew Sones, recycling and waste reduction manager for the city’s Bureau of Sanitation.

But the city’s budget outlook, described by Sones as “pretty grim,” could bring implementation of the costly program to a temporary halt after July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

By then, most of the East Valley should be in the fold. But some East Valley neighborhoods and all of the West Valley could experience delays, according to Sones.

The new program already has encountered a few setbacks because of logistic problems. Originally, it was to be citywide by this September--a goal that already has slipped to October, 1993.

The rollout was to be complete in the East Valley, and to begin in the West Valley, by next month.

Sones said the slippage that has already occurred in the Valley resulted from slow delivery of new automated trash trucks.

Getting started has been “a logistical nightmare,” he acknowledged. “You have to bring so many things together to make it work. You have to have the trucks, the staff; you have to have the recycling vendors; you have to have a market for your material.

“And remember, recycling is being implemented along with automated collection, and that’s a whole new way for people to deal with their refuse.”

Costing about $200 million--including $70 million for special trash containers--the citywide program is Los Angeles’ response to dwindling dump space and a state law requiring cities and counties to slash landfill dumping at least 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000.

Each household is issued two 60-gallon containers that are designed to be emptied by automated trucks with hydraulic lifts. Residents also receive a 14-gallon recycling bin for glass containers, plastic beverage containers, aluminum and tin cans. These, along with bundled newspapers and cardboard, are picked up by a separate truck and sold to vendors, offsetting part of the city’s costs.

Eventually, the program will be expanded to recycle grass and tree trimmings and other yard waste.

The waste-reduction effort has been strictly voluntary in the implementation phase. Residents who can’t cram all of their trash into the two 60-gallon containers are allowed to put out extra cans of their own. And those who put recyclables in the trash can do so with impunity.

This is expected to change, however. Residents who don’t make do with two 60-gallon cans eventually will be charged $5 per month for every additional 30 gallons of trash. Officials also plan to penalize those who persist in throwing recyclables in the trash.

About 90,000 households in the city--including thousands in the Valley--still participate in pilot curbside recycling programs that were started in recent years. Officials said these programs will continue until they are replaced by the new collection and recycling system.

Sones said expansion into new neighborhoods is preceded by a two-month publicity and educational campaign--which is already under way in the East Valley. City representatives deliver informational pep talks to community groups and schools and put displays in shopping areas.

Each household gets a letter before delivery of the containers, which come with written instructions telling, among other things, how to position the containers for the hydraulic lift. Participants are also sent a newsletter each quarter.

A broader appeal will be launched today when Mayor Tom Bradley and other city officials announce a lavish advertising campaign on recycling.

Featuring billboard, newspaper and broadcast ads, the campaign will star “The Guru,” described as “a wisecracking sage” who gives advice on recycling and other waste-reduction methods.

To hype today’s news conference, officials have identified “The Guru” only as a well-known comedian whose name will be revealed at the event. But a source connected with the program identified him as Chevy Chase.

Gyl Elliott, public information director for the city recycling and waste-reduction division, said the $2.35-million campaign will actually cost the city $850,000--thanks to voluntary support by ad agencies, billboard firms and others.

Even “The Guru” will appear gratis, said Elliott. “Recycling is very important to a lot of people, and we found that out.”