Recycling Costs Less Than Not Recycling : * It Doesn’t Solve Trash Problem, but It Sure Does Help

The expansion of the Brea-Olinda landfill, approved earlier this month by the Board of Supervisors, gave the county another 20 years to seek alternative means of disposing of its waste. It was a new life. Compared to the solid-waste problems of neighboring counties, Orange County’s situation seems positively upbeat. And a silver lining in the cloud of recession turns out to be that the county is producing less trash these days due to slower business activity.

But lest anyone take false hope, these are tough times for trash. Difficult choices must be made in the years ahead. Sooner or later the county must decide whether to spend millions to acquire a new canyon landfill site. Or, there is the costly possibility of shipping the problem to somebody else by rail.

Even the interim solution is expensive; the cost of the Brea-Olinda expansion, with its agreement for an underground collection and recovery system to contain harmful chemicals, will cost millions and ensure higher gate fees.

One unavoidable factor in the equation is that Orange County has the dubious distinction of being the state leader in the production of trash, about 11 pounds per day per resident. Clearly, some of the solution lies with individuals.

Fortunately, there are some encouraging signs. The Integrated Solid Waste Management Agency reports that the county’s cities are making substantial progress toward implementing recycling programs. Most have them in place already and all have plans to start. This is not a moment too soon because state law requires all cities and counties to divert 25% of wastes from landfills by 1995, and 50% by 2000. Jan Goss of the agency reports that the county will probably meet the first requirement ahead of time, although the second is far from a certainty.

Some cities are doing better than others. The northern part of the county-- Anaheim, Placentia, Brea, for example-- has made great strides. Yorba Linda even has a pilot program for handling yard waste.

While recycling alone will not solve the landfill problem, it can be a big help. And that’s why these efforts must be encouraged. The county’s close work with the cities on recycling is proving to be one of those regional efforts that shows how different levels of government can work together.

While the county has no direct authority over these programs, it is acting as a facilitator and coordinator. This cooperative effort is a triumph over parochialism.

Keep up the good work. It’s important, too, for residents to recognize that they individually can make a difference by embracing recycling. Unlike some other painful individual choices that may be good for the region, recycling is a habit easily adapted to most people’s lifestyles. Finding a corner in the garage for recycling bins is not the same kind of cold-shower therapy for many as, say, giving up the automobile to get to work would be. And as landfills fill up, every effort helps.