City Council Moves Toward Curbside Recycling Program

The City Council took the first step this week toward approving a mandatory curbside recycling program that officials hope to start by April 1.

The draft ordinance presented to the council Monday calls for the city’s current trash haulers to pick up aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles, tin cans, metal coat hangers, newspaper, and other recyclable materials from about 5,000 single-family homes in Malibu once a week.

The ordinance would not apply to commercial properties or multifamily dwellings such as condos and apartments.

The city is starting the residential recycling program first because 85% of the city’s trash volume comes from residences, recycling coordinator Kimberly Collins said.

The city estimates that curbside recycling will cut by 15% the amount of trash from Malibu that goes to landfills, Collins said. State law requires cities to reduce the amount of solid waste going to landfills 25% by 1995 and 50% by 2000.

Malibu, unlike most Westside communities, does not provide refuse collection service to private residences. In the western part of the city, residents contract individually with one of three private haulers. Eastern Malibu is served by a private hauler under a contract with Los Angeles County that predates the city’s incorporation in 1991, but that agreement is set to expire next year.

Under the proposed recycling ordinance, the private trash haulers would provide their customers with recycling containers, into which the residents would place all recyclables. The trash haulers would separate the recyclables.

City Manager David Carmany said he hoped that by not asking residents to separate trash, the city would get a high level of participation in the program.

Although the charge to residents for processing and marketing the recyclables has not been set, haulers have estimated that the fee would be $1.75 to $4 per household per month, City Engineer John Knipe said. An additional city administration fee may be added.

Councilman Jeff Kramer questioned the wisdom of issuing recycling permits exclusively to the four current haulers.

Under the draft presented Monday, the city will issue one-year recycling permits to the city’s current trash haulers for $250. Although a permit system is planned initially, the ordinance would allow for haulers to be franchised in the future.

Christi Hogin, one of the city’s attorneys, said such an arrangement assures a steady number of customers for the haulers.