Fillmore to Start Recycling Yard Waste Into Mulch

Fillmore this week became the first city in Ventura County to adopt a citywide plan to mulch tree trimmings, grass clippings and other yard waste into farming fertilizer.

The green waste recycling program is aimed at meeting state mandates limiting the amount of trash that can be dumped into landfills. County officials praised the Fillmore plan and said they hoped other cities would quickly follow.

“It’s a tremendous step forward,” said Kay Martin, director of the county’s Solid Waste Department. “It is very consistent with the thinking of the county and will set an example for other communities.”

The county and its cities are struggling to meet a state law that requires them to reduce trash they send to landfills by one-fourth by 1995 and by one-half by the year 2000, or face fines of up to $10,000 a day.

Chopped-up yard clippings make up about a quarter of the trash generated in the county, Martin said.

“The action that Fillmore has taken will not only divert trash from landfills, but I think is going to start a trend that all farmers will find beneficial,” said Russ Baggerly, top aide to Supervisor Maria VanderKolk.

Although several other cities--including Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Ojai--are experimenting with similar programs, none has found a place to dump the green waste once it’s collected.

“The key with green waste is finding a place to put it once you get it,” said Graham Watts, recycling coordinator for Thousand Oaks. Watts said the city has no plans to expand its 1,700-home pilot program until it can find someone who wants to buy the mashed-up yard trash.

Fillmore faced the same hurdle until local farmer Bill Bartels offered to spread the stuff--about 1,000 tons of green waste annually--over his 30-acre citrus ranch in Bardsdale, just south of Fillmore.

“I have been aware of composting and mulching as part of agriculture for a long time,” said Bartels, a former social worker whose family has owned the citrus ranch for more than a century. “It’s important to realize that we live in a system and in order to survive we need to link people in the city with farmers.”

Fillmore’s new plan, approved unanimously by the City Council on Tuesday, will expand the city’s two-year pilot program to include all 10,000 residents.

Bartels told the council that a layer of mulch in his orchard creates an organic barrier that chokes out weeds by robbing them of sunlight and slows evaporation when he waters his trees. The mulch also enriches the soil with nutrients and organic material as it decomposes.

Council member Ron Gunderson expressed concerns that residents might dump toxic pesticides and other non-recyclables in with their yard waste, contaminating the mulch. But Bartels said exposing the yard waste to sun and rain would minimize the impact of the contaminants. “If the elements are allowed to do their work, I don’t think there will be a problem,” he said.

Fillmore plans a two-month trial run and hopes to have the program in full operation by Oct. 1, City Manager Roy Payne said.

“It’s amazing how much you can cut down on your trash by green wasting,” said Payne, who participated in Fillmore’s pilot green waste program. “This program is going to put us over the state requirement.”

Under the plan, the city’s trash collector will pick up green waste in specially marked bins every other week and haul it to the Bartels’ ranch for mulching. Although the contract has not been finalized, Bartels said he would probably charge the city’s trash collector about $20 a ton for the trash, half what it costs to dump at a landfill.

Residents, who now pay about $18.50 a month for trash pickup and curbside recycling, will pay about $1 more for the green waste service, Payne said. The charge will cover the cost of providing residents with special green waste bins and hauling the waste to Bartels’ ranch, Payne said.

In addition to the yard waste recycling program, city officials approved a comprehensive trash plan, which includes finding the cheapest dump for non-recyclable trash, going door-to-door to customize recycling programs for businesses, and lowering trash pickup charges for residents who recycle.