MOORPARK : Trash Sent to Area Landfills Down 30%

The amount of trash Moorpark residents and businesses send to area landfills has dropped by more than 30% since 1990, newly released figures show.

Jill Myers, the city’s solid waste coordinator, said programs that push recycling and composting have contributed most to the reduction. For instance, the city recycled more than 7,300 outdated phone books last year, amounting to more than 14 tons of rubbish that would have otherwise been sent to a landfill, she said.

“We have a curbside recycling program, one for apartments, condos and commercial buildings,” Myers said. “And we still see the potential for even more reductions through our back-yard composting program.”

An individual composting grass clippings and food scraps at home, Myers says, could prevent nearly a third of a ton of waste from heading to area landfills.

Some Moorpark residents are using compost to replenish the soil in their gardens.

Vi Johnson, an artist and veteran gardener at a community garden, said the city has still only scratched the surface with home composting.

“We’re trying to encourage commercial gardeners to bring in their lawn cuttings and wood chips to the community garden,” Johnson said. “It’s a big project to get everyone involved in composting, and we need more gardeners to help.”

Under state law, cities must cut in half the amount of waste they dump by the year 2000.

Moorpark is offering a free class in back-yard composting from 10 a.m. to noon April 16 at Moorpark Community Gardens, 13950 Peach Hill Road. Also, residents can recycle their old telephone books along with their other recyclables throughout April.

For information on either program, contact Myers at 529-6864, Ext. 248.