LA PALMA : City Says It’s Ahead of Goal, Recycling 26% of Trash

City officials said in a recent report that the city is more than meeting a state law that orders cutbacks in the amount of trash collected and seeks more recycling of solid waste.

The state law requires that all cities reduce waste disposal by 25% by 1995. In the report, city officials said that La Palma is recycling about 26% of its 50 tons of daily trash.

The city’s report also said that La Palma will be recycling 50% of its trash by the year 2000. The state law requires at least a 50% cutback in trash by 2000.

Recycling for the city is accomplished by the city’s contract garbage hauler, Park Disposal Co.

“We ask residents to help the process by sorting their recyclable trash when they put it out, but whether they do this or not, the city’s trash is separated on big conveyor belts at a (trash) transfer station in Stanton,” said City Manager Pamela Gibson.

She said that for the city to reach its goal of recycling 50% of its trash by the year 2000, the focus has to be on “green waste.” Gibson said green waste includes grass clippings, tree limbs, leaves and other refuse.

“In a residential community such as ours, a great deal of the trash comes from green waste, and so this is what is going to be our big challenge in years ahead,” she said.