Los Alamitos : City’s Trash Volume Up Despite Recycling

An improving local economy may be causing an unwanted side effect: More trash.

The upswing in the economy has led to an increase in consumer spending, according to city officials, and with it an increase in trash.

For the first time in four years, trash being collected from city residents will surpass the amount from the previous year.

Trash generated by residents has jumped to 4,400 tons, up more than 200 tons from last year, with a month to go in 1994, said Assistant City Manager Gerard Goedhart.

The increase came despite more recycling, he said. Residential recycling is up 3% from three years ago, he said.

But while the growing amount of trash is worrisome, Goedhart said at a council meeting Monday, the city will meet its goal to reduce trash taken to local landfills by 25% in 1995.

Goedhart said that the city could divert 37.9% of its trash away from landfills next year with a strong residential and commercial recycling program, a green waste program and lower rates for smaller trash bins.

While the standard container is 100 gallons, 35- and 60-gallon containers are available to residents who put out less trash.

A more stringent state requirement, however, to cut by 50% the amount of trash dumped into landfills by the year 2000, will be harder to meet without a green waste recycling program, Goedhart said.

A state law passed in 1989 imposes fines of $10,000 a day on cities that do not meet the required trash diversion limits, unless violators can show a “good faith” effort to comply.

The council approved a 500-page document Monday detailing the city’s recycling, hazardous waste, green waste and trash collection programs.

The document will be submitted to county and state officials Dec. 31.