SHERMAN OAKS : Program to Recycle Yard Waste Begins

A few scant weeks after Earth Day, east San Fernando Valley residents have another opportunity to make the Earth a healthier place.

Starting this week, city garbage collectors began picking up yard trimmings separately from trash. Before then, residents were mixing their green waste with rubbish, and the mixture was then tossed into landfills.

The yard trimmings will now be turned into compost and the product, called TOPGRO, will be sold by Home Depot and FEDCO stores.

Sanitation Bureau spokesman David Mays said the city won’t lose or gain money from the new recycling program because the savings from diverting the trimmings from landfills--$1.6 million a month citywide--are offset by the roughly equal cost of composting the green waste.

However, Mays said, the program will help enable the city to achieve its state-mandated goal of reducing its garbage flow into dumps by 50% by the year 2000.

Residents have been requested to place their grass and shrubbery trimmings into their green trash barrels, and to put their regular garbage in the black barrels.

As in the past, residents are asked to put their recyclable cans and bottles in their yellow bins, and to place bound-up newspapers next to the bins.

With the addition of the East Valley, 90% of the city is involved in the new recycling program. The West Valley already has the service. Mays said the city will probably prevent more than 30,000 tons of yard trimmings a month from going into dumps.

Mays said that some residents have asked for larger black barrels to accommodate the trash that they can no longer put in the green barrels.

To order, call (800) 773-CITY and the extra-capacity containers will be delivered at no charge. Or residents may drop by the East Valley Collection Yard, 9701 San Fernando Road, on Saturdays through May 20 to pick one up. The Los Angeles City Council may choose in the future to charge a fee for special containers, Mays said.