City Moves Ahead in Recycling Experiment

The first stage of an experiment to determine whether Los Angeles homeowners will be allowed to put virtually all recyclable trash into one barrel for pickup--instead of the separate containers now required--is almost complete.

A program to deliver large, blue plastic barrels to more than 13,000 homes scattered throughout the city is expected to be finished by the end of this week, sanitation officials said Monday.

Distribution of the trash cans began in March to 800 to 1,000 homes in each of the 15 City Council districts, kicking off an experiment to increase the efficiency of recyclable trash collection.

In most Los Angeles neighborhoods, the city currently collects trash from three different containers: green bins for leaves and grass clippings, black bins for regular trash and yellow for glass and plastics. Paper is separate on the curbside.

The experiment’s aim is to increase efficiency, reduce scavenging and increase city revenues from recyclable materials, said John De la Rosa, program manager for the sanitation bureau’s Second Generation Recycling Program.

City officials also have another incentive: state law. In 1989, the Legislature required California cities to reduce the amount of waste diverted to landfills 25% by this year and 50% by 2000. Los Angeles has achieved the reduction required by this year, De la Rosa said.

City officials also hope to make more money selling recyclable materials if more households take part. Areas where the experiment began in March have shown a 100% increase in participation and a 200% increase in the amount of recyclables collected, De la Rosa said.

Some residents seemed pleased with the experiment. The containers are “easy and convenient,” said Lotta Lira, 69, of Reseda. “God knows, without them people might just dump their trash on the streets.”

Different versions of the new trash cans are being tested. Some neighborhoods will get “single stream” containers into which residents can dump all recyclables unseparated. Others will use plastic bags to divide glass, plastics and papers.

Yet others will receive divided containers--the right side for cans, glass containers and plastic bottles, and the left for discarded paper products such as computer paper, cardboard and dry food boxes.

Sanitation officials say they will determine by September which method is most convenient for residents and which approach works best.