2 Cities Already Meet State Recycling Goal

As other cities scramble to meet state-mandated recycling standards, two cities are sitting pretty.

According to the latest figures, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley have already met standards set for 2000.

Thousand Oaks is recycling 53% of the trash produced by residents and businesses, and Simi Valley is recycling slightly more than 50%.

“We’re ahead of the game and looking pretty good,” said Joe Hreha, Simi Valley’s deputy director of code compliance. “Now all we have to do is keep up that pace, which I expect will continue.”

With passage of the Integrated Waste Management Act in 1989, cities were required to cut the amount of trash bound for landfills by 25% in 1995 and by 50% in 2000.

The state Legislature passed the bill to extend the life spans of landfills.

Other Ventura County cities for which figures are available are Oxnard, 31%; Moorpark, 36%; and Port Hueneme, 39%.

Cities use a variety of techniques to encourage residents and businesses to recycle trash that would otherwise take up much-needed space in landfills.

Some programs reclaim construction debris, yard waste, cans, newspapers and glass. Cities also schedule days for residents to set out bulky items, such as washing machines and refrigerators, to dispose of hazardous materials and to clean unwanted junk from garages.

In Simi Valley, officials attribute some of their success to letting residents put out as much recyclable waste as they want each week, with no requirement that they separate glass, paper and plastic.