City’s Pilot Trash Plan Takes a Recycled Route

Orange residents from 4,000 households will have to trade in their metal and plastic trash cans in the next two months during a trial run for a new three-cart trash service provided by the city.

The city will be implementing a pilot run Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 and plans to have all 28,000 homes served by March.

Trash routes will have to be modified for 4,200 households, and 1,100 households will be affected by street-sweeping changes. The modifications are because businesses are not included in the program.

The three-cart system includes a bin for recyclable materials such as paper, plastic bottles, glass jars and cans; a cart for green waste, such as garden trimmings and sawdust; and a container for non-recyclable refuse.

Residents will have a choice of three 96-, 64- or 35-gallon containers and can request extra recyclable and green-waste bins at no cost. Residents will have to pay $2.40 extra a month to have an additional refuse bin.

“We are trying to encourage recyclable and green-waste composting, but we are to trying to discourage the generation of non-recyclable materials,” said Jamie Herbon, a Public Works Department analyst.

City staff has proposed raising the monthly trash charge to $10.25 from $9.10, and the City Council will vote on the increase Nov. 9. The new rate would be effective once the program is running.

Herbon said state law requires cities to cut trash waste 50% by 2000. About 252,600 tons of trash was transported from Orange in 1990, and the city has reduced the amount by 34%.

Mayor Joanne Coontz said the city has worked hard to make sure residents are aware of the changes and anticipates a smooth transition.

“This is going to help us, and we are including green waste, which I think is really important,” Coontz said. “I think it’s going to work very well.”

Herbon said the new service allows the city and community to work together as a team to meet the city’s goal and to improve the environment.

“Environmentally there are so many positive aspects about recycling,” she said. “The entire community benefits as a whole.”

Marissa Espino can be reached at (714) 966-5879

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

New Collection Days

A pilot recycling program will alter some garbage pickup days in Orange, excluding Villa Park and unincorporated land within the city limits.