What is being done through recycling programs and other means to reduce the need for landfill disposal space?
The City has an aggressive recycling program that collects newspapers, phonebooks, magazines, paperboard, cardboard, glass and plastic jars and bottles, and metal cans. The City also collects yard waste including grass clippings, leaves and tree branches. In addition, the City also collects bulky items such as tires and white goods (refrigerators, washing machines, etc.), and household hazardous waste. When all of the individual achievements of the distinct programs are tallied, the program yields an approximately 31% diversion rate (based on weight from 2002 totals). This diversion rate is accomplished at ‘the curb’. Department of General Services (DGS) staff completes 30,000 collection stops weekly collecting over 13,000 tons of recycled material annually. This diversion rate is a ‘solid’ number based on actual tonnages and scale data that is derived from weight measurements of DGS collection activity. The goals of the program are defined by two basic paradigms; the micro or local le
