The Push to Recycle Our Mountains of Trash

Another long article on the impending landfill crisis hits the front page (Aug. 23), and in the Metro section, a listing of the composition of our garbage clearly shows that a great deal could be recycled. But, the lead article buries three small paragraphs regarding recycling while expounding in detail on the legal meanderings which have brought us to this point.

I am tired of hearing the pallid excuses for our lack of a comprehensive, concerted effort at recycling. If raw materials recovered from garbage were needed for a war effort, I’m sure the government would quickly find its clout. The average person I talk to has almost no idea of either the amount of garbage he generates or the looming crises in landfill capacity.

Suggestions:

1. Everyone must separate (glass, plastic, paper) trash, no matter how distasteful the job (which is obviously the major stumbling block).

2. We must limit, at the source, the amount of landfill-disposed waste. In Berkeley, each residence is allocated one city-issued issued lidded garbage bin. Residents are charged extra for additional pickup.

3. Residential and commercial garbage fees should be raised significantly.

4. Some 30% of garbage is grass, leaves and plant trimmings. In the San Francisco area a product called Compgrow, the result of combining organic plant wastes and treated sewage end products, is sold. Composting municipal garden wastes to sell is practiced by other cities in the United States, and as a gardener, I would welcome the chance to buy compost. The biggest problem in finding solutions to the trash we generate is lack of will.

SUSAN PETERSON

Los Angeles