Mixed Nuts in California!

by Terese Hartjoy @ Thorne's World

While California lawmakers push bill 479 that would require cities and counties to increase the amount of waste diverted out of landfills from 50 percent to 60 percent by the year 2015, California cities and communities span wide gaps in compliance projections and successes.

San Joaquin County is responsible for diverting a whopping 67% of its waste from the landfills. The county's success, officials say, is to the credit of watchful citizens and programs aimed at preventing special kinds of recyclable waste like TVs and Computer hardware from entering the landfills.

Other communities like Manteca, are struggling to maintain a diversion rate above 50 percent. Manteca sends sludge from its wastewater treatment plant to landfills because air quality officials objected due to odors when the sludge was applied to fields as fertilizer.

Los Angles is running between 50 and 53%, while San Francisco tops the chart at a heartfelt and dedicated 70% diversion!

How is your city and state doing, and what can you do to help? Remember: reduce, reuse, precycle, recycle, and upcycle!

Remember folks, keep it green with Simply Green!