Recyling

A state law requiring California cities to divert 50% of their waste from landfills by 2000 has helped spur a recycling revolution here. Californians are recycling beverage containers, used motor oil, office paper and cardboard at an ever-increasing pace. Officials estimate most cities and counties met a Jan. 1, 1995 requirement to reduce trash reaching landfills by 25%, but critics wonder whether the 50% goal is reachable.

For the first time, the old asphalt the city tears up during street repairs will be recycled--saving the city money and helping to preserve the environment. The old asphalt will be mixed with about 40,000 tires and used as street repaving material in the Fairview Road improvement project, which will be completed in August. The city pays more than $22 for each ton of refuse it throws into landfills. And that's without accounting for shipping, which can cost much more.

In a city where the rubber meets the road more than anywhere else, the thought of turning rubber into road had an instant appeal. Armed with more than $1 million in low-interest state loans, Los Angeles city officials have lured a Kentucky-based recycling company to a depressed Harbor Gateway community to turn a mountain of discarded tires into something useful.

A state law requiring California cities to divert 50% of their waste from landfills by 2000 has helped spur a recycling revolution here. Californians are recycling beverage containers, used motor oil, office paper and cardboard at an ever-increasing pace. Officials estimate most cities and counties met a Jan. 1, 1995 requirement to reduce trash reaching landfills by 25%, but critics wonder whether the 50% goal is reachable.

The owners of a Wilmington recycling business on Pacific Coast Highway say they will bow to community pressure--and city law--and close the business by Saturday. Operating as the Penny Recycler, its owners have kept the business open despite an order by the city of Los Angeles' Building and Safety Commission to close May 16. The recycler has also drawn opposition from some residents, businesses and the Police Department.

About 177,000 tons of broken glass, twisted metal awnings and other recyclable materials salvaged from Hurricane Andrew's destruction will be offered for sale, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The vast majority of the debris--some 788,000 tons--will be permanently disposed of in ways yet to be determined, Army Corps spokeswoman Bonita Lett said Friday.

Students from La Verne Heights Elementary School looked high and low for a visual almanac for their computer software, and they found it in Burbank on Wednesday. "Everybody wants this," said Kenya Cox, a fifth-grader who headed the La Verne school's KidsCan campaign. Holding the software package the school won, Kenya said, "We couldn't find it anywhere, and now we got it."

For the first time, the old asphalt the city tears up during street repairs will be recycled--saving the city money and helping to preserve the environment. The old asphalt will be mixed with about 40,000 tires and used as street repaving material in the Fairview Road improvement project, which will be completed in August. The city pays more than $22 for each ton of refuse it throws into landfills. And that's without accounting for shipping, which can cost much more.

A Cal State Northridge student recycling program has added an innovative twist in its efforts to avoid creating garbage. Through the Associated Students Recycling Program, damaged wood pallets are being recycled and used to receive food items, books and supplies delivered to the university. The pallets provide a platform on which handlers can stack materials for delivery to university warehouses. A Pico Rivera recycling company pays the Associated Students at least 60 cents per damaged pallet.

Keeping trash out of landfills has never been more fashionable. The plastic soda bottle left in the recycling bin today could end up on your back tomorrow. As part of the "green" movement, manufacturers of outdoor clothing and equipment are increasingly using environmentally-friendly fibers spun from recycled plastic and other trash. Ventura-based Patagonia is one such distributor of "eco-wear."

In a city where the rubber meets the road more than anywhere else, the thought of turning rubber into road had an instant appeal. Armed with more than $1 million in low-interest state loans, Los Angeles city officials have lured a Kentucky-based recycling company to a depressed Harbor Gateway community to turn a mountain of discarded tires into something useful.

A redevelopment plan has been approved for a controversial recycling center and junkyard to operate until 2013 without obtaining new permits. Mayor Tom Daly argued unsuccessfully during a City Council meeting Tuesday that the city should be given greater authority to place operating conditions on Adams Steel, which is under a court order to remove a 50,000-ton pile of potentially toxic waste by May, 1998. The pile consists of scrap metal and foam from shredded automobiles and appliances.

Keeping trash out of landfills has never been more fashionable. The plastic soda bottle left in the recycling bin today could end up on your back tomorrow. As part of the "green" movement, manufacturers of outdoor clothing and equipment are increasingly using environmentally-friendly fibers spun from recycled plastic and other trash. Ventura-based Patagonia is one such distributor of "eco-wear."

A Cal State Northridge student recycling program has added an innovative twist in its efforts to avoid creating garbage. Through the Associated Students Recycling Program, damaged wood pallets are being recycled and used to receive food items, books and supplies delivered to the university. The pallets provide a platform on which handlers can stack materials for delivery to university warehouses. A Pico Rivera recycling company pays the Associated Students at least 60 cents per damaged pallet.

A plan that would force existing and future Simi Valley housing developments to set aside specific areas for recycling dumpsters has been approved by the Simi Valley Planning Commission. The commission agreed Wednesday night to forward the proposal to the City Council for final approval. If passed, it will revise Simi Valley's current recycling ordinance and bring the city closer to state-mandated recycling goals, city officials said.

Students from La Verne Heights Elementary School looked high and low for a visual almanac for their computer software, and they found it in Burbank on Wednesday. "Everybody wants this," said Kenya Cox, a fifth-grader who headed the La Verne school's KidsCan campaign. Holding the software package the school won, Kenya said, "We couldn't find it anywhere, and now we got it."

A redevelopment plan has been approved for a controversial recycling center and junkyard to operate until 2013 without obtaining new permits. Mayor Tom Daly argued unsuccessfully during a City Council meeting Tuesday that the city should be given greater authority to place operating conditions on Adams Steel, which is under a court order to remove a 50,000-ton pile of potentially toxic waste by May, 1998. The pile consists of scrap metal and foam from shredded automobiles and appliances.

A plan that would force existing and future Simi Valley housing developments to set aside specific areas for recycling dumpsters has been approved by the Simi Valley Planning Commission. The commission agreed Wednesday night to forward the proposal to the City Council for final approval. If passed, it will revise Simi Valley's current recycling ordinance and bring the city closer to state-mandated recycling goals, city officials said.

The owners of a Wilmington recycling business on Pacific Coast Highway say they will bow to community pressure--and city law--and close the business by Saturday. Operating as the Penny Recycler, its owners have kept the business open despite an order by the city of Los Angeles' Building and Safety Commission to close May 16. The recycler has also drawn opposition from some residents, businesses and the Police Department.

About 177,000 tons of broken glass, twisted metal awnings and other recyclable materials salvaged from Hurricane Andrew's destruction will be offered for sale, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The vast majority of the debris--some 788,000 tons--will be permanently disposed of in ways yet to be determined, Army Corps spokeswoman Bonita Lett said Friday.