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New Recycling Ordinance Requires Locals to Use Their Bins

The new year has brought some changes to trash and recycling in the city of San Diego. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

New Recycling Ordinance Requires Locals to Use Their Bins

The new year has brought some changes to trash and recycling in the city of San Diego. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

A new mandatory recycling ordinance requires San Diego residents who have city-provided blue recycling bins to use them.

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Jennifer Ott works in the city's environmental services department. She says the program is being phased-in, starting with single-family homeowners.

Ott : If they have a blue recycling container, residents now have to use it for their recyclables and keep their recyclables out of their trash can. On February 11, the ordinance will go into place for multi-family complexes with 100 units or more, businesses over 20,000 square feet, and special events.

She says the goal of the mandatory recycling is to reduce the amount of waste sent to local landfills. Ott says the new ordinance is expected to keep 100,000 tons of material out of local landfills each year.

The Miramar Landfill is expected to fill up by 2012.

Ed Joyce, KPBS News.