Recycling is now mandatory for large apartment buildings and condo complexes in the city of San Diego. KPBS Reporter Andrew Phelps says it's just one more way to keep trash out of the landfill.
Imagine you're a politician and you have to build a landfill. Where would you put it? No one wants it in their backyard.
Grealy: So, you know, the landfill capacity in the region is very restrictive. We're slated to run out of landfill capacity across the region within the next 20 years.
That's Stephen Grealy, not a politician, but he is in charge of the city's recycling . Rather than building new landfills, he says San Diegans should reduce their output.
Grealy: The average resident in the city of San Diego generates about eight pounds of waste per day. It's one of the highest rates in the state. And so the recycling will definitely help landfill capacity, both in Miramar and in the region.
Miramar is the city's only active landfill. It's expected to fill up by about 2012. After that, the trash would be piled too high for Navy jets to land safely at the Marine Corps Air Station.
Grealy says this week's new recycling rule should help. Recycling is now mandatory for apartment buildings or condo complexes with 100 units or more. To make sure it's really "mandatory," Grealy says city inspectors will be checking trash cans.
Grealy: The approach with enforcement, if it gets to that will be for commercial entities and large complexes. It won't be down to the individual resident level.
So if you don't recycle that stinky tuna can, you're probably safe. For now.
Andrew Phelps, KPBS News.
