Thank you. See San Diego is in the for fronts to mitigate climate change and cut down on watcher use but according to sustainability analysts we still throw too much garbage into the landfill. The San Diego equinox project says per capita non-recycled waste is actually increasing overall for the last few years. This is a trend I love a clean San Diego wants to reverse and their campaign kicks off today on America recycles Day. Joining me as Pauling Martinson executive director of I love clean San Diego. Welcome.Great to be here.San Diego and typically generate more trash per person than others in California, why?5.5 San Diego inns is producing waste, if we are cutting down on those items we are not throwing as much in the trash. We also need to know how to recycle.You mentioned 5.5 pounds of trash per day is what the average person throws away and our landfills are filled with material that could be recycled. How much of that is going into landfills?In 2015 we did a study that showed 70% of materials in landfills are recyclable or could be used for other reasons. That is too much and we really want to make sure we are educating about how to make less trash in the first place and how you can properly recycle.What do you see when you go into a landfill? Do you see a lot of cardboard and bottles that you know could be recycled and be diverted somewhere else?Yes. We are finding items that can be recycled and that is a shame because we have those resources. We are also finding different items like organic material that could be composted before it gets in there or furniture that could have been repaired or repurposed. I know the city is working on recovering those items before they go to the landfill and we are trying to educate how people can divert to the landfill and make the best use of their resources.The climate action plan has goals in terms of the amount of waste going into the landfill. Remind us of those goals.They are committing to 75% diversion by 2020 and that will elevate 20 waste. That will be over 90% in 2040.Why aren't people recycling more? Is it difficult to recycle here in San Diego compared to parts of the state?I think there are resources for every community and it could be confusing because where you live dictates what you can put into your recycling bin. There are general tips and things to understand about recycling that we have made it easy with this waste free database. You can search your item on there in relation to your community and they will tell you where you can repair it, repurpose it, discard of it properly or recycle it.Are there areas of the state that have fines for people that don't recycle?San Diego and all of the cities within the county have standards that the state has put on that mandate the amount of recycling for diversion from the landfill that every resident needs to do. The city could be fined if they are not meeting those levels, the same with cities around the county. It is a collective total and typically averaged out pounds per person per day. The standards are increasing in 75% is where the state wants to go so the cities are working to get the word out on that.You said 5.5 pounds per person per day, what should we be putting into the landfill, how much should we be cutting that down?If we are working toward the climate action plan and zero waste goals we are looking to have almost 90% diverted. There would be just a few items that could not be recovered like diapers and broken down things like soft plastics and things we cannot find a market to recycle. For now we are trying to make that jump and it is about looking at the highest and best use of the resource. Instead of throwing it in the trash we should be looking to repair things and using more reusable than less disposables.On Facebook I love a Clean San Diego has started a series of challenges. Tell us about that.We have an online quiz which is a bit of a scavenger hunt and we are asking the public to come on Facebook and go through that quick challenge. We have certain items we are asking about where they can be disposed of and what should we do with them. It is fun with items like pains and refrigerators, these are items that San Diego searches on our website all the time. A lot of these items are hazardous and they cannot go into your blue been in the quiz is a fun way to educate San Diego we also have goodie bags to help you live a zero waste lifestyle.I have been speaking with Pauline Martinson executive director of I love a Clean San Diego. Thank you so much.
San Diego County residents throw away an average of 5.5 pounds of trash per day per person, which is about a large kitchen bag full of waste.
That's more than the state average and other major urban counties in the state, according to 2015 data from the Equinox Project.
This is a trend that I Love a Clean San Diego wants to reverse. Its campaign to encourage more recycling goes into high gear Wednesday, which is America Recycles Day.
“I think it’s really confusion about what to recycle and really the use of single use plastic items. You know if we’re cutting down on those items, we’re not throwing as much in the trash. We also need to know how to recycle and encourage San Diegans to do that,” said Pauline Martinson, the executive director of I Love a Clean San Diego.
Martinson joins Midday Edition on Wednesday to discuss ways San Diego County residents can reduce what they are sending to the landfill.
