Recycling in Western Contra Costa County

The West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority is the local public agency responsible for helping West Contra Costa meet the state-mandated recycling goal of 50 per cent. That means at least half of everything we dispose of, at home, at work, and out in the community, should find its way into a recycling bin. Although West County residents are eager to meet the challenge, the most recent statistics show only a 36 per cent of waste is being diverted from landfills to recycling.

While household waste is a key component of this, there is room for improvement in “construction and demolition” waste. When homeowners or businesses remodel or build, large amounts of recyclable materials are generated.

So if you are planning on major repair work before the rain returns, ask your contractors what they plan on doing with the waste generated from the project.

But increasing the amount of waste recycled may not be as difficult as you think. Many West County households are already very good at recycling, according to Waste Management’s data. Rather, the biggest challenge is getting people to continue their good recycling habits and bring them to work.

So just as you carefully place paper, cans, glass, and other materials into recycling bins at home, ask yourself what is happening to the paper, coffee grounds, and other materials at work.

To help everyone recycle more, the Waste Management Authority is working with local waste collection companies, landfills, schools, and community organizations to re-energize community interest in reducing waste as well. After all, if residents and business owners don’t make the waste in the first place, the question of how to recycle it becomes moot.

In addition to the state mandate, West County residents have an additional reason to improve their recycling and composting percentages. The West County Landfill will stop accepting waste for burial in early 2006. A new transfer station is being built at the landfill site, which will continue to serve the local communities’ waste disposal and recycling needs. However, the closure of the landfill highlights the importance of reusing, recycling, and composting as much as possible.

Nor are West County residents and business owners the only ones making this effort. The West County Landfill is one of a growing number of landfills bordering San Francisco Bay that are transitioning from active landfills to a more “resource recovery” focus.

If your business is not recycling, pick up the phone and call Richmond Sanitary Service (510) 262-1610. In El Cerrito, call the El Cerrito Sanitary Service at 510-237-4321.

You can learn about more ways to recycle items from tires to wood (and more) at the Waste Management Authority’s web site, www.recyclemore.com.