A
recent survey by the California Integrated Waste Management Board finds that
waste diversion levels have climbed by 51 percent between 1998 and last year.
A
total of 28 million tons were diverted from landfills last year, an increase
from the 9.5 million tons diverted in 1998.
In
1989, the California’s ambitious AB 939 sought to reduce the amount of solid waste
going to landfills by 50 percent in 2000.
The
Waste Board estimates the 2000 statewide diversion rate at 42 percent, well
above the national rate, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pegged
at 28 percent for 1999. California's 1999 statewide rate was 37 percent.
Local
governments have worked diligently with citizens and the business community to
significantly increase their recycling, reuse and waste prevention practices in
response to AB 939. Programs ranging from curbside pickups and drop-off centers
to green waste collection, municipal composting, and more are responsible for
waste reduction successes throughout the state.
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Explore the January 2001 Issue
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