Why the Need to Recycle?
Desert Hot Springs currently disposes approximately 25,000 tons of waste per year. We project this to triple over the next 7 years based on the expected population growth. In 1989, California Assembly Bill 939 mandated that by the year 2000, each City in the State must recycle 50% of their waste stream. Today the State average is around 48%. Unfortunately, Desert Hot Springs is lagging in their diversion numbers and the State has recognized our City as being in "Non-Compliance." This means that our City must implement more programs in order to reach the 50% goal for waste diversion. Failure to meet this goal will result in State fines of up to $10,000 per day.
You may ask what has caused the City to fall behind in recycling?
For several years, the City has been distracted with many political issues and has experienced a variety of staffing problems. This has resulted in taking away the focus of the importance of recycling.
However, the current Council has made recycling a priority and has responded with a plan to meet the recycling mandate. Not only has the city set a goal of cleaning up the community, but they are prepared to implement several recycling programs in order to become compliant.
Automation is one major step in increasing the recycle diversion.
Automation will involve every citizen in our City. Each person must be able to recognize what is recyclable and what is considered waste. Many customers are not aware of the wide variety of items that are recyclable including many types of paper, plastic and glass. The new, 96 gallon recycle cart allows for a greater amount of recyclable material to be collected each week. Since the population of Desert Hot Springs includes a high percentage of families, our volume of waste far exceeds the average for most cities in the Coachella Valley.
As we get closer to implementing Automation, we will be offering literature in both English and Spanish that will be readily available to the public. This information will provide the knowledge you will need on how to fully participate. It is important to understand the difference between waste and recycling materials so that the pickup and disposal process can run as efficiently as possible. If waste and recycling materials are cross contaminated, it will cause delays in the pickup schedule.
We appreciate your cooperation in making Desert Hot Springs a champion of recycling!
