No Increase in Trash fees for the Past 5 Years

By Bob Ooten

My goal is to continue to keep Costa Mesa Sanitary District (CMSD) trash fees from increasing by addressing savings in the three main areas of the fee, which are 45% for trash discard tonnages, 38% for the residents trash can pickup and 17% contract adminstration costs

To continue reducing trash discards, several programs have been developed. CMSD provides composting units to residents and has expanded educational programs for school children and adults about opportunities to recycle, reuse, and reduce the trash discards. CMSD provides residential pick up of household hazardous waste (e.g. household batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and e-waste) and supports local disposal (i.e. Orange Coast College Recycling Center) so the residents do not have to travel far to the three county sites for disposal.

The sale of composting units and food waste pails is an expanding program that shows promise for the 17,000 residences served by CMSD to further reduce their trash discards. CMSD partially offsets the cost to residents charging them $20 for the unit which costs CMSD about $38. Studies have shown that composting yard and kitchen food wastes can reduce the annual quantity that a resident discards by up to one half ton per year. The CMSD expense for residential composting will likely be paid back in one year. After the first year of use, residential composting will further reduce CMSD operating costs. This activity has great potential for savings because food and yard wastes are about 25% of residential trash discards.

Other creative means to reduce trash discards are becoming available. Costa Mesa Friends of the Libraries offers a way to recycle used books which would otherwise be a trash can discard. Papers and other newsprints are getting smaller and thinner. Orange Coast College Recycling Center (located on Adams Avenue) takes cans, glass, paper, cardboard, electronic wastes, fluorescent bulbs, and household batteries. I would propose a citizens group be formed to learn from and educates others of their experiences. This would tie into the just completed CMSD strategic plan that has an objective to promote recycling and maximize the use of feasible source reduction and recycling options.

Residents have controlled the rising costs of trash service by employing many forms of recycling, reduction and reuse. I personally recycle at OCC, have a backyard compost unit in operation and have converted my yard to low water use plantings all of which reduce my trash discards.

The strategic plan will address the Contract administration costs and any potential to reduce the costs associated with each resident being allocated two trash cans.