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Economy, lifestyle changes lead to waste decrease By BILL VARBLE Oregonians in 2000 for the first time created and disposed of less waste than the year before. Most of the downturn, however, may stem not from any sudden surge in recycling but from a drop in development in connection with the slowing economy. The statewide waste recovery rate for the year, according to a study just released by the Department of Environmental Quality, was 38.9 percent, versus 36.8 percent in 1999. The recovery rate for Jackson County was 34 percent, well above the county's 25 percent target rate. Mary Sue Gilliland, of DEQ's solid waste program, said the results were encouraging. "We hope this is an indication that people are making lifestyle changes," Gilliland said. Jim Bradbury, a spokesman for Rogue Recycling and Disposal, said he expects the new lawn debris recycling containers now available to customers to bump the county's recycling numbers up further. Also coming slowly on-line is a co-mingled recycling program that allows some customers to put their recycling in one container instead of dividing it among several. The program is limited now but expected to be areawide by 2003. "That should have a big effect," Bradbury says. Each Oregonian in 2000 generated an estimated 2,645 pounds of waste, said the report, down 30 pounds from 1999. Each person disposed of 1,617 pounds, down 73 pounds, or about a 4 percent reduction. Organic material (food, wood waste, yard debris) makes up the largest category of waste in the state at 39.6 percent, followed by paper (37.1 percent), metals (11.3 percent), glass (5.1 percent) and plastics (1.4 percent). A state law that went into effect in June sets a statewide goal of 45 percent waste recovery by 2005 and 50 percent recovery by 2009. The targets call for no increase in per capita generation by 2005 and no increase in total waste by 2009. Jackson County easily exceeded its 2000 goal, as did Josephine County, which had a goal of 25 percent and an actual recovery rate of 33 percent. Klamath County recovered 18 percent of waste, beating its benchmark of 15 percent. Lane County led the state with 52 percent recovery. The worst rate was in Lake County, where only 8 percent was recovered. DEQ solid waste manager Christopher Taylor said the greatest potential for improvement by far is in the commercial sector, especially in construction and demolition waste. High on the list of recoverable materials are lumber, sheetrock, scrap metal, cardboard and office paper. Another large and growing category in the stream of waste is food, DEQ said. More data from the DEQ report is expected to be posted on the Web by late September at www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/solwaste/rsw.htm. Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.