OUR VIEW: Solid waste leaders are making a big difference
The Bakersfield Solid Waste Division is on a roll. One of the division's duties is to cut the amount of waste that ultimately ends up at the local landfill, and it has made great strides in working toward that state-mandated goal.
Along with gaining tentative approval for a citywide curbside recycling plan, the division has also implemented a food-scrap recycling program at 50 local elementary and middle schools.
More than 7 tons of food waste a week is now being spared from the landfill and made into compost at the city's green-waste facility. In the process, schools are saving hundreds of dollars on their trash bills each month.
The bigger achievement may be what the program does for school kids: It introduces into their developing brains the idea that we must work to sustain what we have, that the waste stream has consequences and demands responsibility, and there are available solutions.
Kudos to the city Solid Waste Division and local schools for finding creative ways to cut costs, reduce the trash that goes to landfills, and make a meaningful impression on future consumers.
