How much you pay will depend on how friendly you want to get
with your trash.
How much you pay will depend on how friendly you want to get with your trash.
Rates at the John Smith Road Landfill will be subject to change in the upcoming months as part of a program to give incentives to people to reduce their waste and increase recycling by separating their garbage, according to Normandy Rose, director of the Integrated Waste Management Department.
People who separate their waste into recyclable and non-recyclable materials will be charged less than people who don’t, Rose said.
“The average person pays a minimum charge of $7.50 (at the landfill), and it’s going to $10,” she said. “But if they separate the waste they’ll pay $5.”
The incentive is part of a program implemented in 1989 by the state in an effort to reduce landfills by 50 percent.
With the financial incentive to separate the waste, San Benito County hopes to meet this goal – an objective about half of the counties in the state have already met, she said.
A public hearing is set for July 6 to give residents the chance to voice their opinions about the rate changes.
“It would be great if people showed up… but for the past 20 years nobody has showed up,” she said.
John Stewart, site manager at the landfill, said people who know about the rate changes have given very little reaction.
“It’s been pretty quiet – I thought it would be noisier, but it hasn’t,” Stewart said. “It’s been five years since an increase, so they expected something to happen.”
Some people bring separated waste already, but most people mix their loads, he said.
“It’s all about recycling and giving the landfill space,” he said. “It’s intended so people can separate better and get a price break.”
All of the waste rates, not just the minimum rates charged at the landfill, will be discussed at the public hearing on Tuesday, July 6 at 1:30 p.m. in the San Benito County Board of Supervisors chambers.
For more information or questions call the Integrated Waste Management Department at (831) 636-4176.
