In 1997, California's legislators proposed several bills that tinker with trash. No one likes waste. But the perpetual push to meet the waste challenge through mandates and regulations is wrongheaded.
Recycling is often a good idea.
Mandates are not. By state law, California cities must soon divert 50 percent of waste away from disposal facilities. Yet these cities face widely varying situations. For example, rural communities often find it more costly to implement aggressive recycling programs than some suburban and urban communities. Even within San Diego County, costs to recycle vary among rural, urban and suburban areas.