Trash Talk: Reduce and reuse are key in South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - We have all seen the photos of trash left behind on beaches, trails, parking lots and surrounding dumpsters not only in Lake Tahoe but across the country. This is only the tip of the problem and managing our trash is key to prevent landfills being overflowed with our unnecessary waste.

Recycling efforts like the elimination of single-use plastic including bags and straws, and biodegradable to-go containers have taken a back seat during the pandemic. To reduce the spread of germs and to keep COVID-19 at bay, rules of customers not being able to bring in their own bags to grocery stores, not using recyclable cups at their favorite coffee shop, and getting restaurant food to-go, single-use containers are filling not only dumpsters, but the dump as well.

When a person is done with an item that isn't recyclable and it is tossed in the trash it can only go three places - landfill, incinerator, or shipped to another country that will deal with it.

South Tahoe Refuse has a goal of nothing going to the landfill but the current pandemic situation has steered many away from reducing and reusing items to prevent waste.

"We are doing what we can but we can't change people's behaviors," said Jeanette Tillman, administrator and sustainability coordinator for South Tahoe Refuse (STR).

Being the lone refuse company in South Lake Tahoe they have seen about 75,000 extra tons of trash a day this summer. Normally they'd take in about 225,000 tons on holidays and weekends with ebbs and flows during the weekdays. With a constant three months of tourists to the area, Tillman said its been a constant spike and they have not seen the down times.

"Add to that the increase in day visitors, the piles of garbage in public places is hitting all time highs," said Tillman. "The increase daily has been about an additional 75,000 tons. There is some variation but it’s pretty consistent to see an additional 30 percent over spikes."

Single-use items make up about 90 percent of the volumes of trash at the refuse company. There have been numerous single-use food containers, COVID-preventing masks and grocery bags along with cans, bottles and paper.

"Normally much of that can be recycled, but because clean recycling is not being separated at residences housing visitors (50+ percent of homes) the contamination prevents anything that might be diverted from the landfill," said Tillman. "It is heartbreaking as typically the system works well...the content consisted mostly of single use disposable everything."

The company had to close their recycling buy-back center due to COVID-19. They reopened for a short time but the lack of proper protocols by those turning in items forced them to close again. This center contributed to post-consumer recycling processing.

STR recycling is now dependent on construction and demolition, and clean green waste, with the remaining items such as clean paper, plastics, aluminum at its lowest volume. The company has a "blue bag" program where homeowners can place recyclables inside and it is sorted at their transfer station. Employees sort through items that come through garbage conveyor belts, but if contaminated it cannot be recycled.

Once garbage hits the ground or spread by wildlife it is landfill bound automatically.

Tillman said they aren't concerned so much with the amount of trash as they can handle that, its the content that is a concern.

There are little things everyone can do to make a big difference:

• Create defensible space around your home by cleaning up yard waste.
• Choose re-usable masks whenever possible.
• Drink Award Winning Tahoe Tap, Opt for No-Plastic items
• Reduce the use of single use anything.
• Re-start your recycle habit.
• If a garbage can or dumpster is full, or locked, take your garbage with you.
• Use bear boxes correctly.

"At some point, we will have to face the effects of how we manage non-biodegradable waste filling our communities, landfills, and waterways,” said Tillman, “Even small efforts can have big impact”

Littering

South Tahoe Refuse and the City of South Lake Tahoe teamed together recently to fight back against littering and the growing problem of trash on public beaches, parks, and in other public areas.

“We have been seeing higher than normal traffic in town as the weather outside of the basin heats up,” said City Manager Joe Irvin. “This means more people are being reckless with their trash and that is not acceptable.”

Both the City and STR have increased collections but during peak times that hasn’t been enough.

“We’re seeing people leaving their trash next to bins, on our beaches, in our parks, even on our trails and bike paths,” said Irvin. “People have to take responsibility for their trash so it doesn’t become someone else’s problem.”

“It can be challenging but there are things we can still do to work toward maintaining equitable conditions that support a healthy balance between the special needs of people during this pandemic, the environment, and the wildlife that
share our home,” said Tillman.

Green Waste

STR has a green waste program where people can bring in un-bagged pine needles, branches, trees, grass clippings and wood. Do defensible space cleanup? Bring it in to their collection facility located adjacent to the refuse center. Nothing in plastic bags will be accepted. There will be a special Green Waste Dump Day on September 5 though through a special grant they are able to take daily (see VIDEO here).

Full Circle Soil and Compost of Carson City takes the green waste and converts into compost.