Ding Dong the Dump is Dead

After much public outcry from residents near the proposed MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) along Sierra Highway between Placerita Canyon Road and Golden Valley Road, Burrtec Waste Industries has decided to put the plan on hold, at least for now.

The proposed 170,000 square foot facility would have processed about 3,000 tons of waste per day, including the contents of recycle bins as well as the regular trash bins. Burrtec will be required by the City of Santa Clarita to build a recycling facility at some point, with a minimum of 1,000 tons of waste to be processed per day to start.

Santa Clarita does need to significantly reduce its waste in order to comply with the state mandate that cities recycle 50 percent of their waste. However, this doesn’t have to be done by digging through all of the residential and commercial trash, as stated in the current MRF plans.

Voluntary recycling can greatly reduce the amount of trash that would need to be processed through a so-called "dirty" MRF, where 100% of trash is dug through and sorted by people in a facility such as the one that has just been sidelined. If consumers would use their recycling bins properly, then the amount of recyclables that reach the regular trash bins would be greatly reduced.

If you’re unsure of what is recyclable, visit Blue Barrel’s website for a detailed list.