National statistics for 2005 show that the country recycled about 40% of its packaging waste and half of its paper-waste production.
But the Burbank recycling center's accomplishments so far have dealt with the low-hanging fruit — in other words, tasks that are most accessible to program organizers, he said.
What remains now are challenging problems such as reaching out to Burbank residents who may not pay much attention to recycling programs, or non-English speakers who are not exposed to recycling information because of a language barrier, he said.
Multifamily residences often pose additional problems because renters often move in and out of a facility without acquainting themselves with city programs, he said.
"It's just a little tougher to make that work because of the constant turnover," he said.
Electronic and plastic waste are also presenting new dilemmas for the center in terms of how to process the large volumes of computers, televisions and appliances and the potential contamination hazards that these types of items can pose, said recycling specialist Hope McAloon.
In a worst-case scenario, contamination can spread to ground sources of drinking water, but in February 2006, the state banned cities from pouring electronic waste into landfills to prevent such contamination, she said.
The center has been able to sell some of these types of waste, however, notably to automotive industry companies that use recycled plastics as padding for dashboards and upholstery, McAloon said.
