A Success Story

Where does all the trash that people throw out go? The trash collector hauls it away and many people don’t give it a second thought. It ends up in landfills, taking up space and creating gases and liquids that can cause pollution. The San Bernardino County Public Works Department/Solid Waste Management Division works hard to reduce waste through recycling. Selected loads of waste are sorted and materials are pulled out for further processing to be reused or recycled. This program has significantly helped the County reach its state-mandated waste diversion goals. In fact, during 2018, the Solid Waste Management Division diverted 60% of waste from landfills – 145,160 tons. And since 2006, they have diverted over 1.13 million tons of materials – equivalent in volume to two Empire State Buildings full of waste.