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Mr. Tom Horton Project 939-02.22 January 25, 1990 Page 5 Recycling reduces the demand for landfill space by diverting the reusable fraction away from the landfill. Extensive diversion extends landfill service life and prolongs the difficult and expensive process of siting new disposal facilities. New Legislation The State of California adopted a 1989 Integrated Solid Waste Management Act (ISWMA). The ramifications of this new law are far reaching and will influence all aspects of solid waste management. The following ISWMA related issues may effect the planning of the NCSL recycling facilities. 1 Recycling Goals: Under the ISWMA, cities and counties will be required to divert 25 percent, in the near term, and 50 percent, by the year 2000, of the solid waste stream currently entering their landfills. Although some portion of this waste diversion will be achieved through waste reduction, aggressive integrated recycling operations will be needed to reach the required goals. 2. Emphasis on Composting: Composting, or biologic decompostion and stabilization of source separated organic wastes, may have a major role in San Joaquin County's effort to divert landfill-bound refuse. The ISWMA preferentially encourages composting over other forms of refuse transformation by restricting transformations other than composting (i.e., incineration) to a maximum of 10 percent (after 1995) of the total diversion goal to be fulfilled. 3. Waste Characterization: The ISWMA requires each city or unincorporated area within the County to identify the character of waste generated within its jurisdiction. Objectives of performing a waste characterization study include establishing benchmarks for waste generation, source reduction, and recycling effectiveness. However, the information obtained from such a study will also be useful to effectively plan and implement recycling operations at the landfill.