CITY RECYCLING EARNS PRAISE; THOUSAND OAKS LEADS COUNTY IN LANDFILL WASTE REDUCTION.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Thanks to countless volunteers and a citizenry savvy about environmental issues, the city of Thousand Oaks won praise for the recycling programs that have cut the city's landfill waste in half.

The California Environmental Protection Agency recognized the cities of Moorpark, Oxnard and Simi Valley for diverting 25 percent or more of their trash from landfills.

But Thousand Oaks earned special kudos from the agency for surpassing the 50 percent mark.

``The progress these cities have made in cutting the amount of garbage going to landfills is phenomenal,'' said Daniel Pennington, chairman of the EPA's Waste Board, in a prepared statement.

``These local governments provide the example for other communities to follow on how to reach that goal,'' he said.

The goals are outlined in the state's Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, calling for a 25 percent cut by 1995 and a 50 percent cut by 2000. Since the act was implemented, 100 million tons of waste has been diverted statewide.

The Waste Board, the state's primary recycling body, commended the Ventura County cities Wednesday as part of the board's review of cities and their progress. Reviews are completed every two years.

By 1996, Oxnard had diverted 31 percent of its waste from landfills. Moorpark and Simi Valley shifted 36 percent and 49 percent, respectively. And Thousand Oaks recorded a 53 percent reduction.

Carolyn Greene, environmental programs analyst for the city of Thousand Oaks, said she credits the city's waste-diverting success to the dozens of volunteers who helped start the city's recycling programs and who have since helped to expand them citywide.

Greene also said the local refuse companies have worked with the city to arrange for curbside pickup of recyclables, and the final phase of a fully automated pickup of all trash and recyclables, including lawn trimmings, is scheduled to begin by next year.

``We have tried to make it as easy for the residents to recycle something as it is for them to just throw it away,'' she said. ``And I think the city has been successful in developing contracts that provide the financial incentives for both the haulers and the customers to reduce waste in the city.''

Though the city already has surpassed the 50 percent mark mandated by the state, Greene said Thousand Oaks will continue to cut trash.

With the local construction economy booming, for instance, Greene said the city is now looking into possible programs to increase the recycling of construction and demolition materials, such as scrap lumber and dry wall.