COUNCIL EXTENDS DIAPER RECYCLING.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The city's first-in-the-nation recycling program for disposable diapers will continue for an additional three months before officials decide whether it has been successful.

The Santa Clarita City Council voted 4-1 late Tuesday night to extend the program even though the six-month pilot has had mixed results.

``I can't say whether it is a success or failure,'' said Councilman Frank Ferry. ``We don't have the answer yet.''

Although participation in the six-month pilot program has been high and the process smooth, the number of dirty diapers collected has failed to meet expectations, and the cost of the program has yet to be determined, city officials said.

``The past six months have been disappointing, and certainly not as successful as I hoped,'' said Mayor Cameron Smyth.

Councilman Bob Kellar exhorted the council to end the program, contending that diaper recycling was not cost-effective and would not result in a meaningful reduction in the amount of waste buried in landfills.

``I don't need any more information,'' Kellar said. ``It's never worked, and we should stop it now.''

Councilwomen Marsha McLean and Laurene Weste said Santa Clarita should not be reluctant to give the innovative program more time to be successful.

``How many people told the the Wright brothers they were crazy when they tried to fly?'' McLean said. ``It is extremely difficult to establish alternate technologies for dealing with waste. It would be a crime to cut this program off now.''

Ferry and Smyth said they would look closely at the amount of waste the program would be expected to divert from area landfills and the cost per ton of recycling the unpleasant melange before deciding whether to expand it citywide.

``We need hard answers in three months,'' Ferry said.

Data compiled by the city estimates that the program would boost Santa Clarita's recycling rate by just 0.22 percent, officials said. The per-ton cost of the diaper-recycling program has yet to be determined.

A lobbyist for Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, two of the largest diaper manufacturers, strongly urged the City Council to end the pilot program, saying the technology simply doesn't work.

``We question whether it is the best use of recycling dollars,'' said Dorothy Rothrock of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association. ``It has been unsuccessful.''

Rothrock's group opposes state legislation being pushed by recycler Knowaste that would impose a quarter-cent tax on disposable diapers to fund recycling programs, modeled on Santa Clarita's pilot program, throughout the state.

Several Santa Clarita residents also urged the City Council to end the pilot program and avert the new tax, but the council dismissed their testimony as being paid for by the diaper industry.

It is unlikely that Senate Bill 204 will be approved this year by the state Legislature, officials said.

Roughly 29.5 tons of dirty Pampers, Hugs and Luvs have been hauled away from about 200 homes in four Santa Clarita neighborhoods during the pilot.

However, just 2,390 pounds of dirty diapers were turned into recycled paper and diverted from area landfills, city officials said.

About 6.75 tons of plastic goods and pulp salvaged by the processor were sent to landfills because the material was not fit for sale, company representatives said.

The one-of-a-kind diaper processor, operated by Knowaste Inc., has been plagued by problems since its trial run began in November, according to city leaders and company officials.

A new plastics-processing system that Knowaste officials believe will be able to convert the plastic into a marketable commodity has been ordered and will be in place by the end of the month, Braly said.

Knowaste and Santa Clarita/Blue Barrel Disposal Co., one of the city's haulers, will bear the cost of the extended pilot program. The only cost to the city would be staff time, officials said.

The diaper-recycling service is being provided at no additional cost to residents during the pilot program. It is funded with $250,000 from city coffers and a matching grant from the state, along with money from Knowaste and Blue Barrel.