DIAPER PROGRAM MAY END COUNCIL MIGHT FLUSH RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Santa Clarita's first-in-the-nation recycling program for disposable diapers should be terminated because it has not diverted enough of the nasty nappies to justify its cost, according to the city staff.

After a 10-month pilot program, city officials determined this week that although diaper recycling was popular with participants, the untested technology was too expensive and did not effectively recycle the thoroughly unpleasant melange of Huggies, Pampers and Luvs.

``From our perspective the numbers just don't add up,'' said Field Services Director Chris Daste.

City funds would be better spent on programs that yield a higher diversion for lower costs, Daste said.

``There's a lot of really neat things about the diaper program, but if we go other ways we can get a bigger bang for our buck,'' Daste said.

Knowaste officials pointed to a city survey that found that nearly all the participants want the program to continue, and found that 63 percent were willing to have a nominal fee for the service added to their monthly trash bill.

``When you do something like this, it's not just about diversion rates, but taking human waste out of landfills and removing a health and environmental hazard,'' said Fiona Hutton, a spokeswoman for Knowaste Inc.

Roughly 43 tons of dirty disposable diapers have been hauled away from about 200 homes in four Santa Clarita neighborhoods since the pilot program started in November - an average of 381 pounds of dirty diapers per child, according to the report.

However, just 3.6 tons of dirty diapers were turned into pulp and plastic and sent to area recycling firms, city officials said. Nearly 7 tons of material produced by the processor was not fit for sale, according to the report.

Knowaste's one-of-a-kind diaper processor was plagued by problems throughout the trial run, according to city leaders and company officials.

Including water, electricity, permits, wages, sewage and treatment chemicals, it cost $1,846 to recycle a ton of dirty diapers during the pilot program, according to the report.

Programs designed to recycle waste created by construction and demolition work and stepped-up commercial recycling efforts are more effective than diaper recycling, Daste said.

On Tuesday, the Santa Clarita City Council will discuss whether to follow the staff's recommendation and direct Knowaste to sell the diaper processor. The council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd.

If Knowaste is unable to sell the diaper processor, the company will give the city $100,000.

If the program were expanded citywide, city officials expect that 634 tons of disposable diapers would be collected each year. Knowaste officials dispute that estimate, saying that according to their calculations, 1,985 tons per year would be collected.

Under the best-case scenario, the program would boost the city's diversion by just 0.22 percent, according to the city's estimates, or 0.65 percent according to Knowaste's figures.

In 2000, the city recycled 42 percent of its waste. Initial data compiled by state officials show Santa Clarita diverted just 39 percent away from landfills in 2001.

Santa Clarita must implement new programs in order to meet or exceed the 50 percent state-mandated recycling level by December 2005 to avoid state fines and other penalties, Daste said.

Critics of the program said the conclusions of the city staff affirm their contention that diaper-recycling programs are not cost-effective and do not result in meaningful reductions in the amount of waste buried in landfills.

Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, two of the largest diaper manufacturers, oppose the extension of the pilot program and have been aggressively lobbying city officials.

``The underlying economics of the program aren't sound,'' said Mitch Gorsen, a lobbyist for diaper manufacturers. ``The program should be terminated immediately before any more taxpayer money is wasted.''

The diaper-recycling service was 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 Disposal Co., the company that hauled the dirty diapers to the processor in Sun Valley.

Heather MacDonald, [phone]

heather.macdonald(at)dailynews.com