&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA-530-F-99-022d
October 1999
www.epa.gov/osw
Leisure World ^v A
Laguna Hills, California |f 50
50% Waste Reduction Rate
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Thanks to an aggressive program installed, maintained, and
encouraged by property management, the Leisure World residential
community in Laguna Hills, California, has cut its waste stream in
half. One of the keys to Leisure World's success is its composting
program. Landscape trimmings account for 25% of the
community's waste stream, with mixed residential recyclables (newspaper and
commingled containers) accounting for another 25%.
Program Description
eisure World is a sprawling residential
icommunity located on more than 700 acres
of land with approximately 18,000
residents. Building types range from
single-family units up to 24-unit
buildings. This poses an unusual
challenge for management who has
devised a combination centralized
collection for commingled materials,
drop-off system for newspapers, and
curbside program for the single-family
units.
Varied building configurations
result in three different trash collection
systems. Residents of three-story
buildings use trash chutes. Residents of
other multi-family units bring their trash
to three-cubic-yard containers in
enclosures located throughout the
premises. Residents of single-family units
put their trash at curbside for collection.
Outside contractors collect trash twice
per week.
While Leisure World has a strong
recycling program of typical home-
generated recyclables, what drives its
recycling rate to 50% is its composting
operation. This program began in
1990. Leisure World's landscaping
staff collect all landscaping debris
and grind, process, and compost it
on site. They use the finished compost as
potting soil in the on-site nursery, and mulch
for landscaping purposes. Staff use several
source reduction techniques, including direct
mulching when cutting grass, and planting
drought resistant species.
Leisure World's residents recycle beverage
containers, magazines, and telephone books at
one centralized drop-off site at the
maintenance service center, driving distance for
most residents. At this site there are nine
recycling collection containers, one or two for
each commodity. The containers are three-
cubic-yard metal bins. The material collected
here accounts for less than 5% of the total
recyclables diverted.
In-house staff collect newspapers curbside
from the single-family units. The remaining
population, who reside in multi-family
structures, place their newspaper in one-cubic-
yard covered metal bins. Approximately 450 of
these bins, custom designed for Leisure World,
are distributed throughout the complex
Materials Collected
Glass
Aluminum
Newspaper
Magazines
Yard trimmings
White goods
Scrap metal
Laser printer cartridges
This profile is part of the fact sheet Complex Recycling Issues: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction in Multi-
Family Dwellings (EPA-530-F-99-022).
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alongside trash containers. Private
contractors collect this material.
Other materials collected for
recycling including white goods, scrap
metal (such as old hot water heaters,
sinks, and other fixtures generated by
the maintenance department), and laser
cartridges. Management also plans to
implement a cardboard collection
program using one four-cubic-yard
container on the premises.
Staffing needs for the recycling
program are met with existing staff.
Because outside contractors handle the
collection of recyclables (except yard
trimmings), only a small amount of staff
time is devoted to cleaning the
centralized collection location. The
composting program has two
dedicated staff: one for materials
collection, the other for tub grinder
operation.
Outreach Activities
$109,000 for newspaper alone. Savings
are passed on to residents through
lowered operating costs. As of 1996,
nine years after implementing the
recycling program, Leisure World realized
$80,445 savings in operating expenses.
All program costs include equipment
(tub grinder and tractor to turn
windrows), start-up costs (grading of
compost site), and labor (two staff for
composting program).
The yard trimmings collection
program results in lower hauling and
tipping fees, reduced need for soil
amendment purchases, and reduced
water needs. Careful records of the flow
of materials and costs allow staff to
understand the true cost savings of
recycling. The program coordinator
tracks tonnage by requiring waste slips
from the contractor who has a scale on
its truck. The in-house composting staff
also weigh yard trimmings with an on-
board scale.
Tips for Replication
• Ensure a committed management
staff is on hand.
• Encourage residents to make the
extra effort to recycle.
• Keep careful cost and tonnage
records in order to recognize true cost
savings.
• Focus on recovering materials with
high volume and high value.
Contact:
Cindy Cramer
Management Analyst
Landscape Division
Professional Community
Management, Inc.
Leisure World
P.O. Box 2220
Laguna Hills, CA 92654
(714) 597-4669 fax (714) 470-0148
The program involves community
residents through governance
committees that oversee all aspects of
operations on the premises. This direct
involvement gives residents a direct
stake in the success of the program.
Interested residents often bring
contamination issues to the attention of
the program manager.
All recycling containers are labeled
with stickers indicating which materials
to deposit. Management promotes the
program through articles in the
community newspaper and bulletins on
the community cable channel.
Program Summary, FY96
Costs/Benefits
The centralized collection program
minimizes costs. Leisure World also
receives top dollar for its newspaper as it
is clean and uncontaminated. For
instance, in 1996 management spent
$95,000 on newspaper pickup, but
received $123,000 in revenue for this
newspaper and saved $82,000 in tipping
fees, netting an overall savings of
Start Date
Type of Buildings
Households Served
Total Waste Generated (Tons)
Disposed
Diverted
Total Diverted (%)
Materials Recovered
Yard trimmings
Newspaper
Other recyclables
Average Generation (Ibs./HH/day)
Disposed
Diverted
Fees per Year
Disposal
Diversion
Net Costs per HH per Year
Disposal services
Diversion services
Net Costs per Ton
Disposal services
Diversion services
1987 (yard trimmings added 1990)
318 single-family buildings and 2,231 multi-
family buildings; multi-family buildings range
from 2 to 24 units and from 1 to 3 stories
12,736
FY86
>14,500
14,500
NA*
NA
NA
0
NA*
0
>6.24
6.24
NA*
>$815,522
$815,522
NA*
>$64.03
$64.03
NA*
>$56.24
$56.24
NA*
FY96
15,755
7,800
7,955
50%
7,955
4,711
3,043
201
6.77
3.35
3.42
$735,077
$562,077
$173,000
$57.71
$44.13
$13.58
$46.66
$72.06
$21.75
FY = fiscal year HH = household NA = Not available
Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
'Leisure World had a newspaper recycling program before 1986, but did not track tonnage or costs.
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