The 3 Main Junk Removal Problems Affecting Rancho Cucamonga There´s nothing more unsightly than finding an illegal dump in an abandoned urban lot or on a side street next to your local elementary school. Even worse is to find potentially toxic waste being dumped into rivers, streams, and other important waterways. Despite the fact that the state of California is publicized as one of the “greenest” states in the nation, there are several severe waste management problems that affect the people of our state. Consider the following issues related to waste management crises affecting several regions across the state of California: Lack of Viable Landfill Space: According to the organization CalRecycle, “21 of the state's 58 counties, having 41 percent of the population, will exhaust their (landfill) disposal capacity within 15 years. Of these, 17 have 8 years or less capacity. It takes 7 to 10 years to plan, design, and permit a new landfill.” Almost half of the people living in California, may not have an adequate landfill where they can send their trash items. Illegal Dumping by Major Companies: Another serious issue related to waste management in the state of California is illegal dumps. Though most cities and municipalities across the state deal with smaller-scale illegal dumps on a regular basis, there have also been several instances of large corporations illegally dumping potentially toxic waste material. For example, one of the major national retail companies has been caught illegally dumping hazardous materials into California landfills. One recent probe found that the company Target had illegally disposed of electronics, batteries, aerosol cans, and compact fluorescent light bulbs into landfills. They also disposed of medical waste, such as syringes and prescribed pharmaceuticals, in the same way. Similarly, major oil companies like Total and Shell dumped thousands of tons of waste into illegal dumping sites while Crystal Geyser bottled water was caught dumping arsenic-tainted wastewater without proper permission. Inability to Recycle Plastics: Lastly, with China and other Asian countries essentially banning exports of plastic recyclable items, many towns, cities, and municipalities across the state of California have essentially been unable to find a way to recycle the plastic items that people put into the recycle bins. In fact, at least 85 percent of single-use plastic items never get recycled, even if you dutifully separate your trash on pick-up day. Recently, California´s governor signed into law SB 343, a law that effectively limits what kinds of plastic can carry the recycling symbol in California. The 3 Main Junk Removal Problems Affecting Rancho Cucamonga