Santa Barbara plans to raise trash rates as landfill fills up

With its beautiful beaches and gated estates, Santa Barbara has an unsightly problem: too much trash, and not a lot of room left to bury it. The local dump is filling up, and China stopped taking most recyclables from the U.S. On July 1, trash rates are going up to fund new ways to handle the influx of garbage.

The County of Santa Barbara broke ground on the Tajiguas ReSource Center this week. When it's up and running, it’ll capture and divert recyclables and organic matter in order to reduce methane emissions and extend the life of the landfill. Photo courtesy of County of Santa Barbara.