WHY. VICKI: CALIFORNIA’S AMBITIOUS RECYCLING GOALS ARE FALLING SHORT. >> NOW, WHETHER WE GET THERE AT 2020, 2025, 2030, I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO SET THAT GOAL AND LAY OUT THE VISION FOR WHERE WE NEED TO GO SO WE CAN SET POLICIES AND ENACT ACCORDINGLY. VICKI: CAL RECYCLE EXPLAINING ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A VARIETY OF REASONS WHY, ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST COMES FROM CHINA, OUR ONCE LARGEST EXPORTER NOW REJECTING MOST RECYCLABLES. SO, MUCH OF WHAT USED TO BE EXPORTED NOW GOES TO THE LANDFILL. >> JUST BECAUSE IT’S POSSIBLE TO RECYCLE SOMETHING DOES NOT MEAN THAT MATERIAL IS RECYCLABLE. THERE HAS TO BE A MARKET FOR THAT MATERIAL. VICKI: PLASTICS ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST CULPRIT AND THAT TRIANGLE CIRCLING A NUMBER IS KEY. THOSE WITH NUMBERS ONE AND TWO, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SODA AND WATER BOTTLES, ARE OPTIMAL. NOW WHEN YOU GET HIGHER THAN THAT, IT BECOMES MORE UNCERTAIN, PLASTICS NUMBERED THREE TO FIVE, SUCH AS YOGURT CONTAINERS, ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND A BUYER. AND PLASTICS NUMBERED SIX AND SEVEN LIKE THAT KEURIG-LIKE CONTAINER ARE THE MOST UNDESIRABLE. ONE OF THE BIGGEST SURPRISES, EVEN IF DESIRABLE, WHEN DIRTY, THE CONTAINER MAY NOT BE VALUABLE. >> PLASTIC IS ABSOLUTELY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR RECYCLING. VICKI: MARK MURRAY WITH THE NON-PROFIT CALIFORNIANS AGAINST WASTE EXPLAINS IN RECENT YEARS THERE’S BEEN A PROBLEMATIC SHIFT BY MANUFACTURERS TOWARDS LESS RECYCLABLE MATERIALS TO SAVE MONEY. >> ANY PLASTIC THAT HAS A NUMBER THREE THROUGH NUMBER SEVEN ON THE BOTTOM OF IT, WE HAVE NO MARKETS FOR RECYCLING THAT MATERIAL. AND BECAUSE IT’S SO CHEAP, MANUFACTURERS ARE USING MORE AND MORE OF THIS NON-RECYCLABLE PACKAGING. VICKI: THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO IS BEING PROACTIVE, LAUNCHING THE SAC-RECYCLE APP, A USER-FRIENDLY TOOL TO COMBAT THE CONFUSION AND UNCERTAINTY. >> WE DON’T WANT RESIDENTS TO SAY, OH, IT’S TOO MUCH WORK, IT’S TOO HARD TO RECYCLE. I’M JUST GOING TO THROW EVERYTHING IN THE GARBAGE. WE STILL NEED TO DIVERT FROM THE LANDFILL. WE STILL NEED TO COL