Eight waste streams and one free Saturday – why does Santa Cruz County make legal junk disposal so hard?

Eight waste streams and one free Saturday – why does Santa Cruz County make legal junk disposal so hard?

Santa Cruz County wants residents to dispose of waste responsibly, but the system can make that surprisingly difficult, writes Steve Smith, who experienced these problems firsthand. A simple garage cleanout can mean eight different waste streams, multiple destinations, limited hours and hundreds of dollars in fees. Illegal dumping is never justified, he writes, but a cumbersome legal alternative doesn't make the problem easier to solve. If Santa…