Second of two parts

Re “Why Eriksson Is Celebrating – Litter-ally”

“We are on our way, but we still are lagging behind many other communities” – Goran Eriksson

This evening’s 7 o’clock City Council is supposed to be on the outlawing of polystyrene containers by Culver City restaurants.

Begging people’s pardon, Councilman Goran Eriksson says that “the big thing we have gotten a much stronger focus on our whole recycling and trash collection.”

Although Mr. Eriksson has delved deeply into polystyrene’s use in restaurants – that environmentalists say leads to destructive littering – as a businessman, recycling and trash collection are his dominant interests.

“When the polystyrene proposal came up last summer,” he said, “I saw that there was so much more to this that we should l9ok into.”

Almost blushing, the Swedish native said he will take “some credit” for bringing recycling and trash collecting to the forefront.

But Mr. Eriksson swiftly turned the light and further credit to Council colleague Jim Clarke, who is coming down to his final days in the mayor’s chair. “The mayor listened, and that was important,” Mr. Eriksson said.
Like the rest of the Council, Mr. Eriksson says the polystyrene ban should roar to approval. “But you never know until after the vote,” he said.

The community still needs to be encouraged and educated about recycling and dropping trash into the correct section of the container.

Mr. Eriksson says that while Culver City is gaining momentum in the campaign to maximize recycling, it trails many communities.

Speaking from Cabo San Lucas on a brief getaway, the Councilman made an observation from his perch in the harbor.

“Even down here, the trash is being neatly collected,” he said. “Three holes in every container – one is for paper, one is for plastic, one is for trash.

“We are not there yet in Culver City. But we are moving in that direction. We still have work to do.”