The city council voted Oct. 2 to approve the new construction and demolition debris recycling ordinance, which requires projects affecting more than 2,500 square feet of floor space to recycle their material.

The ordinance is the city's latest step in following the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, which called for all California cities to recycle at least half of all their waste material. By 1992, Saratoga had adopted the Source Reduction and Recycling Element and currently recycles about 56 percent of its waste.

To maintain that, however, the city is mandating recycling from construction and remodeling projects. Before they are approved, proposed projects must also include recycling plans to be reviewed by the community development department. Projects must also provide documentation of their recycling efforts.