Now that an O'ahu Circuit Court judge upheld rulings by the state Land Use Commission and the city Planning Commission to allow the extension of the life of the Waimanalo Gulch landfill, it's time to focus on an all-out effort to reduce our solid-waste stream.

The city, state and consumers alike will need to work together and recognize that our island community cannot continue to be careless about the amount of waste we generate.

As far as the Waimanalo Gulch landfill goes, we've always been on borrowed time. Residents living near the landfill had been promised years ago by then-mayor Jeremy Harris that the landfill would be closed in May 2008. And after twists, turns and contortions, the City Council voted to expand the existing landfill. If those extension plans move forward, the site would provide a minimum of 15 years of life — depending on how much solid waste we generate.

Rather than tie the landfill issue up in endless appeals, that energy would be better spend on finding meaningful ways to reduce our ever-growing solid-waste stream.

There are some encouraging signs:

• The state Department of Health recently completed its review of the city's 25-year municipal solid-waste plan; a public hearing on the updated plan will be held in December, and the report should be finalized by spring of next year.

• Plans remain on track for a third-boiler at the H-Power garbage-to-energy plant, which should be in place by 2011. Converting our waste to energy remains a sensible solution. And mitigating the environmental impact — including ensuring a filtration process that keeps us in compliance with federal regulations and finding ways to reduce the ash generated by the process — must be a priority.

• An islandwide rollout of curbside recycling is underway — signs of early success are clear.

Reducing our solid-waste stream starts with consumers. O'ahu generates 1.76 million tons of trash a year, and after recycling efforts and H-Power diversions, about 300,000 tons finds its way to our landfill, according to the city.

That underscores the impact of multiple efforts.

Minimizing the amount of waste we generate will go a long way toward extending our landfill life, protecting our environment and, above all, chart a more responsible course for generations to come.