New Jersey will face a trash disposal crisis in 2015 if it doesn't improve its recycling rate, according to the state's recycling chief.

Guy Watson, chief of the Bureau of Recycling and Planning, said the goal is to boost the state's municipal trash recycling rate from 33 percent to 50 percent.

Major goals and recommendations to encourage people to sort cans, bottles and paper from regular trash are part of proposed Department of Environmental Protection amendments to the state solid waste master plan.

Watson said that DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell wants the regulatory changes adopted by the Dec. 31.

"What has been lacking has been continuous education programs," Watson told local government officials at a recent briefing. "People need to know it is important to recycle and why."

If recycling rates don't increase, he said the state's 12 landfills and five incinerators will be unable to handle New Jersey's trash volume, creating dependency on other states.

He said the state generated 19 million tons of trash in 2003, a figure projected to grow to 33 million tons by 2015 due to population growth, poor recycling habits and more throwaway bottles and containers.

He said recycling has lagged in part because of a lack of enforcement of regulations and because state funds for education programs and for containers was eliminated.

A bill pending in the Legislature would appropriate $34 million to restore the state's recycling fund.

Jim Gray, Willingboro recycling coordinator, agreed that the education programs are needed.

"We can have these meetings until we all grow old, but the people we have to reach are the very young, impressionable children who can go home to their families and say, `If you don't recycle, you're in big trouble.' "

Ann Moore, Burlington County recycling coordinator, said the county has an education program for grades K-5 but only 12 school districts participate.

Burlington County's recycling rate of 42 percent is the highest in the state, she said. PROPOSED INITIATIVES