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Recycling and Composting

 

 

VALUE: SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS

Value-Based Practice:Implement steps to eliminate artificial pesticides and fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and other contaminants that disrupt ecosystems and human health.

First Step: EXPAND COMPOSTING AND THE FOOD SCRAP RECYCLING AND REUSE ECONOMY
Develop a City-wide waste management contract that expands composting and food scrap recycling.

Needs & Opportunities:
The City of Oakland’s waste management contract with Waste Management of Alameda County (WMAC) expires on December 31, 2012.  The implementation of a new franchise agreement is an opportunity for the city to more closely align recycling and composting services with their recently established environmental goals which include zero waste and greenhouse gas reductions; and to close the loop through organics recovery and provide compost back to the community. The current contract does not provide accessible food scrap recycling to all sectors, although considerable efforts have been made to provide education, cost incentives and technical assistance for food scrap recycling in the single-family residential and commercial sectors.  Food scrap recycling is uniformly available to single family residents because green cart service is included in the monthly service rate, whereas food scrap recycling is available to multi-family residents only in those buildings in which the building owner elects to subscribe to green cart service at an additional cost. We have the opportunity to establish a cost-effective rate structure which provides incentives for all generators of food scraps and organic waste to participate in food scrap collection programs.

Action Suggested:
City of Oakland: Develop a citywide waste management contract that expands composting and food scrap recycling, requires customer recruitment and education, and expands the current grant/donation system to return a minimum of 10 percent of finished compost to the community; build demand for urban organic materials by specifying the use of locally-produced compost and recycled mulch in public landscaping projects; and provide support to local organics recovery and processing facilities during environmental review, CEQA, and permitting.
Regional/State Governments: Work with local and regional governmental partners such as Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), StopWaste.Org, and the East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EDA) to retain and expand “green collar” jobs in reuse and recycling facilities, and to site needed new regional recycling/processing facilities in the region.
Community Members: Urban agriculture organizations and all generators of organic waste should request access to compost pickup service, and to free or low-cost finished compost for urban agriculture projects.
Public-Private Partnerships: Engage government entities with producers and retailers to establish Extended Producer Responsibility Programs.
Private Sector: Advocate for sufficient incentives and preservation of industrial land for sustainable development and green industry infrastructure.

Fiscal Impact:
By providing incentives for recycling rather than landfill, the City of Oakland will encourage waste service providers to align with the new green economy and the city’s own adopted zero waste and carbon reduction goals, while benefitting the ratepayers, who bear all the costs of waste services. 

Best Practices & Further Information:
Please refer to the Oakland Zero Waste Strategic Plan; the Oakland Municipal Code regarding solid waste collection and disposal and recycling; the Oakland resolution authorizing lockout settlement agreement with Waste Management; the Oakland resolution approving a Zero Waste System Design process and the Cornell Waste Management Institute for further information on large- and small-scale composting.

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