Receive update on recycling and organics programs currently being implemented by the Integrated Waste Management Division. (No general fund impact) (Echiburu/Juhler)

Receive update on recycling and organics programs currently being implemented by the Integrated Waste Management Division.

Sustainable Environment

To continue utilizing natural resources efficiently and lower greenhouse gas emissions, the Yolo County Integrated Waste Management Division has several programs, grants and legislative updates it would like to provide.

Legislation

SB 212: Producer Funded Pharmaceutical and Sharps Collection Programs to California. Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (Santa Barbara).  Signed by Governor Brown in September of 2018.
This bill is now in the stages of implementation, whereby CalRecycle has reviewed and determined that the proposal from The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation (The Foundation) met all statutory and regulatory requirements and has directed The Foundation to proceeded forward with conditional approval. Within the next 90 days, The Drug Takeback Solutions Foundation will submit all final program budgets to CalRecycle and will begin working with jurisdictions, like Yolo County, to establish fee reimbursement for collection programs, with an anticipated start date of September of 2022.  IWM currently spends $22K annually on proper collection and disposal of pharmaceuticals and sharps.

SB 289: Recycling of batteries and battery-embedded products. Senator Newman (D-Brea). Co-Sponsored by the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) Held in the Committee on Appropriations and died on March 20th, 2021.  This bill would have made the Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 and the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act of 2006 inoperative as of June 30, 2025, and would repeal those acts as of January 1, 2026.  The bill would enact the Battery and Battery-Embedded Products Recycling and Fire Risk Reduction Act of 2021, which would require producers, as defined, either individually or through the creation of one or more stewardship organizations, to establish a stewardship program for batteries and battery-embedded products.  The bill would require a stewardship organization or producer, on or before June 30, 2025, to submit to CalRecycle a stewardship plan for the collection, transportation, and recycling, and the safe and proper management, of batteries or battery-embedded products in the state. The bill would require the plan to include specified elements, including a collection system for batteries and battery-embedded products with a specified minimum distribution of collection sites and a funding mechanism to provide sufficient funding for implementation of the plan. IWM staff is watching this bill closely to see if it will make it back in 2022 for Yolo County to consider presenting a Letter of Support.  Currently, IWM spends $56K annually on proper disposal of household batteries.   In addition to the batteries, IWM spends $60K a year in disposal to get rid of approximately 450,000 pounds of battery-embedded products collected at the Yolo County Central Landfill and Esparto Transfer Station. This problem continues to increase as more devices are made of lower quality and intended for one-time use.

SB 1383: This bill has a multitude of programmatic elements that IWM staff is required to implement in 2022.  While a lot of focus has been on Edible Food Recovery (EFR), there are many other elements that will affect our residents and businesses this year:

• Uniform Lid Color Requirements - Unincorporated Davis residents to receive green lid swap in Summer/Fall 2022
• Commercial Enforcement of Recycling and Organics Segregation and Collection - Onsite visits are being conducted to "right size" customers
• Residential Waste Audit Requirements to Reduce Contamination - Starting in April 2022, 35 homes will be selected at random, from each town, for a complete waste audit 
• Procurement of Compost - All 77,000 households in Yolo County will receive information on free compost giveaway days in April and October 2022
• Implementation of Textile Recycling - In March 2022, the Yolo County Central Landfill will start accepting textiles (clothing, linens, etc.) for reuse and recycling
• EFR - Unincorporated Yolo County is the first of our 5 jurisdictions to have signed agreements in place with food generator and pantry, with 66 pounds being collected in first 4 weeks of program

Illegal Dumping

Education: In March of 2022, IWM staff started an education and outreach campaign at the Yolo County Central Landfill as well as the Esparto Transfer Station to educate self-haul and commercial customers about the importance of covering their load.  This campaign is being run in both English and Spanish and includes a survey of how many customers a fee would be applicable to, should the Board of Supervisors choose to direct IWM to charge a fee for uncovered loads in the future.  This survey will include a breakdown by jurisdiction and by customer type (residential auto, truck, trailer and commercial hauler). IWM intends to bring this item back to the Board with Master Fees in July for consideration.  IWM will also continue to conduct targeted outreach to remind seniors and disabled residents in the unincorporated county that free at-home pickup of bulky items, appliances, tires and hazardous waste is provided at no additional charge.

Eradication: In FY 22-23 IWM is budgeting, utilizing Waste Management Inc. and Recology, Inc. funds, to provide 2 dumpsters per Supervisory District, a labor crew for waste cleanup and an IWM certified staff member to assist with proper and safe collection and disposal of hazardous waste, electronic waste, appliances and tires.

Enforcement: IWM and the Yolo County District Attorney's (DA) office has entered into an agreement with IntelliSite to install cameras on Babel Slough Road at both Jefferson Boulevard and S. River Road in Clarksburg  Camera install completion and 24/7 surveillance will begin the week of March 7th.  This pilot program is being administered with CalRecycle Farm and Ranch grant funds and will run for two years.  All video leads will be sent to the DA for review and prosecution. 

Franchise Implementation of Green House Gas (GHG) Reduction Programs:

Recycling:  In 2020 Yolo County was one of the first unincorporated jurisdictions in the state to roll out a mandatory residential and commercial recycling program.  As a result of these efforts, we have doubled the collection of cardboard, paper, bottles, cans, etc. from our residential sector, increasing from 784 tons to 1,564 tons and in our commercial sector increasing from 66 tons to 289 tons collected annually.  While the majority of unincorporated residents in the densely populated areas of the county, inside the townships, already had recycling, we did not have a program which serviced all residents and business.  With the passing of the updated Yolo County Solid Waste Ordinance No. 1529, everyone can receive collection no matter how remote they live or work.  One challenge in the current recycling market is the influx of aseptic cartons ending up at our area Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) without a local recycling option. While the Carton Council helped facilitate a TetraPak carton recycling program, through constituent petition in Pasadena, California, out nearest MRF for this product is in Denver, Colorado.  There are mail back programs for individual households to use however, a larger movement needs to happen to bring convenient recycling of this product to Yolo County's curbside collection programs.

Organics:  Additionally, we rolled out organics collection to over 6,000 households and 300 businesses.  This data is also trending upward with a combined collection total of 631 tons in 2019 to 2,054 tons in 2021 residentially and 106 tons to 306 tons commercially.  The increased tonnage is predominantly due to diversion of green waste (leaves, branches, grass clippings, etc.). However, efforts will be ramped up in 2022 to address food waste (coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, egg shells, melon rinds, table scraps, food soiled paper such as napkins, paper towels, greasy pizza boxes, etc.)  diversion.  This is an area where IWM staff will be working with its haulers to target specific education and outreach materials on proper food waste segregation.  IWM continues to offer all residents free kitchen countertop compost pails and biodegradable bags to assist them in these GHG reduction efforts.

Not applicable.