As part of the Governor’s January Proposed Budget CalRecycle is seeking $2 million and 2 permanent positions to develop and implement a statewide zero waste plan.
CalRecycle already has a goal of diverting 75% of solid waste from landfill disposal and recycling 75% of the state’s organic waste. Local jurisdictions are already charged with diverting 50% of their solid waste from landfill disposal and implementing the state’s new aggressive organic waste recycling requirements. California has adopted many commodity-specific, producer-run recycling programs, including a new requirement for manufacturers to source reduce and recycle single-use packaging and plastic food service ware.
CalRecycle seeks to use $2 million in unredeemed beverage container deposits to develop the program and $300,000 from various existing fees and program funds to pay for annual staff implementation costs. CalRecycle claims the “Plan will complement existing state laws (e.g. SB 54, SB 1383…) and programs to highlight strategies that are higher on the waste management hierarchy, including source reduction and reuse, and ensure resource consistency for program implementation as the state moves towards zero waste.”
CalRecycle will focus the plan on other aspects of the supply chain that have not been addressed through existing program and policies. It believes that the statewide analysis can help reduce barriers and lower the cost of recycling at the local level. In a significant shift, the zero waste plan will shift away from traditional metrics like disposal and waste tonnages and look toward prioritizing source reduction and reuse and getting hard to manage products out of the waste stream altogether.
While some local governments have already developed local zero waste programs and goals, including RCRC member counties, CalRecycle recognizes that rural jurisdictions face serious challenges in increasing recycling rates and getting materials into the marketplace.
RCRC will continue to track the proposal and offer feedback to CalRecycle and the Legislature, recognizing that one-size-fits-all approaches will not work given the diversity and unique challenges among local jurisdictions.
For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate, John Kennedy.