ORGANICS RECYCLING COMPLIANCE/NON- COMPLIANCE DECEMBER 6, 2017 Leslie Lukacs
Policy Drivers • AB 939 -50% diversion requirement on jurisdictions • AB 341 - 75% statewide by 2020 • AB 32 - ARB Scoping Plan – Reduce GHGs to 1990 levels • AB 1594 - ADC ≠ recycling after 1/1/20 • SB 1383 – Short lived climate pollutants • AB 1826 - Mandatory commercial organics recycling • AB 876 - 15-year planning horizon for organics capacity
AB 1826 – Organics Disposal Requirements • Jan 2016: Jurisdictions required to implement program to divert organics generated by businesses • April 2016: Businesses generating 8 CY organics/week require organic waste recycling & Multifamily complexes must divert greenwaste • Jan 2017 : 4 CY/week of organics • Jan 2019: 4 CY/week of solid waste • 2020 trigger: Reduce to 2 CY of waste if statewide organics disposal not cut in half • CalRecycle to review jurisdictions’ programs • CalRecycle to recommend actions re: state’s organic recycling infrastructure
AB 1876 City and County Requirements Implement : organics management program Identify : businesses with Jan. 2019 threshold Conduct : annual education and outreach Implement : annual monitoring activities Report Aug 2017 – Annual Reports on education/outreach/monitoring
Challenges Jurisdiction Business Lack of infrastructure Space constraints Cost for infrastructure Cost to businesses Permitting facilities Ick Factor Current hauling contracts
Carrot or Stick? OR OR
CalRecycle AB 1826 Enforcement • Calrecycle review of jurisdictions • AB 341 Compliance • March 2017 – 30 referred for potential compliance orders due to non-compliance with Mandatory Commercial Recycling • Review period was 2012-15, so too early for Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling review AB 1876: Expect Anytime Review
AB 1826 Status • Assume implementation of organics programs Green Waste Recycling • April 2016: Businesses generating 8 CY for Businesses: organics/week require organic waste recycling Assistance Guide • Jan 2017 : 4 CY/week of organics • Determine which businesses fall under Jan 2019, 2 cubic yard waste disposal threshold • Site visits to large food generators to encourage food donation
RECYCLESMART
Who is RecycleSmart? • Northern California / East Bay • Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority • Comprised of 6 municipalities • 5 staff • 12 board members (2 from each city) Mission: To developing and delivering high quality, cost effective solid waste reduction, recycling, and refuse programs that provide and promote sustainability in our communities. 11
RecycleSmart Project Determined Organics Generators Targeted highest organics generators and 200 restaurants that: Purpose • Need additional education and outreach to reduce To reduce contamination food bin contamination; in food scraps that are • Had food waste recycling service but was not taken to a wet anaerobic participating; digester. • Had larger containers and weekly service volumes than businesses with smaller containers and lower volumes of material; and • Republic Services assessed as needing technical assistance. 12
Step 1 Site visit to 200 restaurants • Confirmed service levels • Performed visual audit • Provided outreach and training to support successful food waste recycling. Evaluation System • Pass equaled less than 10% contamination • Marginal equaled a 10%-20% contamination • Fail equaled over 20% contamination 13
Step 2 Targeted Technical assistance to 82 restaurants • Poor performing with • Under-performing greatest potential to • Not performing divert food • High contamination rates • Highest volume of food Goal of visit and least likelihood of • Increase food diversion contamination • Educate businesses on food waste recycling • Eager to improve efforts services • • Improve participation of business Commercial areas where • Business transition from failing to passing the density of food grade generative business were • Initiated food service to 21 restaurants the greatest 14
Data Collected • Baseline waste assessment • Necessary steps to increase food waste recycling program • Grading contamination level in food bin • New food service added • Rate incentive opportunities • Signage needs • Level of participation • Compliance with AB 1826 • Staff knowledge of food waste • Next steps program 15
Results • 52businesses (65%) went from failing to passing • 21 businesses (26%) went from failing to marginal • 91% of businesses visited improved their contamination levels • 27% received internal food waste containers • 95% received new signage and stickers • 29% received food waste, recycling and trash service changes • 7 restaurants failed final grading process 16
Best Practices • Continual technical assistance • Employee education via bilingual training • Posters, stickers and properly paired color coded containers • Management support • Follow up monitoring and training • Clean bins and re-sticker • No trash containers in kitchen • Front of house post-sort 17
AB 876- 15-year Planning for Organics Capacity • Estimate amount of organic waste (CY) generated over a 15-year period in county • Inclusion in annual report (commenced August 1, 2017) • Estimate additional organic waste facility capacity (CY) needed to process that amount of organic waste • Identify new or expanded organic waste recycling facilities Cities and counties must plan for organics processing facilities to divert organics from landfills
Composting Processing Capacity and Organics Material Diversion Study
Organics Study Tasks • Current and projected organic materials generated • Quantities and types of organic materials processed by existing facilities • Organic processing facility expansions • Additional composting capacity • On-site processing technologies • Existing organic materials backhauling operations • Food waste reduction activities
Questionnaire of 11 Organic Processing Facilities in Santa Clara County
KEY FINDINGS
Organic Processing Facilities & Expansions • Unused permitted capacity however facilities say they running close to through-put capacity • All anticipated increased quantities of compostables • 4 of the 11 facilities are planning to modify their facilities
Organic Processing Facilities Outside County • 108 facilities located outside of Santa Clara County were identified • 62 facilities do not have available capacity • 46 facilities have some capacity available for organic materials – amount unknown
Facility Types by County Outside Santa Clara County
Current and Projected Organic Materials Generated Based on: • Population growth • Commercial vs residential • CalRecycle 2014 WCS • Material type/feedstock
Projected Annual Organics Tons by Generator
Comparison of Commercial and Residential Organics Disposed and Diverted
Organics Material Generated Current and Projected Organic Materials Generated • 657,000 tons of organic materials generated in 2015 • 416,000 tons (63%) were diverted • 241,000 (37%) tons were disposed • 772,100 tons of organics material projected in 15 years • 117,000 additional tons annually
Organics Material Projected Projected at 117,000 additional tons over 15 years 241,000 tons of organics disposed = 358,000 tons need organics processing Unknown amount of out of County organics material
Additional Composting Research Backyard composting, composting at parks, schools, golf courses, and stables • 14,915 tons per year of food scraps are estimated to be composted in backyards (based on Palo Alto study) • School onsite composting – composting activities were unknown • 253 parks in County, most cities reported composting, grasscycling or hauler collecting organic material • Golf courses – composting activities were unknown • Horse stables – composting activities were unknown
On-Site Processing Technologies Mini-aerobic systems Bio-digesters Dehydrators
Backhauling Operations • CalRecycle waste characterization data • City survey information • Hauler information
Food Waste Reduction Activities • Food rescue activities: • Some food rescue activity in most cities • 7 food rescue organizations • Grant to Joint Venture Silicon Valley and talent partnership • Three-year tiered plan of action to develop a regional framework that matches surplus food to authorized agencies
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations-Organic Materials • Monitor and track the quantity of organics generated • Communicate with local and regional organics processors regarding future plans • Establish a collaborative process for hauling and/or processing contracts to facilitate advance planning for collection and facilities • Work with CalRecycle to obtain information on facility permitting and expansion plans and proposals • Monitor and track grant opportunities 36
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