2003 Annual Report: Waste Diversion

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• Local Agency Progress Towards 50 Percent Diversion
• School District Diversion
• State Agency Diversion
• Disposal Reporting System
• Rulemaking
• Waste Reduction at Non-State Venues and Large Events

Local Agency Progress Towards 50 Percent Diversion

California’s statewide diversion rate was 47 percent in 2003. While still shy of the 50 percent goal set for individual jurisdictions, the statewide diversion rate is a tribute to the Board’s strategic targeting of organics and construction and demolition materials in the waste stream, as well as the commitment of local governments, businesses, State agencies, school districts, and residents to waste reduction and recycling. Another factor contributing to the statewide diversion rate was the Board-approved new base year diversion data of many jurisdictions. This reflected numerous new diversion programs and improved quantification of diversion activities.

Through the end of 2003, the Board had approved 189 new base years for jurisdictions and approximately 30 more are scheduled for consideration by the Board in 2004. The new base years demonstrate an overall commitment of Californians to divert waste from landfills. Staff continues to provide assistance to jurisdictions in developing new base year and waste generation data for approval/adoption by the Board.

While more than 60 percent of California jurisdictions met the requirements of the Integrated Waste Management Act in 2000, many more are progressing towards the 50 percent diversion level. For those jurisdictions that have not yet met the 50 percent diversion requirement, Public Resources Code sections 41820 and 41785 allow jurisdictions to request a time extension or alternative diversion requirement in meeting the mandated diversion requirement. By the end of 2003, the Board had approved 150 applications for time extensions/alternative diversion requirements.

During their extension period, these jurisdictions are focusing on implementing new or expanding existing diversion programs, such as construction and demolition diversion programs, curbside recycling programs, business diversion programs, and public education and outreach efforts.

Every city and county must report to the Board on its waste diversion activities during the previous calendar year. These reports include information about waste diversion programs implemented and discontinued, as well as a jurisdiction’s annual diversion rate. After debuting the new Electronic Annual Reporting (EAR) system in 2001, the system is now widely used by local jurisdictions. Almost 99 percent of all 445 jurisdictions in the state have filed their reports electronically. In 2003, the Board responded to user feedback and made improvements to the EAR system.

The 2002 annual reports from jurisdictions due on August 1, 2003, were temporarily postponed because of delays in the release of complete State Board of Equalization (BOE) 2002 taxable sales data and State Employment Development Department (EDD) complete 2002 industry employment data. After the data used in the diversion rate calculation was released, the Board made the complete EAR available with a due date of February 2, 2004, for jurisdiction report submittal. Because of this delay, detailed information on jurisdiction progress has been delayed as well.

School District Diversion

The primary goal has been to implement the requirements of the School DEEL (Diversion and Environmental Education Law). Board staff continues to provide ongoing technical and informational assistance to school districts and local jurisdictions in an effort to develop and improve school district waste reduction programs. This assistance is provided in concert with other related State agencies, such as Department of Toxic Substances Control and the State and Consumer Services Agency. Staff is also providing waste diversion technical assistance to the Environmental Ambassador Pilot School Districts and the Unified Education Strategy schools.

In spring 2003, the Board conducted a training program for its staff regarding school district waste reduction programs. This training program highlighted how local jurisdictions, school districts, and the State can work together to implement districtwide waste reduction programs. The training also featured the Board’s Web-based tools for schools that provide waste reduction program implementation tools and resources to local jurisdictions and school districts.

Additionally, in 2003, Board staff conducted another school district waste diversion survey to evaluate the implementation of school waste reduction and recycling programs in the State. If the Board determines that less than 75 percent of schools have implemented a waste reduction and recycling program, the Board shall recommend to the Legislature those statutory changes needed to require schools to implement such programs.

The Board also continued to implement its outreach plan targeting school-related professional associations and organizations to highlight the benefits and value of implementing districtwide waste reduction programs. As part of this effort, Board staff made waste reduction presentations at a number of conferences, including the California School Food Service Association and the California Association of School Business Officials.

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State Agency Diversion

Public Resources Code section 42921 requires State agencies to achieve 25 percent waste diversion by January 1, 2002, and 50 percent on and after January 1, 2004. In 2003, Board staff analyzed the 2002 annual reports representing approximately 98 percent of the 414 agencies and facilities required to report. Findings from the analyses included the statewide reported generation of approximately 869,942 tons of waste from State government offices and facilities, of which 69 percent-596,076 tons-was recycled or diverted from disposal. For additional information regarding State agency and facility recycling, go to the State Organization and Agency Recycling Database (SOARD) web page.

Through last year’s analysis, the Board identified 11 State agencies and facilities that either did not turn in the mandated annual report, or did not achieve the 25 percent diversion mandate. The Board plans to hold a public hearing in the spring of 2004 to address these non-complying entities. As part of the hearing, the Board’s staff will present information, obtained from site visits, regarding the agencies’ complete implementation of recycling programs. Additionally, information will be presented addressing why the agencies did not submit their reports. At the conclusion of the hearing, a summary report will be prepared and forwarded to the Legislature.

State agency reports detailing progress in the 2003 reporting year are due to the Board on April 1, 2004. As part of the report review process, staff will again visit sites reporting less than 25 percent diversion. This verification process will help determine if the reporting agency took all the appropriate steps in determining their diversion rate. The visits will also help identify program areas with potential for increased waste diversion to achieve the diversion mandate of 50 percent. Staff may also conduct field visits at agencies and facilities that report extremely high diversion. These visits will allow staff the opportunity to learn from successful programs.

Program staff conducted focused workshops throughout 2003. The workshops were designed to assist State agencies and facilities with their annual reporting requirements and explained how to maintain records in the event of future audits.

To recognize State agencies that meet the diversion goals, the Board developed the State Agency Recycling Recognition (STARR) awards program. STARR awards celebrate agencies’ waste diversion successes. In 2003, the Board presented three (3) different STARR awards to three (3) separate agencies. Recognizing the effort needed to complete the current STARR application, the Board is looking into developing a new awards program for 2004 to recognize the successes of State agencies.

The Board continues to develop, implement, and monitor master contracts that assist both large and small State agencies and offices in recycling office paper, steel, and other materials. Master contracts are incentives that provide an expedient way for State agencies to participate in the state’s overall recycling and waste diversion efforts.

Disposal Reporting System

In cooperation with stakeholder work groups, the Board conducted an extensive public input process to address options for modifying and improving the disposal reporting system, as required by PRC section 41821.5, and approved its report to the Legislature in November 2001. Staff is continuing to implement the changes recommended in the report.

In a continued effort to increase the accuracy of disposal reporting, Board staff conducted about 275 unannounced site visits at landfills and transfer stations throughout the state. One purpose of these visits is to determine whether waste origin information is collected as required by regulation (14 CCR, sections 18805-18810), and to observe how the surveys are being conducted.

These regulations specify that all permitted solid waste facilities must conduct quarterly surveys to ascertain the jurisdiction of origin for each vehicle load, including self-hauled waste, delivered to a facility during the required survey weeks. All facilities visited received a letter reporting the compliance of their facility.

For landfills not in compliance, the Board requested a detailed explanation in writing of how they determined the origin of waste disposed at their facilities. Follow-up visits at non-complying facilities were conducted, and findings were reported to the county and the affected jurisdictions if a facility consistently failed to accurately report the sources of the waste they received.

In 2003, the Board’s local government central Web site expanded to include additional tools and information for local governments. The additions include several hundred new reports available from the Disposal Reporting System database.

Rulemaking

In 2003 the Board continued the informal regulations development and review process to make revisions to the disposal reporting system and the adjustment method to improve diversion rate accuracy. Six informal workshops for stakeholder input were held in March and June 2003. The proposed draft disposal reporting system and adjustment method regulations were revised based on comments received during the informal review process. The Board directed staff to start the formal rulemaking process in November 2003 and the formal process will begin in 2004.

Waste Reduction at Non-State Venues and Large Events

The Board’s focused efforts over the past year have assured a significant step forward in the development of resources to encourage voluntary waste reduction at venue facilities, such as stadiums, theme parks, and museums, and at large events such as food festivals and cultural celebrations. In the last year, the Board has placed a Venue Facilities and Large Events information Web site on line containing assistance tools, model documents, and industry case studies for use by venues staff, local government recycling coordinators and the general public. The Board also offered two waste reduction-training workshops for members of the venues industry, local governments and their waste haulers. Finally, over the last year and continuing into 2004, the Board’s staff has been providing technical assistance to a number of pilot projects and has begun development of a step-by-step recycling manual for use by venue facility managers.

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