"Innovations" Case Studies: Organics Options

San Jose Case Study

• Overview
• Costs, Economics, and Benefits

Overview

San Jose has been a national leader in recycling programs since the mid-1980s. Its yard trimmings recycling program began with a composting plan in 1987 that evaluated options and made recommendations on how to proceed. The composting plan recommended implementing the type of yard trimmings collection system then used by the cities of Sacramento, Davis, and Modesto. San Jose adopted that recommendation. San Jose uses a wheel loader with a claw bucket, which grabs material left in a pile at the curb and deposits it into a rear-loader packer truck.

In evaluating its options, the 1991 San Jose source reduction and recycling element (SRRE) noted that collection of loose yard trimmings:

• Requires no debagging.
• Does not cause collection crew strain from lifting heavy objects.
• Facilitates inspection of contaminants.
• Is easy for the generator to use.
• Maximizes collection of large volumes of materials.
• Provides residents with unlimited recycling of yard trimmings.

A loose-in-the-street collection system was believed to be the quickest and most cost-effective method of pickup for an area the size of San Jose. The city felt that a containerized program slows down collection, thereby increasing the costs.

The SRRE recognized that collection of loose materials might:

• Be more labor-intensive.
• Be more costly.
• Require parking regulations.
• Result in residue left on the street.

The city concluded that the program could be designed to address most of these concerns. In particular, the city brought back monthly street sweeping service to San Jose that had been stopped in response to the passage of Proposition 13 passed in 1977.

The city decided that any residue left from the yard trimmings collection program could be easily captured in the street sweeping program. According to analysis from the city’s streets and traffic department, monthly sweeping captures 90 percent of the material that would be captured with weekly sweeping.

San Jose Yard Trimmings Collected in Fiscal Years 1992–98

(Note: Data not available for FY 1994–95)

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The SRRE noted that alternative containerized collection systems would be advantageous because no significant behavior change is required of residents, and standard existing waste collection vehicles could collect the yard trimmings.

However, the city expressed the following concerns about containerized collection systems:

• Debagging may be necessary.
• Collection crews may need to lift heavy bags or other containers.
• Use of bags or cans is difficult for prunings.
• Use of bags creates more waste.
• Potential contaminants are hidden from view, reducing the quality of the end product.

The SRRE recognized that the inclusion of discarded foods in the residential curbside collection program would require a containerized collection system. However, the city had focused on yard trimmings as its prime target for composting, so the discarded foods considerations were not a major consideration.

The SRRE indicated that co-composting of discarded foods from the commercial sector with yard trimmings would not introduce serious complications and would result in a high-quality compost.

Two of the major considerations in adopting the loose program were convenience and participation, and the market implication of its design. From its highly successful curbside experience, San Jose learned that a program more convenient to use would result in a higher participation rate.

Former Deputy Mayor Shirley Lewis often said, “Curbside made it convenient for people to do what they knew was right.” That same philosophy was applied to yard trimmings collection.

San Jose felt requiring residents to bag or place their trimmings in containers would limit the amount of yard trimmings that would be set out for recycling. The city felt that loose in-the-street collection would provide the most convenient system of picking up yard trimmings. This method would also encourage unlimited quantities of yard trimmings to be recycled.

San Jose tried to be particularly careful in designing its recycling programs to make sure that high-quality compost markets could be developed. At the time, other containerized systems were reporting a large amount of contamination (more than 10 to 20 percent in their programs, whereas the loose system was reporting 3 to 5 percent (now less than 1 percent).

Loose yard trimmings were also expected to have a lower contamination rate because drivers could see the materials in the pile on the street.

The city council had adopted a market development strategy in 1987 that weighed heavily in favor of the approach that would have the least contamination and the best markets. As a result, the city chose to proceed with the loose in-the-street approach.

Pilot programs were operated by the city from 1989 to 1991 to test the merits of this approach and to encourage the development of the composting infrastructure in the area. Phase 1 of the citywide program expansion began September 4, 1991, and was completed by September 1, 1992.

In the SRRE, the city noted that approximately 27 percent of its municipal solid waste consisted of compostable materials. This makes compost a prime target for waste reduction programs. The disposed waste analysis for 1990 indicated that discarded food accounted for 152,500 tons, yard trimmings for 118,000 tons, and wood waste for 6,300 tons of the total waste landfilled. The waste analysis also noted that other materials such as mixed paper are also potentially compostable.

The amount of compostable materials generated by the residential sector in 1990 was 131,800 tons. The commercial sector generated 166,000 tons. In 1991, the city estimated the volume of yard trimmings to be approximately 79 percent prunings, 18 percent leaves, and 3 percent grass, further justifying its collection method.

However, San Jose recognized that these analyses were being made during a drought and that grass would likely increase to a much greater percentage. In a 1998 waste composition study, San Jose determined that yard trimmings represent about 35 percent of the city’s residential waste stream.

Promotion of the yard trimmings program was expanded as part of the startup of the city’s new “Recycle Plus!” integrated garbage and recycling system in July 1993. This resulted in a major increase in yard trimmings collected.

In addition to the promotion of the new yard trimmings program, the city changed its rate structure from unlimited garbage collection with a flat fee to unlimited recycling collection and a linear pay-as-you-throw residential rate structure. As a result, yard trimmings recycled in FY 1993 increased by more than 30,000 tons in one year (a 45 percent increase).

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Yard trimmings are now the largest part of the city’s diversion programs. Compared to the 40,000 tons estimated in the 1991 SRRE, San Jose is now collecting more than 130,000 tons per year through this extremely successful program. The city is now serving 181,000 single-family households with this program.

Yard trimmings are also collected from city facilities (for example, parks and community gardens) and multifamily dwellings (MFDs). An estimated one-third of the MFDs use this program. Where loose collection is not feasible, residents place their yard trimmings in burlap tarps or cans. The haulers provide the tarps; residents must provide their own cans (and label them with a yard trimmings sticker.) Tarps and cans are manually emptied into the truck.

Materials accepted in the yard trimmings program are grass clippings, leaves, small prunings, and clean green holiday trees. Ashes, concrete, dirt, discarded foods, fruit, garbage, lumber, pet wastes, processed wood, rocks, sod, flocked holiday trees, vegetables, and pumpkins are not acceptable.

Drivers leave notices whenever a pile cannot be collected explaining why the pile was left and how to properly participate. The contamination rate of collected yard trimmings has stayed below one percent.

San Jose collects approximately 83 pounds of yard trimmings per month for each participant with loose collection. This is significantly better than the 54 pounds per month collected in the adjacent town of Milpitas, which has containerized collection.

Residents are instructed to place their piles loose in the street. If they live on a busy or narrow street, they are asked to call the city for special instructions on how to use the tarp or can program. The city requests that piles be no larger than 5 feet wide and 5 feet high. Residents can place as many 5-foot piles as they can fit in front of their property.

Branches larger than 5 feet long or 6 inches in diameter are not accepted for collection. Piles are to be set 12 inches from the curb and 5 feet away from garbage carts and parked cars. Piles are not to be placed in bike lanes, next to a red curb, or in front of recycling bins.

Piles are to be set out before 6 a.m. on collection day, but not more than 24 hours before then. Trimmings set out too early can block parking and other curbside activities. Cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists are also safer without the obstacle presented by yard trimmings. Wind and other activities can also scatter yard trimmings, turning them into an eyesore and a storm drain pollutant.

San Jose contracts with two companies-GreenWaste Recovery and Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI)-to provide weekly year-round curbside pickup of yard trimmings. The city contracts separately with two composting sites, Zanker Road Resource Management and BFI, for processing. By using multiple contracts, San Jose had more control over contractor performance. The city could also count on skilled contractors to substitute for the regular contractor when necessary.

Yard trimmings are recycled into high-quality soil amendments, compost, biomass fuel, mulch, animal bedding, or wood chips. After being processed, 1,800 tons per year are used for city parks and community gardens.

The contractors sell the processed amendments to farmers for use on agricultural lands surrounding San Jose and to local nurseries for sale to the public. About 100 tons per year are given away to the public at outreach events to help promote and support the program.

San Jose policy requires that yard trimmings be processed into the highest and best use of materials. For example, San Jose does not allow the use of yard trimmings as alternative daily cover (ADC) in its processing contracts.

San Jose has also been very active with its agriculture in partnership program. It received one of the first grants from the CIWMB in 1994 to start the program, which it continued to fund in 1997 and beyond.

Trials have been carried out at farms and research sites to determine the benefits of San Jose’s compost products and to determine the best potential applications. The CIWMB helps present research findings to farmers through workshops, newsletters, and the Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service.

San Jose’s program also includes the promotion of home composting and xeriscape landscaping as part of its general composting program. They encourage residents to obtain information on how to build a bin, how to sign up for a free compost class, and to seek advice on other general composting questions. Residents can contact the Santa Clara County home composting education program through the master composters Rotline.

During and after composting classes, the City of San Jose will provide compost bins to San Jose residents at bargain prices. Subsidies for the bins are provided through the Recycle Plus! program. Discounts are only available to residents with San Jose identification or a Recycle Plus! bill and photo identification.

The City of San Jose sells the following bins to San Jose residents:

• Smith and Hawken Biostack: $43
• Home Composter: $25
• Wriggly Wranch: $50
• 14-gallon worm bin: $10

The program also promotes grasscycling and encourages people to call the master composter Rotline for grasscycling information.

San Jose is soliciting proposals for its next Recycle Plus! program. Some of the new directions the city will be exploring in the future include more work in the following areas:

• Discarded food composting
• Compost research
• Vermicomposting
• Outreach
• Expanded focus to include landscaping
• Partnerships
• Web site

Costs, Economics, and Benefits

Loose collection costs San Jose $3.54 per household per month. Due to cart costs and decreased route efficiencies, the city estimates that the cost would rise to about $5 per household per month with containerized collection. Purchasing 96-gallon containers for residents would cost the city $11 million, averaging $1.50 per household per month for cart purchase and maintenance.

San Jose uses 17 loaders and 17 packer trucks to collect yard trimmings. They estimate that they would need to add 50 vehicles for containerized collection. The city has determined that the claw and a front loader can collect from 2,200 homes in a day, while two automated trucks can collect only 1,200 carts in a day.

San Jose also has discontinued a separate leaf removal program used to keep storm drains clear during the fall. The current yard trimmings program is more effective at clearing leaves, resulting in fewer storm drains being blocked. That amounts to a program savings of $300,000 per year.

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Last updated: October 26, 2007