2000 Trash Cutter Award Program Case Studies

Ventura County: Best Regional Waste Reduction Program

• Program Description
• Program Summary
• Benefits
• Contact

Program Description

Ventura County, like other parts of California, is experiencing rapid economic growth and the associated construction and demolition that accompanies it. Spurred by reports that between 14 and 25 percent of materials still being landfilled in the state are generated by construction and demolition activities, in 1998, a Commercial Recycling Subcommittee of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) (comprised of solid waste officials from each jurisdiction) was formed. Among its primary goals is establishment of construction and demolition programs and policies.

Program Summary

Prior to the formation of the regional subcommittee, in 1997 Ventura County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance #4155, a comprehensive ordinance requiring commercial recycling of specific materials. Materials were selected for inclusion on a Business Recyclables List, based on the availability of reliable in-county diversion options. Aluminum, cardboard, glass, metal, paper, and #1 and #2 plastic are included, as are organics (grass, landscaping debris, wood).

In addition, the list includes construction and demolition debris: asphalt, brick, brush, dirt and earth, concrete, metal, wood, and rocks. Encouraged by this unincorporated area mandatory commercial recycling approach, several other cities, including Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, and Ventura, passed similar requirements. In an effort to educate members of the building trades about local diversion options for construction and demolition debris, the county published a Construction & Demolition Materials Management Resource Guide, and an accompanying four-color poster. The guide and poster were mailed to approximately 2,500 contractors, builders, and tradesmen, obtained from using SIC codes to sort a Dunn & Bradstreet database.

Follow-up on this mail distribution was conducted by a department intern and the majority of recipients indicated that the information was useful. Because the Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) does not require reporting from non-disposal facilities, like local privately-owned concrete crushing operations and wood grinders, it is not possible to assess additional tonnages diverted that are attributable to this outreach, except by detecting drops in disposal. Unfortunately, recent economic growth appears to have eclipsed these efforts and no significant disposal reduction seems to have occurred. It is believed that the C&D program has helped to "stem the tide" and without it, disposal would be significantly higher.

In an effort to form partnerships with contractors, builders, recyclers, and other "stakeholders," SWMD has made several presentations to the Ventura County Contractors Association (VCCA). More than 100 members received C&D recycling information packets at a presentation in September 1999. In addition, SWMD created a Resource Responsible Construction Materials Management Display that debuted at the VCCA's Annual Expo in 1999. It includes panels on waste prevention, reuse, recycling and buying recycled, and numerous samples of green building materials.

To ensure a reuse option for demolition-generated materials like doors, windows, cabinets, lighting, etc., the SWMD and all 10 cities have cooperatively worked to assist Habitat for Humanity, the national organization which builds homes for low-income people. A small ReStore opened in Ventura in 1999 in an unincorporated area adjacent to Oxnard. Business continues to grow as SWMD and TAC continue to support its development.

To complement the above outreach efforts, SWMD has formed a partnership with the Ventura County Planning Department, which submits all new land-use entitlement applications to the department for environmental review. SWMD staff assesses solid waste impacts by requiring applicants to fill out an initial recycling information form. Based on the applicant's input, the SWMD prepares suggested conditions of approval for the project, including recycling of all construction and demolition materials generated in significant quantities. Applicants must then fill out a waste diversion plan, indicating their intentions to recycle. As follow-up, a Waste Diversion Reporting Form is required when projects are complete. Although this program is only in place in unincorporated Ventura County at this time, many other cities have expressed significant interest and are likely to adopt similar procedures for land-use entitlement reviews.

Benefits

The above measures demonstrate SWMD's commitment to C&D diversion, and their efforts to unite jurisdictions into a regional, cohesive program. This is especially important since contractors and builders typically do business in many cities, and waste seems to cross boundaries often. The environmental review process is very innovative and could likely become a model for other jurisdictions grappling with similar issues. The poster contains region-specific information, but could be re-created by others. 

For Further Information Contact:

Ventura County
800 S. Victoria Ave #1650
Ventura, CA  93009-1650
(805) 654-3506