2001 Trash Cutter Awards Program Case Studies

San Jose Environmental Department:
Best Recycling Program 

• Program Description
• Program Summary
• Costs
• Benefits
• Contact

Program Description

The City of San Jose’s "Recycle @ Work" program for city facilities and the Commercial Solid Waste Technical Assistance program are comprehensive and innovative waste reduction programs. Based on technical assistance and the MiniCan, a 3.5-quart recycled plastic can designed to discourage deskside disposal of recyclable materials, these programs provide an incentive for San Jose businesses to initiate waste reduction practices.

Program Summary

Recycle @ Work Program

The City of San Jose’s Recycle @ Work program serves more than 80 City facilities and nearly 9,000 employees. To promote recycling city employees use a deskside recycling container (made from 30 percent postconsumer recycled content) and a MiniCan (made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled content) in place of the standard 5-gallon trash can. An Employee Guide to Recycling pamphlet and quick reference chart help employees understand how to separate recyclables. Employees empty their office containers into centralized waste and recycling receptacles. Custodians transfer both garbage and recyclables from indoor to outside storage containers provided by refuse and recycling contractors. Computer paper, white and mixed paper, newspaper, cardboard, and commingled bottles and cans are included in the recycling program.

To reinforce the recycling ethic, staff regularly interact with departmental recycling coordinators, conduct waste audits and staff trainings, set up displays in the city hall lobby, write updates for the quarterly employee newsletter, and participate in local events such as Clean Your Files Day and the city’s health fair and Earth Day events. The city provides an on-line program satisfaction survey and hosts a website through which employees can order recycling supplies and submit comments. Recognition for program participation includes recycled-content promotional items and a San Jose Giants ball game employee night.

Commercial Solid Waste Technical Assistance Program

The city’s Commercial Solid Waste (CSW) Technical Assistance program assists businesses in establishing or enhancing innovative recycling programs. CSW staff conduct free waste assessments; provide desk-side recycling containers, MiniCans, and program information; and make presentations and staff information booths.

Through franchise agreements, the city’s commercial solid waste and recycling haulers are required to mail a city-prepared waste insert to each of their business accounts. Each of the two mailings each year provides waste hauler and recycler contacts and information on the CSW Technical Assistance program to approximately 11,000 businesses.

During 2000, a CSW staff member performed a waste assessment at the local news channel. The station broadcast portions of the assessment during a subsequent news segment that also described CSW’s Technical Assistance program and the benefits of recycling for the business community.

The city offers a rebate of up to $5,000 to San Jose businesses that establish a new recycling program or install equipment that increases recycling. Businesses submit an application to the city, which conducts a pre-implementation site visit. The rebate is based upon actual equipment costs and a targeted recycling rate that is agreed upon prior to implementation. If the recycling rate is met, the rebate is grated in full; otherwise, the rebate is prorated accordingly.

Costs

Recycle @ Work is funded by city source reduction and recycling fees and State Department of Conservation City/County Payment program funds.

The CSW Technical Assistance program is funded through California Integrated Waste Management Act (IWMA) fees remitted to the city based on the volume of garbage collected by franchised solid waste haulers.

Benefits

In 2000 a total of 645 tons of materials were diverted from landfill thanks to the Recycle @ Work program. At the two largest administrative facilities, the program has resulted in 60 percent waste reduction (garbage generation decreased by 60 cubic yards per week) and a cost savings of $11,000 per year on collection. Efficiencies in collection result in labor savings for custodians.

The Commercial Solid Waste Technical Assistance program helped the commercial sector divert 49 percent of its waste from area landfills in 2000. The city helped 69 businesses reduce and recycle their waste and distributed more than 10,000 deskside recycling containers and 3,000 MiniCans to businesses that were not previously recycling. Seven businesses received rebates that totaled more than $18,000. The free waste assessments provided by the city often uncover opportunities for businesses to reduce garbage bills through a decrease in collection frequency and/or garbage bin size.

For Further Information Contact:

777 North First Street, Suite 300
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 277-3785