1998 Trash Cutter Award Program Case Studies

City of El Cerrito: Best Recycling Program

• Program Description
• Program Summary
• Benefits
• Contact

Program Description

El Cerrito, a Bay Area bedroom community of 23,260 residents, began recycling activities shortly after Earth Day in 1970. By 1977 it began offering weekly curbside recycling and opened the Ecology Recycling Center. Since 1990 the city has kept on average 4,600 tons of waste out of landfills each year. It estimates that more than 1,000 people visit its recycling center each week, with more than half of those residents coming from other nearby communities. In 1990 and again in 1996 residents indicated in surveys that the city's recycling services were the most important and best-performed (non emergency) services in the city. Each week 45 percent of its residents set out  recyclables, 80 percent of eligible households use the green waste recycling service, 17 percent of residents use mini (garbage) cans, and just 8 percent subscribe to a garbage service level higher than a 32 gallon can. Throughout the years, the city has remained committed to the program by continuing to commit the financial resources necessary to continue its aggressive recycling activities.

Program Summary

Although El Cerrito appears to be an unremarkable small city, its recycling programs notably have diverted 4,600 tons on average each year of this decade. Well over 1,000 recyclers visit the El Cerrito Recycling Center every week, half coming from other communities in the region. 

Organized recycling activities began in El Cerrito shortly after Earth Day 1970. For several years, volunteers operated a drop-off program on the site of the former City Dump, until the city formally took over operations in 1976. By 1977, the city was offering free weekly curbside recycling collection to single family households, and the Ecology Recycling Center was open to anyone seven days a week. These early accomplishments set the tenor for public debate on waste management issues, and galvanized community commitment to sound waste management principles that the City Council and administration have continuously reaffirmed and supported through the years.

The 1990s presented new challenges and opportunities to the City of El Cerrito's integrated waste management programs. While the City Council embraced the goals of AB939, it also had many opportunities to shed responsibility for its implementation through regionalization of administration and planning, and privatization of services. Like many small cities in California, El Cerrito has been severely affected by voter initiatives limiting the ability of local governments to raise revenues. Nonetheless, it has continuously committed financial resources to the operation of its own recycling programs.

In 1991, El Cerrito joined four other cities in a joint powers agreement to form the West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority, for the purpose of regional waste management planning and AB939 compliance. The Authority oversees the operation of the privately owned Integrated Resource Recovery Facility (IRRF), designed for processing source separated recyclables and for transferring refuse. The authority is also responsible for waste reduction education regionally. The City Council rejected the option to use the IRRF as the processor of its recyclables and chose instead to continue  its own processing, which has been consistently less costly than the IRRF. While otherwise participating fully in the regional approach to AB 939 compliance, contributing both to policy making and technical assistance, the city has continued an educational program independent of the authority.

The city promotes waste awareness through annual events such as the Junk Art Show, the citywide Garage Sale, and Earth Day. Staff provide tours of the Recycling Center on request, which have become popular field trips for classes, scout troops, and day care programs. The city's biannual brochure, mailed to every residence, is used extensively for the promotion of integrated waste management services and waste reduction concepts.  The Recycling Center office is an important resource for visitors and callers, providing information on recycling and reuse opportunities in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, and on the safe disposal of household hazardous waste. The Recycling Center provides job training, and employment to East Bay Conservation Corps interns and Transition Program students from the local school district.

In 1992, the City Council formed the Integrated Waste Management Task Force, appointing seven residents to the task of analyzing the efficacy of the waste management programs and opportunities for privatizing or regionalizing services. After two years of work by the task force and staff, with full participation of the local refuse hauler, City Council approved recommendations to keep all recycling programs under direct control of the city. The council also adopted a vision for waste management services in the 21st century and goals as recommended by the task force.

Directly on the heels of the council's adoption of a vision and goals, staff worked with the refuse hauler to develop a thoroughly coordinated expansion of services. Previously independent refuse and recycling collection schedules were rerouted for same day service. Residential customers were provided wheeled carts for curbside refuse and green waste collection, and new materials were added to the curbside recycling program. City and refuse hauler staff worked closely through every step of the jointly funded promotion campaign which emphasized the benefits of waste reduction achievable through the expanded services. The new green waste service dovetailed perfectly with the variable can rate structure established by the council in 1991.

In addition to the residential recycling program, the city also provides commercial collection services for corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, and white office paper. This program serves all the schools and public facilities in El Cerrito, and is available to every business on request. Many businesses also participate in the residential recycling program by setting out beverage containers and papers generated by their employees for curbside pickup.

The Recycling Center drop-off continues to add materials as reliable markets develop.  The book exchange, wine separation, and the Goodwill Donation Station at the drop-off allow visitors to engage in reuse activities. Scavenging of scrap metals is allowed with donations to offset sales losses. The free mulch pen is continuously supplied by the city's tree trimmers and emptied by local gardeners several times a week.

Benefits

Today, El Cerrito has the best waste management services available in West Contra Costa County. Though we share the same refuse disposal facility, and disposal rates, with other communities in West Contra Costa County, garbage collection rates in El Cerrito remain the lowest. El Cerrito appears to have improved its baseline diversion rate from 16 percent in 1990 to 50 percent in 1997 (estimated using 1996 factors). Forty-three percent of households set out their recycling each week to the tune of 360 pounds per household (including multifamily dwellings) annually. 80 percent of the eligible households subscribe to green waste service, diverting another 450 pounds per eligible household annually. 17 percent of the eligible residential customers use "minicans," and only 8 percent subscribe to refuse service level higher than the standard 32-gallon can service.

For Further Information Contact:

City of El Cerrito
10890 San Pablo Ave
El Cerrito, CA   94530
(510) 215-4351