The San Diego City Council’s nine members voted unanimously July 13 to support a proposed zero waste plan with the goal of diverting 75 percent of the waste generated in the city away from landfill disposal by 2020.
The city’s goal is to reach zero waste by 2040.
To get there, government officials acknowledged that the city will need to reuse, recycle and reduce the amount of waste generated within its boundaries by emphasizing education and legislation aimed at waste reduction.
The city’s Environmental Services Department has been asked to come up with new ways to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Alternatives could include additional organic recycling, revising city recycling ordinances and increasing recycling at city facilities, as well as instituting additional education and outreach.
During council deliberations, District 2 Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, who represents the beachfront south of La Jolla, said the whole point of the zero waste proposal is to “try to divert as much as we can.”
Noting blue recycling bins typically are the ones that overflow, Zapf asked if residences could have more than one blue trash bin, and if there would be any extra-add cost associated with picking up an extra bin. She was told each residence is entitled to have up to three blue recycling bins, and that they are provided by the city free of charge, though there is a $25 delivery fee.
“We have a lot of work to do in our backyards,” noted Zapf, of making the proposed zero waste plan a reality.
“I never thought this plan would get here when it was first brought to our attention a couple of years ago,” said Council President Sherri Lightner of District 1, which includes La Jolla.
“I think implementation of public-space recycling must be paired with the city leading by example in incorporating waste-reduction measures in its own facilities,” Lightner said.
The city currently diverts 67 percent of its waste from landfills. To meet its 2020 goal, the city will need to divert an additional 332,000 tons of waste annually.
Each of the potential waste-diversion programs will have to be individually approved by the City Council at a future date.