SR 02-28-2023 7A
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 28, 2023
Agenda Item: 7.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Resource Recovery &
Recycling
Subject: Solid Waste Rate Study
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Receive staff analysis of the Resource Recovery and Recycling solid waste rate
study.
2. Review rate adjustment options and provide direction.
3. Consider the creation of a solid waste rate discount program and provide
direction.
Executive Summary
The City’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division (RRR) is an enterprise fund
operation that provides sanitation and waste services to foster a clean, safe, and
sustainable Santa Monica. In FY 2022-23, RRR has an annual budget of $37 million
and employs a workforce of 93.9 full-time equivalent (FTE) essential workers who
provide services to Santa Monica residents, businesses, and visitors. The City was due
for solid waste rate adjustments in 2020 but made a conscious decision to defer rate
increases as a way to protect ratepayers from further financial challenges during the
COVID-19 pandemic. After three years without any adjustment in rates, RRR must
adjust its rates in 2023 to ensure financial self-sufficiency, operational resiliency, and
adapt to both new State mandates and the changing needs of RRR customers.
The RRR operation is self-sustaining through its revenue-generating services and
requires no financial subsidy from the General Fund. In fact, 92% of RRR’s revenue
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comes from solid waste utility billing. Due to the three-year delay in evaluating rates,
RRR today relies on reserves to make up the difference between revenues and
operational costs. Adding to the immediacy of the situation is emerging service
mandates from the State’s Short-Lived Pollutants Act (SB 1383) and a significant
increase in requests for bulky item pick up and other services. A solid waste rate
increase is necessary beginning in FY 2023-24 to remain solvent and sustain RRR
operations. Without a rate increase, RRR would deplete its reserve funds in early FY
2024-25, unable to continue providing sanitation and recycling services to the
community and fail to meet State regulations on mandatory recycling.
In this report, staff will discuss the RRR services that are funded by the solid waste
rates, the status of the RRR enterprise fund, why a rate adjustment is necessary, two
rate adjustment options, and the proposed timeline for the next six months.
Staff recommends that the City Council review the two rate options presented in this
staff report and provide direction. Based on comments received from Council and
through the community outreach process, staff will present the final solid waste rate
study for Council approval in June 2023 and implement new rates beginning August
2023 and on July 1st thereafter from 2024 through 2028.
Background
Resource Recovery and Recycling Services
The City provides more services funded by its solid waste rates than most other
jurisdictions in Los Angeles County or the State. These services include:
1. 7-day-a-week year-round sanitation services to over 93,000 Santa Monica
residents (service ratio: 1 RRR employee serves 1,000 people) and an estimated
147,000 (post-pandemic) to 250,000 (pre-pandemic) of daytime population
including international and regional tourists, shoppers, and workers (service ratio:
1 RRR employee serves 1,565-2,662 people)
2. Regulatory compliance, implementing California’s mandatory recycling laws,
and leading the City Council’s Zero Waste by 2030 sustainability goal
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3. Collecting, transporting, and recycling/disposing three streams of solid
waste materials from 7,000 single-family, 5,000 multi-family, and 1,450
commercial customers: landfill trash, recyclables, and organics
4. Bulky item pickup and illegal dumping collection and alley cleanup
5. Sweeping all streets to prevent debris from entering the storm drains and
polluting the Santa Monica Bay
6. Servicing sidewalk litter and recycling containers (excluding containers in:
Downtown Santa Monica -- maintained by the City’s Promenade Maintenance
division; Santa Monica Beach – maintained by the City’s Beach Maintenance
division; and all City parks – maintained by the City’s Public Landscape division)
7. Household and small business hazardous waste collection program
8. Zero waste programs, including construction and demolition material recycling,
zero waste event management, education and outreach, on-demand door-to-
door household hazardous waste collection, community recycling events (e.g.
paper shredding and compost giveaway), and edible food recovery
9. Pressure-washing services (fee-based service)
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Figure 1. RRR Services. RRR staff provide more services than most jurisdictions, including alley
cleanup, street cleaning, collecting and transferring the City’s recyclables and organics, community
recycling events, door-to-door hazardous material pickup for residents, and zero waste programming.
With a full-service municipal solid waste operation, Santa Monica enjoys the added
benefits of:
1. Local control over operations and cost.
2. Flexibility in service offerings.
3. Ability to pivot to meet public needs, City and State policies, and Council
priorities.
Santa Monica is one of only three cities in Los Angeles County that provides the above
services to both its residential and commercial customers as a municipal service (the
other two cities are Culver City and Claremont). Table 1 provides a service comparison
with Culver City, Claremont, and other neighboring cities.
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Table 1. Solid Waste Service Comparison
City
One Bundled Rate
for Trash,
Recyclables, and
Organics to
Incentivize
Recycling
Unlimited Bulky
Item and Illegal
Dumping
Collection
Included in Rate
Door-to-Door
Household
Hazardous
Material (HHW)
Collection
Included in Rate
Monthly Recycling
Events Included in
Rate (e.g. paper
shredding,
compost giveaway,
etc.)
Zero Waste
Goal
Programs
Santa Monica Yes Yes Yes, for all
residential
customers
Yes, for all
residential
customers
Yes
Culver City Yes, for single-
family residents
only; multi-family
and commercial
customers must pay
for each container
separately
Yes, for
residential
customers
No No No
Claremont Yes Yes – 3 items per
year for
residential
customers only
No No No
Burbank Yes, for single-
family residents
only; multi-family
and commercial
customers must pay
for each container
separately
No No No No
Beverly Hills Paid via tax roll
based on home’s
square footage
Yes No No No
West
Hollywood
No - all customers
must pay for each
container separately
Yes No No No
Santa Monica’s rates also compare favorably to that of these cities. Single-family rates
are slightly higher than comparable cities to account for the additional services provided
above. The rates for multi-family and commercial are substantially lower than the
comparable cities and will be examined further in the discussion section below.
RRR Expenditures: Where Does the Money Go?
RRR provides high levels of service to the community, with a history of low-rate
increases, controlled expenses, and steady reserves in the years leading up to 2020.
After reviewing financial data from the last ten years, the City’s rate study consultant
concluded that the RRR Enterprise Fund was very healthy in all years.
In addition to maintaining financial stability, RRR was able to successfully navigate
through the global downturns in recycling markets resulting from China’s National
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Sword Policy in 2017 while implementing several important State mandates, including
mandatory commercial recycling (AB 341) in 2012, mandatory commercial organics
recycling (AB 1826) in 2016, and the Short-Lived Pollutants Act for mandatory organics
recycling (SB 1383) in 2022.
RRR has a total budget of $37 million for FY 2022-23, which includes operating costs,
capital improvement programs, and non-departmental transactions. As illustrated in
Figure 2, the majority of expenses fall into either labor (33%), vehicles and capital
assets (32%), or post-collection activities including the transportation, disposal, and
recycling of solid waste materials (23%).
Figure 2. RRR Expenditures Breakdown, FY 2022-23
RRR Revenues: Where Does the Money Come From?
The RRR operation is funded by the RRR Enterprise Fund. Independent from the
General Fund, enterprise funds operate like private enterprises – revenues must cover
expenditures, and proper reserves must be maintained for unexpected expenses. The
RRR Enterprise Fund functions as a separate financing entity, and it is self-sustaining
through its own revenue sources and expenditures without any General Fund subsidy.
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RRR is projected to generate $29 million in revenues in FY 2022-23. Figure 3
demonstrates that over 92% of revenue comes from solid waste utility billing – the
predominant source of revenue to fund RRR services. The rest comes from fee-based
services (5%), such as pressure washing, plan checks, and permit fees, and other
miscellaneous sources (3%), including Federal and State government rebates for
alternative fuel credits and recycling programs.
Figure 3. RRR Revenues Breakdown, FY 2022-23
RRR Rate Study
The mechanism through which to analyze and set solid waste utility rates is called a
rate study, commonly conducted by an independent solid waste consulting firm. The
City’s fiscal policy for utility enterprise funds is to conduct a rate study every five years
to set new rates for the next five years. The last solid waste rate study was approved by
City Council nearly nine (9) years ago in 2014 (Attachment A). In 2019, staff engaged
R3 Consulting Group, Inc. to conduct a new rate study. The rate study was near
completion in early 2020, with planned rate updates beginning in FY 2020-21, when the
COVID-19 global pandemic brought the process to an abrupt halt.
COVID-19 Impacts
In March 2020, the RRR rate study was suspended at the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns in the
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United States. Mindful of the uncertainties and hardships faced by many, the City made
a conscious decision to avoid placing additional financial burdens on ratepayers by
putting the RRR rate study and proposed rate increases on pause. The pandemic lasted
longer than expected, resulting in a three-year rate freeze in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Solid waste utility rates have not increased since FY 2019-20. The historical rate
increases since the 2014 rate study, and the three-year rate freezes since 2020, are
shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2. City’s Historical Solid Waste Rate Increases
Year
Single-Family
Customers
Multi-Family
Customers
Commercial
Customers
2014-15 3.85% 1% 7.25%
2015-16 3.85% 1% 7.25%
2016-17 3.85% 1% 7.25%
2017-18 CPI - 2.5% CPI - 2.5% CPI - 2.5%
2018-19 CPI - 3.7% CPI - 3.7% CPI - 3.7%
2019-20 CPI - 2.6% CPI - 2.6% CPI - 2.6%
2020-21 COVID 0% 0% 0%
2021-22 COVID 0% 0% 0%
2022-23 COVID 0% 0% 0%
While the City’s solid waste rates sustained a 0% increase for the past three years,
inflation and the cost of doing business kept rising. The nation’s inflation rate
skyrocketed to 7.1% in 2021 and 6.5% in 2022, while the previous average between
2012 to 2020 was 1.6%. Concurrently, the State’s mandatory organics recycling law SB
1383 came into effect in 2022, necessitating the adoption of a local mandatory organics
recycling ordinance, investment in additional resources to implement the State and local
laws, and meeting regulatory compliance. The combination of inflation, contractual and
supply cost increases, and new mandated compliance resulted in a $9.5 million
expenditure increase in the RRR Enterprise Fund for FY 2022-23, as demonstrated in
Figure 4.
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Figure 4. While COVID-19 Triggered a Three-Year Rate Freeze, Cost of Doing Business Increased by $9.5M
After a three-year rate freeze, updated solid waste rates are necessary at this critical
juncture to sustain the RRR operation. Accordingly, staff re-engaged the rate consultant
to update and complete the 2022 solid waste rate study (Attachment B). The rate
findings (Attachment F) are summarized in the Discussion section below.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
5/13/2014 (Attachment A) Adoption of Solid Waste Rates
2/14/2023 (Attachment B) 2022 Solid Waste Rate Study Third Contract Modification
Discussion
Current Fund Status
The three-year rate freeze and the increased cost of doing business created the perfect
storm for the RRR Enterprise Fund. Despite prudent budget management,
organizational restructuring, deferring capital projects, and leveraging reserves on a
one-time basis during the difficult COVID years to postpone a rate increase to the
ratepayers, much of the available RRR Fund reserves have been spent down. As
explained earlier, revenues generated from solid waste utility billing and other
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miscellaneous programs ($29 million) are projected to be $8 million lower than the
required operating and capital funds to maintain operation ($37 million) in FY 2022-23.
In other words, the Fund is currently operating at a structural deficit of $8 million and
relying on reserves to sustain RRR services. The current fiscal year started with $22.5
million in reserves in July 2022, of which 35% (estimated at $8 million) is projected to be
used to fund RRR’s operation until the end of June 2023.
Trends Impacting the Fund
Since the last rate study was approved in 2014, there have been significant changes to
the solid waste industry. Any new rate study looking forward must take into account a
number of dynamic factors.
New State Mandates
The mandates of the State’s Short-Lived Pollutants Act (SB 1383) and the City’s
corresponding mandatory organics ordinance adopted in November 2021 means
increasing service demand for organics collection. Since adoption, over 2,500 additional
organics containers have been, and more will continue to be, distributed to new
locations as RRR implements green container rollout to all neighborhoods. This is an
additional route of service that must be provided to every customer.
SB 1383 also mandates the City to educate and enforce organics recycling by
inspecting locations to ensure compliance. Currently, RRR has one Zero Waste
Assistant to cover the outreach, education, and compliance inspection of over 13,000
solid waste account locations in the City.
Staffing
Solid waste collection is an incredibly labor-intensive operation. The quantity and quality
of staff make a huge difference in establishing a resilient and efficient workforce. A total
of 24 as-needed frontline personnel and 4 permanent positions were eliminated from
RRR during COVID-19 restructuring. As staffing reduced, remaining workers had to
work faster and longer hours to cover services, resulting in an unsustainable work
environment. As a result, daily absences rose 57% from 5.15 FTE in FY 2019-20 to
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8.09 FTE in FY 2021-22 and continue to rise in FY 2022-23. These statistics already
excluded callouts related to COVID-19 illnesses. These open and unassigned collection
routes that currently exist on most days must be added to other RRR Equipment
Operators’ daily workload regardless of their original route assignment (Landfill Trash,
Recyclables, or Organics). Workers oftentimes struggle to finish their original assigned
route plus the additional stops. Uncollected stops are rolled over to the following days,
leading to further service delays and customer frustration. Therefore, staffing shortages
cause an adverse domino service impact on the overall collection schedule and
operation. Without right sizing the collection staff, missed or delayed collections will
continue to increase as existing staffing is insufficient to meet new mandated demand
and frequencies.
Changes in Customer Needs
There has been a notable uptick in illegal dumping activities and bulky item collection
requests. One observation is consumer behavior changed during the pandemic and
exacerbated the problem of discarded items. Many residents cleaned out large items
from their homes, purchased “fast furniture” (Attachment C) that are not meant to be
durable, and switched to online shopping and delivery services for groceries and other
goods that resulted in additional discarded packaging materials. Many of those new
habits persist today.
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Figure 5. Alley Cleanup is a Critical Service to Maintain a Clean and Safe Santa Monica
Before and after photos of an alley cleaned up by RRR
Simultaneously, the inception of the City’s 311 team in March 2021 made it easier than
ever for residents to report on issues or request services, including bulky item and
illegal dumping removal. As a result, the number of 311 requests the City received for
bulky item and illegal dumping collection gradually increased over time and surged to a
staggering 180 requests per day in January 2023. Bulky item and illegal dumping
cleanup was the number one requested City service of all 311 tickets citywide.
Beyond just the additional trash in the alleys, the City’s street sweeping operations are
also in a period of transition. The City is projected to have constructed 3.56 miles of
protected bike path by the end of FY 2022-23 to promote car-free transportation and
improve bike rider safety. The total mileage of protected bike path is anticipated to
expand threefold to 10.41 miles in FY 2023-24 and almost seven times to 21.05 miles in
FY 2025-26.
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Protected bike paths create additional sweeping needs that cannot be accommodated
within the current street sweeping structure. The City’s streets are divided into different
street sweeping districts, each with a different “No Parking” two-hour window as
enforced by Traffic Services in the Police Department. Therefore, street sweeping is a
time-sensitive service: RRR workers must complete sweeping dozens of streets within
the same two-hour window before parking restrictions are lifted and parked cars return.
Meanwhile, protected bike path sweeping requires a different vehicle and timing. As the
quantity increases, additional resources will be required to maintain clean and safe
paths moving forward.
Sustainability
Santa Monica maintains a long-standing commitment to sustainability and fighting
climate change. A central tenet of that effort has been the mandate of achieving Zero
Waste by 2030. Above and beyond what has been mandated by the State, Council
adopted in 2014 (Attachment D) and updated in 2019 (Attachment E) the City’s Zero
Waste Strategic Operations Plan (Zero Waste Plan) to provide an environmental policy
framework that can guide the City on its path to achieving zero waste (1.1 pound per
person per day, or PPD, of landfill waste disposal by 2030).
The City currently generates 3.5 PPD, and much progress is needed in zero waste
strategy implementation during the span of this rate study in order to achieve the 2030
goal. Staff continue to identify new and expanded zero waste opportunities that help to
increase diversion from landfills as techniques and technologies become available.
How Proposed RRR Rates are Calculated
It is important to understand the City’s rate setting methodology. The 2023-2028 Five-
Year Solid Waste Rate Study forecasts the future performance of the RRR Fund,
including expenses, use of reserves, target reserve levels, and the overall revenues
necessary to cover expenses and meet reserve targets over time. Expenses were
forecasted based on current expenses as well as conservative increases in those
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expenses and other proposed, planned, or known changes to costs over time (i.e.,
proposed staffing rightsizing and anticipated increases to post-collection expenses, as
examples). From there, expenses were allocated to one of two categories – carts or
bins – which correspond to the primary service offering types available to residents and
businesses. That allocation was made based on a blended metric of the number of
accounts served, the number of days they are served, the number of annual tons
collected, and the amount of revenue derived from that category. Once the expenses
were allocated to carts vs. bins, then the amount of those expenses were compared to
the amount of revenue derived from current rates. Because the RRR Fund is currently
running a deficit, revenues from both cart and bin customers are less than the expenses
attributed to the service provided to each of those categories. Thus, revenues for both
cart customers and bin customers need to increase in order to cover forecasted
expenses.
Any rate or fee calculated through a rate study must conform with the requirements of
Proposition 218. Proposition 218 fees include fees for sewer, water, and refuse
service. Proposition 218 imposes the following standards on the amount of fees that can
be charged, as follows:
• Revenues derived from the fee or charge must not exceed the funds required to
provide the property-related service;
• Revenues derived from the fee or charge must not be used for any purpose
other than that for which the fee was imposed;
• The amount of a fee or charge imposed upon any parcel must not exceed the
proportional cost of services attributable to the parcel, though a parcel by parcel
analysis is not required before imposing the fee;
• The fee or charge may not be imposed for a service unless the service is
actually used by, or immediately available, to the owner of the property subject
to the fee or charge;
• No fee or charge may be imposed for general services, where the service is
available to the public in substantially the same manner as it is to property
owners.
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Proposition 218 also requires at least 45-day notice of the public hearing at which the
rates are considered and an opportunity to protest the rates is provided before the rates
are imposed. The City will mail the public notice outlining the proposed rate changes to
all property owners and utility account holders no later than 45 days prior to the public
hearing date.
Rate Strategies: Next Five Years
As the community slowly recovers from the COVID-19 impacts, the City intends to
continue protecting ratepayers and aiding economic recovery by smoothing the
necessary rate increases to be consistent across all years and avoiding dramatic near-
term rate spikes. In order to gradually phase in the rate increases, the rate study report
recommends the continued use of reserves through the next three fiscal years
(estimated at $9.8 million) to offset a portion of the increases that would have been
otherwise needed. In other words, the RRR Enterprise Fund is projected to continue
operating at a structural deficit (revenues below expenditures) in FY 2023-24, FY 2024-
25, and FY 2025-26 even if Council approves the proposed rate increases discussed in
the rate adjustment options section of this report.
By the end of FY 2025-26 (Year 3 of this rate study period), the fund reserves are
projected to dip to 6.9% or $2.7 million. The rate study strongly advises that the City
slowly build up its reserves to the recommended level of 25% or 90 days of operating
budget expenses by FY 2027-28 (Year 5 of this rate study period) for the following
reasons:
• A 90-day operating reserve is the industry best practice for solid waste enterprise
funds in the state.
• A 90-day operating reserve is the City’s adopted reserve target for other utility
enterprise funds, such as the Water and Wastewater Funds and would provide
uniformity across municipal-provided utilities.
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• A 90-day reserve can tolerate a higher level of economic uncertainty and absorb
more risk around unrealized revenues from utility billing. During the peak of the
COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses shut down; offices transitioned to remote
or hybrid working; and restaurants shortened their business hours or shifted to
takeout service only. All of these changes meant commercial customers were
requesting a reduced level of solid waste collection and thereby less billing
revenues for the RRR Fund.
Keeping rate increases moderate is important in the current economic climate.
Simultaneously, the City bears a fiscal responsibility to keep the RRR Enterprise Fund
healthy so that it can continue to provide critical sanitation, public health, and zero
waste services to maintain a clean, safe, and sustainable community for residents and
businesses. Staff believes maintaining three months of operating expenses in reserve
for an operation of this size is a prudent fiscal policy (Figure 6).
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Figure 6. RRR Fund History and Forecast, FY 2014-2028
Two rate adjustment options will be proposed and discussed below. Option One –
staff’s recommendation -- would accomplish the following five goals for the next five
years:
1. Achieve financial stability in the RRR Enterprise Fund to sustain RRR operations
and meet State mandated regulatory compliance
2. Build fund reserves to industry standards of 90-day operating budget by Year 5
3. Modernize and simplify the rate structure to meet solid waste industry standards
4. Right-size staffing level to meet current community needs
5. Enhance services to support Council’s priority to maintain a clean and safe city
through the establishment of a regularly scheduled alley cleanup service by
enhancing the Bulky Item Illegal Dumping (BIID) response team and creating a
new quarterly Community Cleanup Program (CCP)
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Option Two – a slightly reduced rate increase -- would still accomplish the first four
goals. However, it would not allow for the capacity to achieve the fifth goal of enhanced
clean and safe services.
Option One: Enhanced Clean and Safe Services (Staff Recommendation)
Option One is the staff recommended “Enhanced Clean and Safe Services” option.
Under Option One, rates would be restructured in year one to accurately account for the
true costs of services provided and align the fee structure with the best management
practices of the industry. The remaining four years of the rate study would then apply a
consistent 11% annual increase to all services evenly.
Table 3. Proposed Rates of Typical Services for Option One,
Including Annual Change in Rate in Dollar and Percentage
Customer Type
Current
FY 2022-23 Monthly
Proposed
FY 2023-24 Monthly
Proposed
FY 2024-25 Monthly
Proposed
FY 2025-26 Monthly
Proposed
FY 2026-27 Monthly
Proposed
FY 2027-28 Monthly
Single-Family
One (1) 65-gallon 1x
per week
$41.78
$46.37
+$4.60 11%
$51.47
+$5.10 11%
$57.13
+$5.66 11%
$63.42
+$6.29 11%
$70.39
+$6.98 11%
One (1) 95-gallon 1x
per week
$53.90 $59.83
+$5.93
11%
$66.41
+$6.58
11%
$73.71
+$7.30
11%
$81.82
+$8.11
11%
$90.82
+$9.00
11%
Multi-Family
Four-Unit Apartment
Two 95-gallon 1x per week
$99.28 $119.65
+$20.37
21%
$132.81
+$13.16
11%
$147.42
+$14.61
11%
$163.64
+$16.22
11%
$181.64
+$18.00
11%
Ten-Unit Apartment
One 300-gallon 2x per
week
$222.58 $275.00
+$52.42
24%
$305.25
+$30.25
11%
$338.83
+$33.58
11%
$376.10
+$37.27
11%
$417.47
+$41.37
11%
Commercial
Small Retail One 95-gallon 1x per
week
$88.21 $57.13
-$31.09
-35%
$63.71
+$6.58
11%
$71.01
+$7.30
11%
$79.12
+$8.11
11%
$88.12
+$9.00
11%
Mid-Size Retail
One 2-cubic-yard 1x
per week
$131.34 $154.69
+$23.36
18%
$172.01
+$17.32
11%
$191.23
+$19.22
11%
$212.56
+$21.33
11%
$236.23
+$23.68
11%
Staff is requesting a total of 15.12 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions beginning FY
2023-24 to right-size the RRR operation to meet the community’s emerging service
needs, address service gaps, comply with State SB 1383 regulatory requirement of
mandated organics recycling collection, establish a regularly scheduled alley cleanup
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service by enhancing the BIID response team, and to create a new, volunteer-driven
Community Cleanup Program that would support a more sustainable and resilient
operation. The additional positions would break down as follows:
Right-Size Solid Waste and Recyclable Collection Staffing
Staffing requirement: 1 RRR Superintendent, 1 RRR Equipment Operator, 5 Bin Truck
Drivers (7 FTE)
This request is intertwined with the section below as it relates to added organics
collection required by SB 1383 mandatory compliance.
SB 1383 Mandatory Compliance and Zero Waste by 2030 Implementation
Staffing requirement: 2 RRR Equipment Operators, 1 Zero Waste Assistant (3 FTE)
To ensure timely organics collection services, RRR would need to add new organics
collection routes to service these new locations, necessitating additional drivers and
collection trucks.
Right-Size Sweeping Services
Staffing requirement: 1 Motor Sweeper Operator (1 FTE)
The current staffing level is unable to provide street sweeping services during the
existing time-restricted posted areas or absorb the addition of sweeping within the
protected bike paths. As protected bike path infrastructure continues to expand, the
sweeping service demand will continue to grow thus requiring a dedicated vehicle and
staff member.
Establish a Regularly Scheduled Proactive Alley Cleanup Service by Enhancing the
Bulky Item and Illegal Dumping (BIID) Response Team
Staffing requirement: 2 RRR Equipment Operator, 5 Bin Truck Drivers (7 FTE)
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RRR’s BIID team currently consists of three employees, covering more than 200 miles
of streets and alleys in the City daily. Due to staffing shortages discussed earlier, these
employees are frequently reassigned to cover residential and commercial collection or
other duties, consequently interrupting BIID alley cleanup services.
Proactive, timely alley cleanup is labor-intensive; it requires a consistent service
schedule and a sufficient staffing model. The proposed staffing requirement would
restore four crews for the BIID response team. This would allow RRR to create an
established schedule that customers can count on for alley cleaning and illegal dumping
every Monday through Friday, instead of reactively responding to 311 reports of items
discarded in the public right of way.
The additional staffing would also allow RRR to assign more workers to container
delivery, from replacing damaged or stolen containers to distributing new green
organics containers for SB 1383 mandatory organics recycling. The result will be
speedier container delivery and achieving State compliance sooner.
Creation of a New Quarterly Community Cleanup Program (CCP)
Staffing requirement: Zero – Work will be absorbed by the BIID response team
Another community benefit of right-sizing to a fully-staffed BIID response team is to
provide RRR the required staff capacity to establish and support a new volunteer-driven
Community Cleanup Program (CCP).
The City has received requests to create volunteer cleanup events, at which
neighborhood group associations and individuals can mobilize teams of volunteers,
consisting of City residents and/or businesses, to clean up their neighborhoods.
Volunteers at these events would be provided with cleanup supplies and assistance
from BIID team workers, trucks, and equipment. To allow these cleanup events to be
scalable and successful, the creation of an official City program is necessary.
Infrastructure and staffing must be in place. The program would require application
intaking, staffing and equipment coordination, overtime, supply procurement, inventory
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management, and capacity planning. RRR is currently unable to support such a
program due to budget and staffing constraints.
If the proposed rate increases are approved and the BIID response team is right-sized,
the team would be able to support a new CCP program in addition to their routine alley
cleanup duties. The CCP program would be piloted at a quarterly frequency.
Offset with a Reduction of 2.88 FTE As-Needed Maintenance Assistants
Staffing offset: Minus 4 Maintenance Assistant vacancies (-2.88 FTE)
To offset the staffing requirement and budgetary impact from the five actions above,
staff proposes eliminating four existing vacant as-needed Maintenance Assistant
positions (equivalent to 2.88 FTE). It has been challenging to fill these four vacancies
because the job is physically demanding and as-needed positions do not offer benefits
therefore making the opportunities less competitive.
Table 4. Services Included in the Proposed Rates – Option One, Enhanced Clean & Safe Services
Customer
Type
Landfill Trash
(Black
Container)
Collection &
Disposal
Recyclables
(Blue
Container)
Collection &
Recycling
Organics
(Green
Container)
Collection &
Composting
Bulky Item
Pickup and
Illegal
Dumping
Cleanup
Weekly
Street
Sweeping
On-Demand
Door-to-Door
HHW
Collection
Access to
Monthly
Recycling
Events and
Zero Waste Programs
Enhanced
Bulky Item
Illegal
Dumping
Response & Alley
Cleanup
Quarterly
Community
Cleanup
Program
Single-
Family
Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included
Multi-
Family
Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included Included
Commercial Included Included Included Included Included No Partial Included Included
Option Two: Right-Size Basic Services
Option Two would right-size basic services to align with core needs only. Under Option
Two, rates would still need to be restructured in year one to accurately account for the
true costs of services provided and align the fee structure with the best management
practices of the industry. The remaining four years of the rate study would then apply a
consistent 10.2% annual increase to all services evenly.
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Table 5. Proposed Rates of Typical Services for Option Two,
Including Annual Change in Rate in Dollar and Percentage
Customer Type
Current FY 2022-23
Monthly
Proposed FY 2023-24
Monthly
Proposed FY 2024-25
Monthly
Proposed FY 2025-26
Monthly
Proposed FY 2026-27
Monthly
Proposed FY 2027-28
Monthly
Single-Family
One (1) 65-gallon 1x
per week
$41.78
$46.04
+$4.26
10.2%
$50.73
+$4.70
10.2%
$55.91
+$5.18
10.2%
$61.61
+$5.70
10.2%
$67.89
+$6.29
10.2%
One (1) 95-gallon 1x
per week
$53.90 $59.39
+$5.50
10.2%
$65.45
+$6.06
10.2%
$72.13
+$6.68
10.2%
$79.48
+$7.36
10.2%
$87.59
+$8.10
10.2%
Multi-Family
Four-Unit Apartment
Two 95-gallon 1x per week
$99.28 $118.78
+$19.50
19.6%
$130.90
+$12.12
10.2%
$144.25
+$13.35
10.2%
$158.96
+$14.71
10.2%
$175.17
+$16.21
10.2%
Ten-Unit Apartment
One 300-gallon 2x per week
$222.58 $272.30
+$52.42
23.6%
$300.05
+$28.05
10.2%
$331.26
+$30.91
10.2%
$365.32
+$34.06
10.2%
$402.86
+$37.54
10.2%
Commercial
Small Retail
One 95-gallon 1x per
week
$88.21 $56.69
-$31.52
-35.7%
$62.75
+$6.06
10.7%
$69.43
+$6.68
10.6%
$76.78
+$7.36
10.6%
$84.89
+$8.10
10.6%
Mid-size Retail
One 2-cubic-yard 1x
per week
$131.34 $154.69
+$23.36
17.8%
$170.75
+$16.06
10.4%
$188.44
+$17.69
10.4%
$207.93
+$19.50
10.3%
$229.42
+$21.49
10.3%
Option Two includes an additional 8.12 FTE employees to keep up with current
collection and sweeping service demand and to meet new State and local regulatory
compliance in organics recycling. Without these positions, sanitation services would
continue to degrade over time as demands continue to rise.
However, Option Two would not provide for the staffing needed to enhance RRR’s
current bulky item, illegal dumping, and alley cleanup response. While Option One
would provide the necessary resources to deploy proactive, recurring weekly alley
cleanup services, Option Two would maintain the current service model of responding
only to bulky item collection and illegal dumping locations reported through 311 as
staffing allows. Additionally, Option Two would not provide for the staff capacity to
support a quarterly Community Cleanup Program (CCP).
Table 6. Services Included in the Proposed Rates – Option Two, Right-Size Basic Services
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Customer
Type
Landfill Trash
(Black
Container) Collection &
Disposal
Recyclables
(Blue
Container) Collection &
Recycling
Organics
(Green
Container) Collection &
Composting
Bulky Item
Pickup and
Illegal Dumping
Cleanup
Weekly
Street
Sweeping
On-Demand
Door-to-Door
HHW Collection
Access to
Monthly
Recycling Events and
Zero Waste
Programs
Enhanced
Bulky Item
Illegal Dumping
Response &
Alley
Cleanup
Quarterly
Community
Cleanup Program
Single-
Family
Included Included Included Included Included Included Included No No
Multi-
Family
Included Included Included Included Included Included Included No No
Commercial Included Included Included Included Included No Partial No No
Rate Comparisons: 2023-2028
Tables 3 and 5 summarize the current and proposed FY 2023-28 rates of the most
commonly subscribed collection service levels for single-family customers, multi-family
customers, and commercial customers under Option One – Enhanced Clean and Safe
Services, and Option Two – Right-Size Basic Services, respectively. These two tables
show a small snippet of the dozens of service subscription levels RRR offers, from one
65-gallon container serviced once a week to multiple 4-cubic-yard containers serviced
seven days a week. The full list of proposed rates can be found in Attachment F. Tables
4 and 6 show the RRR services that are included under Option One versus Option Two.
Essentially, the proposed rate difference between Option One and Option Two equate
to less than 1% or $1-$3 per month for many customers, but Option One provides the
substantially enhanced clean and safe services at a minimal additional cost. The rate
difference will vary based on individual customers.
Single-Family Rates
Residents who reside in single-family houses may choose to have either 65-gallon black
landfill trash carts or 95-gallon trash carts. Blue recycling cart and green organics cart
services are included in the bundled rate at no additional cost. Most single-family
customers opt to have one 95-gallon trash cart with once-a-week collection service.
Under Option One, single-family customers can anticipate a rate increase ranging from
$5-$9, depending on the chosen service level. Under Option Two, single-family
customers can anticipate an increase ranging from $4-$8 over the five-year span.
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Multi-Family Rates
Service subscription levels vary widely in the multi-family customer sector based on the
size and needs of the building. Although some very large apartment buildings exist,
most multi-unit dwellings and rent control apartment buildings in the City have ten or
less units. In either rate option, the year one proposed increase is greater than the
following years because of the rate restructuring required to eliminate the livable unit
charges and fold in street sweeping services into one bundled solid waste and recycling
rate for multi-family customers. Including street sweeping into one bundled solid waste
and recycling rate ensures the overall rate structure is consistent among all customer
types and modernizes the City’s solid waste rate structure to align with industry
standards.
Under Option One, a typical four-unit apartment with two 95-gallon landfill trash carts
with once a week collection could see a rate restructuring adjustment of $20 ($5 per
unit) in year one and approximately $13-$18 (or $3.29-$4.50 per unit) in years two
through five. Under Option Two, the same four-unit apartment could see a rate
restructuring adjustment of $20 ($5 per unit) in year one and $12-$16 ($3-$4 per unit) in
the out years.
Under Option One, a ten-unit apartment who chooses to have one 300-gallon trash cart
with twice a week collection could anticipate a similar per-unit rate increase for a total of
$52 ($5.20 per unit) for the entire building in year one, followed by $30-$41 ($3-$4 per
unit) in the subsequent years. Under Option Two, the same ten-unit apartment could
anticipate a rate restructuring adjustment of $52 in year one ($5.20 per unit), followed
by $28-$38 ($2.80-$3.80 per unit) in the following years.
Commercial Rates
Similar to the multi-family rates, all commercial rates require rate restructuring in year
one to eliminate street sweeping charges by water meter size and fold in sweeping
service into one bundled solid waste and recycling rate to align with industry best
practice. As rates are normalized, some small businesses could see savings in year
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one, with subsequent year increases at the same level of single-family homes
subscribing to the same service.
There is a great level of rate impact variability in the business community based on the
size, nature, and needs of the business. A small business might choose to have one 95-
gallon trash cart with once-a-week collection, while large supermarkets and hotels might
prefer multiple 4-cubic-yard trash bins with seven-day-a-week collection. Rates are
based on the level of service required. The more trash a business generates, the higher
the rate will be.
Staff analysis found most commercial customers in the City to be small to medium-sized
businesses. Some of the smallest businesses, such as small retail shops, professional
offices, or hair salons with one 95-gallon trash cart serviced once a week could
potentially anticipate a monthly rate reduction of $31 in year one due to rate
restructuring and a nominal increase of $7-$9 in subsequent years under Option One.
Under Option Two, the same small business could see a saving of $32 in year one,
followed by an increase of $6-$8 in the out years.
Medium sized businesses that require more service, such as cafes and fitness studios,
could expect an upward monthly adjustment of $23 in year one and $17-$24 in the
following years under Option One. The same medium sized business could see the
same $23 rate restructuring adjustment in year one and an increase of $16-$21 in years
two through five under Option Two.
Conclusion
Staff recommends rate adjustment proposal Option One, which would allow RRR to
stabilize the RRR Enterprise Fund and maintain fiscal solvency, right-size the staffing
level to meet current community needs, provide faster and better customer service, and
make meaningful progress towards SB 1383 regulatory compliance as well as the
Council’s Zero Waste by 2030 sustainability goal. Option One would create permanent
jobs, encourage volunteerism and community involvement in co-creating a cleaner,
safer, and more sustainable City, while still protecting rent control buildings and
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businesses as the City’s multi-family and commercial solid waste rates would continue
to be ranked among the lowest of all 88 cities in Los Angeles County.
Figure 7. Comparison of Monthly Solid Waste Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected)
Option One yields many more positive improvements to the community at a minimal
increased cost, including:
1. The rate difference between Option One (Enhanced) and Option Two (Basic) is
only less than 1% or less than $3 per month for many customers.
2. As shown in Figure 7, the City’s Option One proposed rates compare well to
those in other cities in Los Angeles County. The proposed single-family rates
might be slightly higher than some cities, but the City provides more white-glove
services to its residents as demonstrated in Table 1, including monthly recycling
events and on-demand HHW pickup.
3. Figure 7 exhibits that the City’s proposed multi-family and commercial rates are
still considerably lower than most other cities even after the proposed increase
under Option One. Option One rates support the City’s desire to protect rent-
controlled buildings, protect small businesses, and aid economic recovery.
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4. The ability to deploy rapid response to increasing community needs for a clean
and safe City. Restoration of a fully staffed BIID response team allows for
proactive alley cleanup and illegal dumping collection services five days a week,
instead of reactively responding to 311 requests.
5. Shorter bulky item collection response time, quicker replacement of
stolen/broken containers, and faster delivery of new organics containers. The
latter drives the City’s ability to comply with the State’s SB 1383 mandate.
6. Cleaner neighborhoods and less opportunities for discarded items to cause
undesirable behaviors, such as scavenging.
7. Creation of a new City-supported CCP that encourages volunteerism. The CCP
pilot allows resident volunteers to be part of the collaborative efforts to create a
cleaner city and make a direct positive change in their own neighborhood.
8. Considering the three years of rate freeze from 2020-23 where the rates stayed
stagnant, the average annual ten-year increase from 2017-28 is 6.3% for Option
One (Enhanced) and 6% for Option Two (Basic). That annual adjustment
compares favorably with industry standards, especially given changes in the
recycling market in the last few years, new unfunded State mandates, inflation
impacts, and the wide variety and high level of service provided by the City.
Under both rate adjustment options presented in this report, many single-family solid
waste customers can anticipate an annual rate increase of $4-$9 per month, multi-
family customers $20-$52 in 2023 and $12-$41 in the following years, and commercial
customers ranging from a reduction of $31 to an increase of $23 in year one and an
increase of $7-$24 in the subsequent years.
It is important to note that solid waste ratepayers can choose from a wide menu of
service subscription levels, thus the actual rate impact will vary widely based on the
customer’s service needs. Most customers will see an increase in their solid waste
rates, while others may see a decrease due to rate restructuring. The estimates cited
above represent rate impacts for the most commonly subscribed service levels, but
there will be more variations in the multi-family and commercial customer sectors due to
the varying sizes and needs of these buildings.
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Alternatives
It is paramount that the City implement a rate increase in early FY 2023-24 after a
three-year rate freeze. Not implementing a rate increase is not a feasible option as the
RRR Enterprise Fund would run out of money and become unable to sustain the City’s
solid waste and recycling services beginning in early FY 2024-25. Staff’s recommended
Option One (Enhanced Clean and Safe Services) requires an annual increase of 11%
and results in an additional 15.12 FTE in staffing. Rate adjustment Option Two (Right-
Size Basic Services) requires an annual increase of 10.2% and results in an additional
8.12 FTE. A minimum 9% annual increase would still be required to stabilize the RRR
Fund even with no new added services or staffing. Staff does not recommend this as
the current staffing shortages are unsustainable in the long run, leading to continued
degradation of the City’s cleanliness, increased response times, and an overall
reduction in customer service levels. Table 7 summarizes the two proposed rate options
and the alternative outcome.
Table 7. Rate Option Summary
Option
Additional
Staffing
Level
Proposed
Annual
Increase
Anticipated Outcome
One – Enhanced Clean and Safe
Services (RECOMMENDED)
15.12 FTE 11% Enhanced bulky item illegal dumping collection
Proactive weekly alley cleanup
Quarterly community cleanup program
Two – Right-Size Basic Services 8.12 FTE 10.2% Right-Size Existing Basic Services
No enhanced bulky item illegal dumping collection
No quarterly community cleanup program
Alternative (NOT RECOMMENDED) 0 FTE 9% Staffing shortages persist
Missed or delayed collections continue
City’s cleanliness degrades
Ways to Keep Rates Down
As demonstrated throughout this report, the 2023 rate study aims to achieve the
following:
• Keep solid waste rate increases moderate despite the three-year rate freeze by
deploying reserves; and
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• Enhance RRR services.
In addition, as described below, there are different ways to minimize the impacts of
proposed rate increases.
Customers Can Right-Size Service Subscription Level
The City incentivizes landfill diversion and recycling by offering a bundled solid waste
and recycling rate structure based on the number, size, and service frequency of the
black landfill trash container(s) only. There are no separate charges for servicing or
requesting additional blue recycling containers and green organics containers. The solid
waste rate is based on a customer’s chosen level and frequency of service required.
The more landfill trash a customer generates, the more RRR services are required, and
the higher the rate will be. As RRR continues to roll out green organics containers to
every neighborhood, residents and businesses have an opportunity to assess their
consumption habits, find ways to generate less landfill trash by reducing waste, and
recycle and compost more in the blue and green containers. By diverting and recycling
some of the materials previously discarded in the black landfill trash container to the
blue and green containers, a customer might find they no longer require the number,
size, and/or service frequency of the black trash container they previously chose. Right-
sizing service level and reducing landfill trash disposal not only lowers one’s utility bill, it
also reduces methane gas emission at the landfill and dramatically helps the City
achieve its Zero Waste by 2030 goal.
Create a Solid Waste Rate Discount Program
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The City Council is being asked to support creating a new solid waste rate discount
program, which does not currently exist. The City has a water utility rate low-income
discount program for income-qualified customers that are enrolled in the California
Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program offered by Southern California Edison and
the Southern California Gas Company. Proposition 218 mandates that utility discounts
be covered by funding sources outside of the utility enterprise fund. Accordingly, the
Water Fund received a total amount of $154,930 in General Fund subsidy to fund the
program in 2022, which benefited 447 customers.
If directed by the City Council to create a solid waste rate discount program, staff would
explore viable funding options, develop program criteria and duration, and report back
to the Council at the June 2023 rate adoption public hearing.
Next Steps and Public Outreach
Staff seeks comments from Council regarding Option One and Option Two of the rate
adjustment scenarios. Staff also seeks direction from Council about the creation of a
solid waste rate discount pilot program for residents with eligibility. Staff will incorporate
Council comments from this meeting into the final rate study while public outreach
commences.
RRR staff has planned a robust community outreach calendar to share information of
the rate study findings, develop community understanding of the need for rate
adjustments to maintain high quality solid waste and recycling services, and provide an
update on the City’s zero waste progress and programming that is funded by solid
waste utility rates. As part of the public outreach, from February through April staff will
be meeting with all key business stakeholder organizations, neighborhood associations,
and the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment.
In late April, the City will mail a public notice outlining the proposed rate changes to all
property owners and utility account holders at least 45 days prior to the public hearing
date. Absent a majority protest, Council may approve the final adoption of the rates at
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the public hearing in June 2023. The new rates would take effect starting August 1,
2023.
Environmental Review
No environmental review under CEQA is required at this time since this study session
on solid waste rates will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the
environment.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There are no immediate financial impacts or budget actions necessary at this study
session. If Council approves staffing changes and/or the creation of a solid waste rate
discount program, staff will return later to seek specific budget actions.
Finally, staff will incorporate Council’s comments from this meeting into the calculation
of the potential total financial impact to the RRR Enterprise Fund and present it in the
staff report and rate adoption meeting. If new rates are approved by Council in June
2023, the new rates would be effective on August 1, 2023, and annually on the first day
of the fiscal year on July 1, 2024, through July 1, 2027 (FY 2023-28).
Prepared By: Yvonne Yeung, Resource Recovery and Recycling Administrator
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Staff Report: Adoption of Solid Waste Rates, 2014 (Web Link)
B. Staff Report - Solid Waste Rate Study 3rd Contract Modification (Web Link)
C. New York Times Article: "How Cheap 'Fast Furniture' Could Soon Clog Landfills."
October 31, 2022
D. 2014 Zero Waste Plan
E. 2019 Zero Waste Plan Update
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F. Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028
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1/23/23, 8:57 AM How Cheap ‘Fast Furniture’ Could Soon Clog Landfills - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/realestate/fast-furniture-clogged-landfills.html 1/4
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/realestate/fast-furniture-clogged-landfills.html
Fast Furnitureʼ Is Cheap. And Americans Are Throwing It in the Trash.
The mass-produced furniture that sold furiously during the pandemic could soon be clogging landfills.
By Debra Kamin
Published Oct. 31, 2022 Updated Nov. 2, 2022
To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.
Americans bought piles of furniture during the pandemic, with sales on desks, chairs and patio equipment jumping by more than $4 billion
from 2019 to 2021, according to a market data company. And a lot of it won’t survive the decade.
Fast furniture, which is mass-produced and relatively inexpensive, is easy to obtain and then abandon. Like fast fashion, in which retailers
like Shein and Zara produce loads of cheap, trendy clothing that’s made to be discarded after only a few wears, fast furniture is for those
looking to hook up but not settle down. It’s the one-season fling of furnishings.
Many of the Ikea beds and Wayfair desks bought during the Covid-19 lockdown were designed to last about five years, said Deana
McDonagh, a professor of industrial design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “I relate to fast furniture like I do to fast food,”
Ms. McDonagh said. “It’s empty of culture, and it’s not carrying any history with it.”
Ikea of Sweden said in a statement that “life span estimation may vary” for its furniture, and customers are encouraged to repair, resell or
return products they can no longer use. Wayfair said through a spokesperson that “we sell an extensive range of furniture products across
all styles and price points,” adding that some are meant to “last for generations as well as furniture that meets customer needs for
affordability.”
Increasingly, renters and homeowners are opting for fast and cheap, or as Amber Dunford, style director at Overstock.com, defines it,
“furniture where the human hand is missing.” And they don’t keep it long. Each year, Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of
furniture, creating mountains of solid waste that have grown 450 percent since 1960, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Bits of tossed furniture can be recycled, but the vast majority ends up in landfills.
“It’s quite a big problem, both spatially and also because of the way a lot of fast furniture is made now, it’s not just wood and metal. The
materials don’t biodegrade or break down,” said Ashlee Piper, a sustainability expert and the author of “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better.
Save the Planet.” “We’re creating this Leviathan problem at landfills with the furniture that we get rid of.”
The e-commerce furniture market alone was worth more than $27 billion in 2021, and projected to reach more than $40 billion by 2030,
according to a report from Next Move Strategy Consulting. Ikea is opening an average of 50 new locations per year; Amazon, the world’s
largest retailer, now has two private-label furniture brands, the midcentury-modern Rivet and the more farmhouse-chic Stone & Beam.
For all of its flaws, fast furniture offers millions of homeowners the opportunity to live in a stylish home at an affordable price point. As
young people contend with skyrocketing housing prices and economic anxiety, even those who would prefer to browse antique markets or
shop for custom pieces simply don’t have the resources to do so.
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Packet Pg. 353 Attachment: New York Times Article: "How Cheap 'Fast Furniture' Could Soon Clog Landfills." October 31, 2022 (5616 : Solid Waste Rate
1/23/23, 8:57 AM How Cheap ‘Fast Furniture’ Could Soon Clog Landfills - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/realestate/fast-furniture-clogged-landfills.html 2/4
Sebastien Long founded Lodgeur, which rents short-term furnished apartments in Texas, in 2019. He does the design for the apartments
in-house, and relies almost exclusively on retailers like Wayfair, Target, West Elm and CB2.
“We do this because of fast turnaround times required on many of our projects, but also because we’re able to create stylish and
comfortable apartments,” he said. The durability of the furniture doesn’t concern him much, he added, because of his business model. “Fast
furniture is more likely to get damaged when you move it around in a U-Haul,” he said. “That’s why we leave it inside the apartment and
instead move people in and out.”
But even for those who swore they’d never bring low-end furniture in their homes, necessity can be the mother of exception. During the
pandemic, Georgia Zikas, owner of Georgia Zikas Design, worked with a client in New Jersey, furnishing and decorating a multi-million-
dollar house that would be used as their second home. They closed in November 2020 and wanted to be able to use the backyard pool by
spring, but global production and shipping bottlenecks meant that custom-made furniture pieces were delayed by months.
“They had a deadline,” Ms. Zikas said. “So I went to one of my designers and was like: ‘What can we have in eight weeks?’”
The entire home was outfitted with ready-to-ship pieces from Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel and Ethan Allen, vendors that have higher
price points, use higher-quality materials and all have sustainability pledges. But environmentalists like Ms. Piper still consider them fast
furniture because their pieces are mass produced. It was a choice, said Ms. Zikas, that a few years ago might have surprised her. But since
the pandemic, and its ripple effect on the global supply chain, all bets are off.
“It’s definitely affecting where we’re shopping,” she said.
Sometimes, however, homeowners have a change of heart. Doug Greene, 34, bought a 200-year-old rowhouse in Philadelphia five years
ago, and after doing a gut renovation, found he didn’t want to bring mass-produced furniture into a space he’d so painstakingly restored.
So he taught himself how to make furniture, and he and his girlfriend, Ashley Hauza, now have a home where he handcrafted nearly every
stick of furniture from solid wood. There’s a western red cedar waterfall bench. There’s a white oak bed frame with a hand-cut bridle joint.
Environmentalists say landfills are becoming clogged with the mass-produced “fast furniture” that consumers discard. Pieces of furniture, above, that were thrown away
with the garbage on the streets of the Upper East Side of Manhattan in 2021. Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York Times
Doug Greene bought a 200-year-old rowhouse in Philadelphia, but after a gut renovation, decided he didn’t want to fill it with mass-produced furniture.Steve Legato for The
New York Times
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Packet Pg. 354 Attachment: New York Times Article: "How Cheap 'Fast Furniture' Could Soon Clog Landfills." October 31, 2022 (5616 : Solid Waste Rate
1/23/23, 8:57 AM How Cheap ‘Fast Furniture’ Could Soon Clog Landfills - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/realestate/fast-furniture-clogged-landfills.html 3/4
“It’s all much more solid pieces of furniture than anything I could have picked up from a store on a shelf,” he said. “I used to pick up an
Ikea desk every time I switched apartments. I just thought that was the way people did it. I now have a much greater appreciation for
creativity and design.”
Over the past decade, a number of sustainability-focused companies have entered the market in the hopes of presenting a solution.
Kaiyo, an online marketplace for pre-owned furniture, was founded in 2014 and says it has since kept more than 3.5 million pounds of
furniture out of landfills. Those with furniture to unload can offer it to Kaiyo, and if the company accepts — Alpay Koralturk, the chief
executive, said the company purchases about half of the pieces offered to them — it’ll get picked up for free and the seller will get a check.
Buyers can shop the online marketplace, and know that items shown online are always in stock.
“Everyone has a ton of furniture. Few products are as ubiquitous,” Mr. Koralturk said. “I was trying to imagine what the 21st century
solution should be.”
Fernish, a rental furniture subscription service, allows customers to pay month-to-month for items from brands like Crate & Barrel,
always with the option to buy outright. The service says it has saved more than 1 million pounds of furniture from landfills.
“We recognize that furniture is generally an unrecyclable good,” said Michael Barlow, Fernish’s chief executive. “The way to give it a
second life is to put very quality product into circulation in the first place, and build a supply chain,” he said. “The demographic that we’re
built for is people in their 20s and 30s.”
Major retailers, facing pressure from customers and environmentalists, are also saying they’ll do better.
Wayfair, which saw sales deflate this summer after a pandemic boom, pledged in its most recent corporate responsibility report to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions — mainly created by the production and shipment of its products — by 63 percent by 2035.
“We don’t claim to have everything figured out, but we’re working to address big problems and set strategies with an approach that’s true
to Wayfair,” founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine wrote in the report.
And Ikea has laid out bold climate goals in its sustainability strategy, vowing to become fully circular — using only recycled or renewable
materials, and creating zero waste — by 2030.
One of Mr. Greene’s pieces is a waterfall bench made from western red cedar.Steve Legato for The New York Times
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1/23/23, 8:57 AM How Cheap ‘Fast Furniture’ Could Soon Clog Landfills - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/realestate/fast-furniture-clogged-landfills.html 4/4
“Keeping prices low is a cornerstone of our business,” Ikea of Sweden said in a statement. “But this must never come at the expense of
people and the environment.”
In the 2021 fiscal year, more than 99 percent of their wood was either recycled or certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as being
sourced responsibly, the company said. Fourteen percent was fully recycled.
The impact of fast furniture, Ms. Piper said, is a hard sell to even the most economically-conscious people. But she’s optimistic that change
is possible.
“You have elements of sustainability that are sexier to people, and are more the gateway drug to sustainability, like fast fashion,” she said.
But if Ikea can do it, “and they’re willing to share how they do it with other companies, that’s really encouraging.”
Audio produced by Tally Abecassis.
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DRAFT
Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan
Prepared for:
City of Santa Monica
Public Works Department
Resource Recovery & Recycling
2500 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Prepared by:
.
251 South Lake Avenue, Suite 1000
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-584-1700
In conjunction with:
19200 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 360
Irvine, California 92612
(949) 251-8628
January 2013
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Contents
1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1.1 What Is Zero Waste? ........................................................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.2 Guiding Principles ......................................................................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Zero Waste Policy .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1-4 1.4 Goal Areas, Goals, Indicators and Targets .......................................................................................................................... 1-4
2.0 Current Conditions .................................................................................................................................... 2-7 2.1 Resource Recovery and Recycling Division ....................................................................................................................... 2-7 2.1.1 Residential Collection Services ...................................................................................................................................... 2-7 2.1.2 Commercial Collection Services .................................................................................................................................. 2-15 2.1.3 Household Hazardous Waste ....................................................................................................................................... 2-18 2.1.4 Zero Waste Events ............................................................................................................................................................ 2-20 2.2 City Policies and Programs ..................................................................................................................................................... 2-20 2.2.1 Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC) .................................................................................................................... 2-20 2.2.2 Extended Producer Responsibility ............................................................................................................................ 2-24 2.2.3 Recycled Products Procurement Policy .................................................................................................................. 2-24 2.2.4 Sustainable City Plan ....................................................................................................................................................... 2-25 2.2.5 Green Business Certification Program ..................................................................................................................... 2-26 2.2.6 Sustainable Quality Awards .......................................................................................................................................... 2-27 2.2.7 US Conference of Mayors/California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Buy Recycled Campaign ...................................................................................................................................................................... 2-27 2.2.8 City’s Purchase and Use of Tropical Forest Wood Products .......................................................................... 2-27 2.2.9 Print Shop Purchasing Policy ....................................................................................................................................... 2-27 2.2.10 Electronic Waste ............................................................................................................................................................. 2-27 2.2.11 Used Oil and Filter Collection .................................................................................................................................... 2-27 2.2.12 Christmas Tree Recycling ........................................................................................................................................... 2-27 2.2.13 Catalogue Choice ............................................................................................................................................................. 2-29 2.2.14 Scheduled Events ............................................................................................................................................................ 2-29 2.3 Resource Recovery and Recycling Processing Facilities ........................................................................................... 2-29 2.3.1 Santa Monica Community Recycling Center.......................................................................................................... 2-29 2.3.2 Southern California Disposal Transfer Station .................................................................................................... 2-30
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2.4 Educational Outreach................................................................................................................................................................ 2-30 2.4.1 Sustainable Works ............................................................................................................................................................ 2-30 2.4.2 Community Sustainability Liaison ............................................................................................................................. 2-31 2.4.3 Educational Outreach Tools ......................................................................................................................................... 2-31 2.4.4 Educational Outreach Events ....................................................................................................................................... 2-32
3.0 Generation and Characterization ......................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Existing Generation....................................................................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Waste Diversion ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.3 Disposal .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3-3 3.4 Discarded Materials Characterization .................................................................................................................................. 3-3 3.4.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3-3 3.4.2 Single-Family Residential Waste Composition ....................................................................................................... 3-5 3.4.3 Multi-Family Residential ................................................................................................................................................... 3-6 3.4.4 Commercial ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3-7 3.4.5 Self-Haul ................................................................................................................................................................................... 3-8 3.5 Disposal Projections ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3-9 3.5.1 Population Projections....................................................................................................................................................... 3-9 3.5.2 Future Disposal ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3-9
4.0 Zero Waste Options ................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Initial List of Potential Options ................................................................................................................................................ 4-1 4.2 Recommended Strategies .......................................................................................................................................................... 4-5 4.2.1 Mandatory ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4-5 4.2.2 Collection ................................................................................................................................................................................. 4-6 4.2.3 Rate Setting .......................................................................................................................................................................... 4-10 4.2.4 Upstream ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4-11 4.2.5 Downstream ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4-13 4.2.6 Facilities ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4-16
5.0 Diversion and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Estimates .............................................. 5-1 5.1 Diversion Estimates ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Estimates ............................................................................................................ 5-3
6.0 Financial and Cost Analysis .................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Financial Analysis .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Cost Analysis .................................................................................................................................................................................... 6-4 6.3 Customer Rate Impact Analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 6-5
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6.4 Program Impact Observations ................................................................................................................................................. 6-7
7.0 Implementation .......................................................................................................................................... 7-1
Exhibits Exhibit 2-1. Map of SF Residences Participating in the Pilot Food Scraps Collection Program ........................... 2-12 Exhibit 2-2. Used Oil and Oil Filter Collection Locations ....................................................................................................... 2-28 Exhibit 3-1. Single Family Residential Disposed Waste Composition ................................................................................ 3-5 Exhibit 3-2. Multi-Family Residential Disposed Waste Composition ................................................................................. 3-6 Exhibit 3-3. Commercial Disposed Waste composition- Percentages ................................................................................ 3-7 Exhibit 3-4. Self-Haul Disposed Waste Composition Percentages ....................................................................................... 3-8 Exhibit 7-1. Implementation Schedule ............................................................................................................................................. 7-2
Tables Table 1-1. Goal Areas, Indicators and Targets ................................................................................................................................ 1-5 Table 2-1. Residential Tonnages (2011) .......................................................................................................................................... 2-7 Table 2-2. Items Accepted in the City’s Recycling Program ................................................................................................. 2-10 Table 2-3. Bi-Monthly Single-Family Residential Collection Rates ................................................................................... 2-11 Table 2-4. Bi-Monthly Multi-Family Residential Collection Rates ................................................................................... 2-14 Table 2-5. Commercial Tonnages (2011) ..................................................................................................................................... 2-15 Table 2-6. Bi-Monthly Commercial Collection Rates (FY 2011/2012) .......................................................................... 2-17 Table 2-7. Materials accepted at the City’s HHW Center ....................................................................................................... 2-19 Table 2-8. Approved C&D Recycling Facilities ........................................................................................................................... 2-23 Table 2-9. City-Approved Mixed C&D Recycling Facilities ................................................................................................... 2-24 Table 2-10. 2010 Sustainable Report Card Grades .................................................................................................................. 2-26 Table 2-11. Educational Outreach Media ..................................................................................................................................... 2-31 Table 2-12. Citywide Environmental Events .............................................................................................................................. 2-32 Table 3-1. Overall Generation 2011 (tons) ..................................................................................................................................... 3-1 Table 3-2. 2011 Diversion Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 3-2 Table 3-3. 2011 Disposal Summary (tons) ..................................................................................................................................... 3-3 Table 3-4. Composition by Material Category and Generator Sector ................................................................................. 3-4 Table 3-5. Population Forecasts (2010-2030) .............................................................................................................................. 3-9
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Table 3-6. Waste Disposal Projections (2013-2030), Tons .................................................................................................. 3-10 Table 5-1. Diversion Estimates by Implementation Phase ...................................................................................................... 5-1 Table 5-2. Zero Waste Strategic Plan Diversion Estimates ..................................................................................................... 5-2 Table 5-3. Zero Waste Strategic Plan Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimates (MTCE) ................................................ 5-3 Table 6-1. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – All Sectors ................................................................................................ 6-2 Table 6-2. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – Single Family Sector ...................................................................... 6-2 Table 6-3. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – Multi-family Sector ........................................................................ 6-3 Table 6-4. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – Commercial Sector ......................................................................... 6-3 Table 6-5. Planning-Level Cost Estimates for Selected Zero Waste Programs ............................................................... 6-5 Table 6-6. Customer Rate Impacts for Selected Zero Waste Programs ............................................................................. 6-6 Table 6-7. Most Cost Effective Zero Waste Programs Based on Incremental Annual Program Savings ............. 6-7 Table 6-8. Programs with Net Cost Increases Sorted by Lowest to Highest Cost Per Ton ........................................ 6-8
Appendices A. Waste Characterization Analysis B. Population Projections C. Summary List of Recommended Strategies D. Diversion Potential by Option E. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assumptions and Calculations F. City Solid Waste Revenue and Expense Data G. Planning Level Cost Estimates H. List of Plan Contributors and Preparers
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1-1
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background
The City of Santa Monica prides itself on being an environmental leader. It’s Resource
Recovery and Recycling Division (RRR) and Office of Sustainability and the Environment
(OSE) have implemented many cutting edge environmental initiatives and programs. The City’s state-of-the-art waste diversion strategies contributed to the City reaching a 74% diversion rate in 2009. As another indicator of the City’s diversion accomplishments, the City’s calculated per
capita disposal rate in 2010 was 3.6 pounds per person per day, well below the targeted rate of
10.9 pounds per person per day. The per capita disposal target, as established by CalRecycle, is
the amount of disposal that is approximately equivalent to the 50 percent diversion requirement, and represents an average of 50 percent of total waste generation in 2003 through 2006 expressed in terms of per capita disposal
On June 23, 2009, the City Council directed staff to develop a Zero Waste Strategic Plan. The
creation of the Plan would allow the City to strengthen and refine its current waste diversion
operations while adding significant opportunities and emerging technologies. The City established the Zero Waste Planning Committee to effectively design and implement a zero waste program. This Committee was comprised of the Resource Recovery & Recycling Division
(RRR), the Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) and the City’s private partners,
Southern California Disposal and Allan Company. Numerous meetings were held between
September 2009 and August 2010 to establish methodologies to develop a Zero Waste Strategic Plan. Out of this collaborative effort, several processes and programs were discussed and implemented including a pilot residential yard trimmings and food scraps program, expansion of
the commercial food scraps program, and audits of landfills to determine diversion rates.
In addition, the committee determined that a consultant would be needed to develop a long term
Zero Waste Strategic Plan which would include identifying new and expanded operational programs, including producer responsibility, product stewardship, client responsibility, council ordinances and resolutions as well as identifying impacts of all programs on future materials
processing requirements and disposal rates. A Request for Proposals for a consultant was issued
in June 2011, and in December 2011, the City began a Zero Waste Strategic Planning process to
identify the new policies, programs and infrastructure that will enable the City to reach its Zero Waste goal of 95% diversion by 2030, or a per capita disposal rate of 1.1 pounds per person per day. The Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan will help the City strengthen its existing
diversion operations while addressing significant fiscal challenges and emerging trends and
technologies. The Plan will serve as a broad environmental and policy framework and will guide
the future development of the City’s resource recovery and recycling policies, programs, and infrastructure.
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The Zero Waste Strategic Planning process included the following tasks:
1. Review and summary of existing policies, programs, facilities, and rate structure.
2. Review and compilation of existing zero waste guiding principles, and development
of zero waste guiding principles relevant to the City.
3. Compilation of existing and projected waste generation and composition data.
4. Identification, evaluation, and selection of policy, program, and infrastructure
options.
5. Calculation of potential diversion and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
6. Analysis of program costs and rate structure impacts.
1.1.1 What Is Zero Waste?
Zero waste is a change of perspective. It requires rethinking what we have traditionally regarded as trash and instead treating all materials as valued resources. Zero waste entails shifting
consumption patterns, more carefully managing purchases, and maximizing the reuse of
materials at the end of their intended use. Zero waste takes into consideration the entire
materials management system, from extraction of natural resources, to product design,
manufacturing and distribution, to product use and reuse, to recycling, composting, energy recovery, or disposal.
In developing policies, programs and infrastructure to achieve zero waste, the City can both
maximize diversion from landfills and reduce generation of waste. Achieving zero waste entails
encouraging the City, its residents, businesses, and visitors to reevaluate what we consider waste.
Ultimately, zero waste contributes to the development of a greener local economy and a more sustainable community. In order to reach true sustainability, the strategies identified in the Zero
Waste Strategic Operations Plan must consider “People, Planet, and Profit” as the triple bottom
line achieving social, environmental, and economic sustainability.
The City has defined it Zero Waste goal to mean achieving 95% diversion or a per capita
disposal rate of 1.1 pounds per person per day.
1.2 Guiding Principles
The Santa Monica Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan (Plan) is based on ten Guiding
Principles that provide a framework for the policies, programs and actions identified for
implementation. These Zero Waste Guiding Principles are consistent with the Guiding Principles developed for the Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan. The Guiding Principles were presented to the public at the Santa Monica festival in May 2012. Nearly 400 residents provided input
during the event. The residents indicated their top three priorities are: healthy community; waste
reduction; and education and outreach. The Guiding Principles are detailed below:
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1. The Health of the Community and the Environment Guides all Policy Decisions
Santa Monica is committed to protecting, preserving and restoring the natural environment
and safeguarding the health of all members of the community. All program and policy
decisions related to achieving our zero waste goals will be developed based on these
commitments. 2. The Hierarchy for Managing Discarded Materials is to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and then
Recover
The City has adopted an environmental hierarchy for ‘highest and best use’ of discarded
materials. It will follow this hierarchy by prioritizing waste prevention and reduction, then
encouraging reuse prior to treatment through recycling and composting. The City will
recover energy and economic value from residual materials that cannot be recycled or
composted through environmentally sound treatment prior to disposal. 3. Economic and Social Benefits are Integral to Zero Waste
The programs and policies in this Plan will promote economic benefits, including job
creation, cost savings and business opportunities, and will ensure that inequitable burdens are
not placed on any one geographic or socioeconomic sector of the population. 4. The City Leads By Example
Santa Monica will model the behavior it seeks from its residents, businesses and institutions
by incorporating zero waste principles into local policies and operations; through advocacy
for zero waste policies and initiatives at the regional, state and federal level; and through
support to the community in striving for zero waste. 5. Brand Owners, Producers and Manufacturers Contribute to the Management of their
Products and Packaging
The City will pursue policies at all levels of government (State/ Regional/Local) for
producers to take responsibility for the end of life management of products and packaging.
Consumers need to be part of the solution and will be educated on alternative purchasing
practices. 6. Regional Partnerships Leverage the City’s Efforts in Pursuing Zero Waste
Santa Monica recognizes that to be successful it must work with other cities in the region in
order to promote a robust zero waste infrastructure and culture. The City will collaborate on
programs, public outreach, legislation, infrastructure and new technologies that help to
achieve zero waste goals throughout the region.
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7. Municipal Management of Local Collections and Processing Programs Ensures Local Control and Responsiveness
The City’s operations are a model of materials management. New programs and
infrastructure will be developed to ensure that residents, businesses and visitors become zero
waste champions. 8. Education, Outreach and Marketing are Essential to Achieving Cultural Change
Santa Monica recognizes the power of community-based social marketing, social networks,
community organizing and grassroots support for its education and outreach programs. The
City will empower the community by providing the tools and techniques for enabling the
culture to achieve zero waste. 9. Research and Development of New Technologies, Collection Systems and Infrastructure
are Needed to Maximize Diversion of Discarded Materials
The City recognizes current approaches to managing materials are inadequate to maximize
diversion from disposal. The City will closely monitor new developments and will invest in
pilot programs and facilities for achieving zero waste.
10. Local Market Development for Reusable and Recyclable Materials Ensures Sustainability
Santa Monica is part of the global economy, but recognizes that local business development
is the key to a sustainable community. Wherever possible, the City will invest in local reuse
and recycling markets and support local businesses in providing markets for discarded
materials.
1.3 Zero Waste Policy
The City will develop a zero waste policy to be adopted concurrent with the adoption of the zero
waste strategic operations plan. The policy will establish the City’s goal of reaching zero waste
by 2030, and the strategies and actions the City will take to attain that goal. Other aspects of the policy may include the definition of zero waste, specific goals for the residential and commercial
sectors, the roles and responsibilities of City departments and divisions, and references to
relevant sections of the City’s municipal code, ordinances, and resolutions. The policy will be
drafted for review by City staff and legal counsel, and for consideration by the City Council.
1.4 Goal Areas, Goals, Indicators and Targets
The Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan is organized around six goal areas:
1. Waste Reduction
2. Environmental Benefits
3. Economic Benefits
4. City Leadership
5. Producer Responsibility
6. Zero Waste Culture Change
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Specific goals are established in each goal area representing what Santa Monica must achieve in
order to become a zero waste community.
For each goal, indicators have been developed to measure progress toward meeting the goals.
The indicators will help determine the impact of a program, policy or action, and when tracked
over time, will reflect the accomplishments and challenges of implementing the Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan. The indicators will measure the performance or effectiveness of
specific policies or programs, and will be used to determine the need for future modifications to
the Plan. For some goals, numeric targets have been established to further evaluate the
accomplishments of the Plan.
The goal areas, indicators and targets are listed in Table 1-1.
Table 1-1. Goal Areas, Indicators and Targets
Goal Area/Indicator Targets 1. Waste Reduction
• Total citywide generation (also report per capita and by sector) • Amount landfilled • Amount diverted (recycled and composted, etc.) from landfill
• 80% diversion by 2015
• 95% diversion by 2030
• Per capita disposal rate of less than 3.6 pounds/person/day by 2020
• Per capita disposal rate of less than 1.1 pounds/person/day by 2030 2. Environmental Benefits
• Greenhouse gas emissions reduction through waste reduction and recycling programs
• Conversion of City fleets to clean fuels/renewable
• 30% contribution to greenhouse gas reduction goal through waste prevention and recycling by 2015
• 50% contribution to greenhouse gas reduction goal through waste prevention and recycling by 2020
• 100% of all City fleet vehicles to clean fuels by 2030 3. Economic Benefits
• Creation of new jobs
• Local market development
• 20% increase in local jobs from waste prevention and recycling
• Local market development
o 3 new local partnerships by 2015
o 5 new partnerships by 2020
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Goal Area/Indicator Targets 4. City Leadership
• Zero waste at City offices and facilities • Establish baseline
• Recycling and composting at all City facilities by 2015
• 80% diversion rate at City facilities by 2015
• 95% diversion rate at City facilities by 2030 5. Producer Responsibility
• Producer responsibility for problem products (advocacy at state level or implementation of City ordinances)
• State legislation or City ordinance to address pharmaceuticals, sharps, batteries, fluorescent bulbs by 2020
6. Zero Waste Culture Change
• Customer participation and reduced contamination
• Zero waste awareness at home, at work, at school, at play
• 80% participation in City programs by 2015
• 90% participation in City programs by 2020
• 100% participation in City programs by 2025
• Contamination reduced to 2% by 2015
• Contamination reduced to 1% by 2020
• 80% of residents and businesses aware of Zero Waste by 2015
• 90% of residents and businesses aware of Zero Waste by 2020
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2.0 Current Conditions
An important step in the planning process is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the existing policies, programs, and infrastructure in the City. This helps ensure the Zero Waste Plan
is in line with the City’s established goals and efforts.
2.1 Resource Recovery and Recycling Division
This section provides a description of the existing services provided by the City’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division.
2.1.1 Residential Collection Services
The City’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division provides collection services for all single-family (SF) and multi-family (MF) residences. There are approximately 50,000 total housing
units in the City1. Approximately 77% of the housing units are designated by the City as MF,
which is defined as more than 2 units.
In 2011, the City collected an estimated 43,300 tons from residential customers, including
approximately 27,600 tons of refuse, 8,500 tons of recyclables, and 7,000 tons of yard trimmings/ food scraps. A breakdown of the quantities and types of materials collected from
single-family and multi-family residences is shown in Table 2-12.
Table 2-1. Residential Tonnages (2011)
Single-Family Multi-Family Total
Refuse 6,976 20,692 27,667
Recycling 4,099 4,479 8,578
Yard Trimmings/Food Scraps 6,428 613 7,041
TOTAL 17,503 25,783 43,287
1 US Census, 2010; http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk
2 The City does not have separate collection routes by customer type, and therefore percentage estimates have been
calculated based on the 2009 container audit and weighted averages.
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2.1.1.1 Single-Family Residences
Single-family residences are provided with refuse, recycling, and yard trimmings collection
services on a weekly basis, that utilizes an automated, 3-cart system. Residents can choose
between 68- and 95-gallon sized black carts for refuse, and are provided 95-gallon blue carts for
recyclables and 95-gallon green carts for yard trimmings. Items that are accepted in the blue
recycling container are summarized in Table 2-2. Yard trimmings are composted at Community Recycling, located in Lamont, California, for agricultural use. The materials accepted in the yard
trimmings carts include grass, leaves, weeds, tree trimmings, and small branches not more than 3
feet long. Currently, there are no restrictions or fees on the number of recycling or yard
trimmings carts available to residents. Residents may request as many containers as they need.
Single-family residents pay for collection services bi-monthly, based on the frequency of service, the number of carts, and the size of the
refuse cart(s). The current collection rates
for single-family residences are included in
Table 2-3.
Beginning in August 2010, the City began a pilot SF residential food scraps collection
program for approximately 600 households.
The program allowed residents to place
food scraps in their yard trimmings cart(s). In late 2010, the City conducted a survey of 150 participants to collect feedback on the
food scraps collection program. Of the
responses received, 40% were participating
in the program while 60% were not participating. Of the 60% of residents who were not participating in the program, 67%
indicated they were not aware of the
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program and stated they would begin to participate in the program now that they were aware. In
August 2011, the pilot program expanded to 330 households, in February 2012 to an additional
370 households, and in April 2012, a total of 1,300 households were participating in the
program. Beginning June 30, 2012, all single-family residences were eligible to participate in
the program. A map of the pilot program areas is shown in Exhibit 2-1. The co-collected food scraps and yard trimmings are taken to Southern California Disposal (SCD), where they are
placed in transfer vehicles that are hauled to Community Recycling for composting. The City
also offers home composting and vermicompost bins at a subsidized price as another measure to
decrease the amount of organic materials that go to landfills.
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Table 2-2. Items Accepted in the City’s Recycling Program
Glass
All glass bottles and jars (mayonnaise, apple juice bottles, wine bottles, etc.)
CA redemption bottles (soda, beer, wine coolers, etc.)
Metal
Aluminum beverage cans and aluminum food cans (e.g., cat food cans)
Steel/tin food and beverage cans
Clean aluminum foil and foil food trays
Paper
Newspaper (including inserts)
Office paper (white and colored)
Computer paper
Corrugated cardboard
Cardboard boxes and paper bags
Phone books
Magazines and catalogs
Food/detergent boxes
Mixed office paper (file folders, fax paper, envelopes, advertisements, flyers, etc.)
Junk mail, bulk mail, and scrap paper
Paper bound with non-water soluble glue (paperback books, hardback books, overnight mail packages, etc.)
Milk cartons (clean and rinsed)
Aseptic Packages (juice boxes)
Plastics
Plastics Numbered 1-5, and 7
Water/juice/soda bottles
Food containers
Milk and water jugs
Detergent/cleaning product bottles
Personal care bottles
Plastic bags (shopping bags, dry cleaner bags and other plastic bags)
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Table 2-3. Bi-Monthly Single-Family Residential Collection Rates (FY 2011/2012)
Quantity, Size Refuse Cart Frequency Rate
1-68 gallon cart 1x weekly $64.85
2-68 gallon cart 1x weekly $129.70
3-68 gallon cart 1x weekly $194.55
1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $83.76
2-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $167.54
3-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $251.31
1-68 & 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $148.63
2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $335.06
300 gallon container 1x weekly $252.33
Shared container service $25.67
A bulky item collection service is offered by the City. Bulky items include large objects that do not fit in a refuse container, such as refrigerators, stoves, and furniture. The service is available
to residents for a fee, depending on the size and amount of items discarded. The fees can range
from $25 for small items, to $250 for large items.
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Exhibit 2-1. Map of SF Residences Participating in the Pilot Food Scraps Collection Program
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2.1.1.2 Multi-Family Residences
The City collects refuse from an estimated 40,000 multi-family (MF) units. Multi-family
buildings are provided with either 68- or 95-gallon carts; 300-gallon containers; or 2-, 3-, or 4-
cubic-yard bins for refuse collection. Residents of multiple unit dwellings and condominiums
have a commingled recycling collection program. Blue 300-gallon containers, or 2, 3, or 4 cubic
yard bins are placed throughout the alley ways for the collection of commingled recyclables from MF complexes. The containers and bins are either designated to specific complexes, or are
shared by neighboring complexes. In 2012, there were approximately 400 large (more than 5
units) buildings that did not have recycling services. The City has been working to address this
issue, and during 2013, all 400 buildings will be provided with recycling opportunities. A list of
recyclables accepted by the City was provided in Table 2-2. The City also offers home composting and vermicompost bins at a subsidized price to multi-family residences as a measure
to decrease the amount of organic materials that go to landfills. The current collection rates for
multi-family residences are shown in Table 2-4.
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Table 2-4. Bi-Monthly Multi-Family Residential Collection Rates (FY 2011/2012)
68, 95 Gallon Refuse Carts
3 Cubic Yard Refuse Bin
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
1-68 gallon cart 1x weekly $51.35
3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $226.49
1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $67.55
3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $453.02
3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $679.52
300 Gallon Refuse Container
3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $906.03
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,132.54
300 gallon container 1x weekly $147.27
3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $1,358.97
300 gallon container 2x weekly $294.54
300 gallon container 3x weekly $441.82
4 Cubic Yard Refuse Bin
300 gallon container 4x weekly $589.10
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
300 gallon container 5x weekly $736.38
4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $300.26
4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $600.51
2 Cubic Yard Refuse Bin
4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $900.77
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,201.03
2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $154.03
4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,501.28
2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $308.07
4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $1,801.54
2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $462.09
2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $616.11
Refuse Bin Roll Out
2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $770.16
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $924.17
Bin roll out 1x weekly $41.89
Bin roll out 2x weekly $83.76
Miscellaneous
Bin roll out 3x weekly $125.65
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
Bin roll out 4x weekly $167.54
Livable Unit Charge $8.11
Bin roll out 5x weekly $206.35
No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00
Bin roll out 6x weekly $251.31
Lock Charge/Per Bin $17.58
City bin on City Property Per Bin $86.47
Refuse Bin Truck Roll Out
Share Bin/Cart Service $37.84
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
Bin truck roll out 1x weekly $47.38
Bin truck roll out 2x weekly $94.76
Bin truck roll out 3x weekly $144.44
Bin truck roll out 4x weekly $189.52
Bin truck roll out 5x weekly $236.91
Bin truck roll out 6x weekly $284.29
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2.1.2 Commercial Collection Services
The City provides collection services for all 3,000 commercial accounts, representing
approximately 14,000 businesses. A breakdown of the quantities and types of materials collected from commercial accounts is shown in Table 2-5. The container sizes available to commercial businesses for refuse include: 68- or 95-
gallon carts; 300-gallon containers; or 2, 3 or 4-cubic-
yard bins. Extra refuse collection containers are available
for an additional fee, depending on the size and number of containers requested. The summary of commercial rates for collection services is included in Table 2-6.
Commercial customers also pay for street sweeping
services. In the future, street sweeping services may be
incorporated into the City’s overall rate structure.
Table 2-5. Commercial Tonnages (2011)
Tons
Refuse 38,199
Recycling 3,882
Food Scraps/Yard Trimmings 2,316
TOTAL 44,398
The City provides commingled recycling collection services to all commercial customers at no
additional charge. Approximately 820 businesses currently participate in recycling. Private
haulers also provide recycling services to some commercial businesses. Table 2-2 includes the list of items collected in the commercial recycling program.
Food scraps recycling collection is available to restaurants, grocery stores and other
establishments with food services. Presently, the service is offered at no additional charge. In
the future, the program will be incorporated into the City’s overall rate structure. Participants are
required to source separate all food scraps and place them into designated containers provided by the City. Currently, 98 businesses are participating in the program and another 471 businesses
are eligible to participate. The City takes the food scraps to SCD, where it is loaded into roll-off
containers and picked up by Community Recycling for transport to their composting facility it
Lamont, California.
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Partnering with GeoGreen Biofuels, the City offers a fats, oil, and grease (FOG) collection
program that is free of charge. Collection containers are located Downtown in parking structures
2 through 6. Restaurants that are not located Downtown can request a separate collection
container by contacting the City.
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Table 2-6. Bi-Monthly Commercial Collection Rates (FY 2011/2012)
68 Gallon Refuse Cart
2 Cubic Yard Refuse Bin
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
1-68 gallon cart 1x weekly $35.13
2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $110.79
1-68 gallon cart 2x weekly $70.25
2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $221.59
1-68 gallon cart 3x weekly $105.39
2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $332.37
1-68 gallon cart 4x weekly $140.52
2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $443.16
1-68 gallon cart 5x weekly $175.64
2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $609.37
2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $664.76
95 Gallon Refuse Cart
2 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $775.55
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $50.00
3 Cubic Yard Refuse Bin
1-95 gallon cart 2x weekly $99.98
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
1-95 gallon cart 3x weekly $149.98
3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $149.98
1-95 gallon cart 4x weekly $199.97
3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $299.94
1-95 gallon cart 5x weekly $249.96
3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $449.93
3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $599.91
300 Gallon Refuse Container
3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $749.88
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $899.85
300 gallon container 1x weekly $102.68
3 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $1,049.83
300 gallon container 2x weekly $205.36
300 gallon container 3x weekly $318.53
Refuse Bin Roll Out
300 gallon container 4x weekly $424.71
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
300 gallon container 5x weekly $530.88
Bin roll out 1x weekly $24.32
Bin roll out 2x weekly $48.64
Miscellaneous
Bin roll out 3x weekly $72.96
City bin on City property Per Bin $59.45
Bin roll out 4x weekly $97.28
Lock Charge Per Bin $17,58
Bin roll out 5x weekly $121.59
Non-Semi Auto Service 2x/week $45.94
Bin roll out 6x weekly $145.93
Bin roll out 7x weekly $170.23
Street Sweeping Rates (based on water meter size)
Refuse Bin Truck Roll Out
0.75” Per Unit $74.32
Quantity, Size Frequency Rate
1.00” Per Unit $101.34
Bin Truck roll out 1x weekly $35.13
1.5” Per Unit $148.63
Bin Truck roll out 2x weekly $70.25
2.00” Per Unit $198.61
Bin Truck roll out 3x weekly $105.39
3.00” Per Unit $297.24
Bin Truck roll out 4x weekly $140.52
4.00” Per Unit $397.24
Bin Truck roll out 5x weekly $175.64
6.0” Per Unit $595.86
Bin Truck roll out 6x weekly $210.77
Bin Truck roll out 7x weekly $270.23
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2.1.3 Household Hazardous Waste
Residents have access to a free drop-off service for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) at the
City’s HHW Collection Center, located at the City Yards on 2500 Michigan Avenue. The operating hours of the HHW Center are the 1st Saturday of the month, between 9 am and 2 p.m.
Small businesses, those that generate less than 27 gallons of hazardous waste per month can
make an appointment to bring hazardous waste to the City’s HHW Collection Center on the
Friday before the 1st Saturday of the month. There is a fee for small businesses to use the HHW
Collection Center. A list of the HHW accepted is provided in Table 2-7.
To supplement the services provided at the drop-off center, the City began a HHW Home Collection Program in August 2011. The HHW Home Collection Program is provided on a free
and unlimited basis to homeowners and tenants in the City. Participants in the program must
contact the City’s contractor to reserve the service and request a collection kit. On collection
day, residents are instructed to leave their HHW at their doorstep where it is collected. Materials accepted in the HHW Home Collection Program include:
• Aerosols
• Art Supplies
• Automotive Products
• Batteries
• Cleaners/Wax
• Garden Chemicals
• Lubricants
• Mercury Containing Devices
• Other Household Products
• Paints
• Personal Care Products
• Pesticides
• Sharps
• Electronics
• Pool Chemicals
• Auto Batteries: Up to 4
• Fluorescent Light Tubes (Straight): Up to 10, tubes must be taped
• Televisions: 1
• Computer Monitors: 1
• Empty paint cans and/or dried latex paint not hazardous
Other Consumer Electronics with Circuit Boards
• Desktop or laptop computers: 1
• Microwave ovens: Up to 2
• Desktop scanners, printers, copiers: Up to 2
• Fax machines: Up to 2
• Telephones, cell phones, portable phones, keyboards, mice, VCR’s, CD players, stereos
disc drives, cables: No limit
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Table 2-7. Materials accepted at the City’s HHW Center
Category Materials Included
Aerosol Products Aerosol air fresheners, aerosol antibacterial sanitizers
Art Supplies Adhesives, paint, cleaners, correction fluids, photography chemicals
Automobile Batteries Automobile batteries
Automotive Products
Cleaners, lubricant, solvent, fuel, brake fluid, antifreeze, carburetor cleaner, metal conditioner, engine degreaser, fuel additives, refrigerants, transmission fluid, window washer fluid, used motor oil, used motor oil filters
Batteries All household types
Chemicals Garden chemicals, pesticides
Cleaners/Wax Polish, degreasers, rug/upholstery cleaners, oven cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners
E-waste Computer monitors, televisions, cell phones, DVD players
Fats, Oil, and Grease Cooking oil
Fluorescent Straight Light Tubes Fluorescent lamps
Lubricants Automotive/household compressor oil, cutting oil
Paint Aerosols, hobby/automotive/household latex and oil-based, thinners, strippers, wood preservatives, lacquers, linseed oil, primers, stains, varnishes
Personal Care Personal Care - nail polish, polish remover, rubbing alcohol, shoe polish, spot remover
Poisons Household/garden poisons, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, baits traps, fertilizers, pet care, pool chemicals
Other Household Fluorescent tubes/bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), thermostats, thermometers, propane tanks, moth balls, rust remover, kerosene
Sharps Medical Waste Needles, lancets
Oil and Oil Filters Used motor oil, oil filters
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2.1.4 Zero Waste Events
To promote and implement recycling, reuse and composting practices at special events, the
Resource Recovery and Recycling Division offers assistance to help organizations implement Zero Waste events. The assistance includes a planning guide with information and recommendations on vendor involvement, food service, site planning, decorations and
giveaways, education, volunteers, signage, and collection containers.
2.2 City Policies and Programs
The City has implemented numerous policies and programs that support the City’s resource recovery and sustainability efforts. These policies and programs were incorporated into the Zero
Waste Planning process to ensure the goals and visions were aligned.
2.2.1 Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC)
2.2.1.1 Disposable Food Service Containers
Chapter 5.44 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC) prohibits the distribution of disposable food service containers made of nonrecyclable plastic or expanded polystyrene foam
from all food providers and at City events. The ban applies to single-use disposable containers
intended for serving or transporting prepared, ready-to-eat food or beverages. The ban helps
reduce the amount of plastic that ends up on the City’s beaches, reduces materials that go to the landfill, and also reduces the amount of natural resources used to manufacture and transport the disposable products.
2.2.1.2 Single-Use Carry Out Bags
Chapter 5.45 of the SMMC prohibits retail establishments, grocery stores, convenience stores,
mini-marts, liquor stores, pharmacies, and any City events, from distributing petroleum and bio-
based single-use carryout plastic bags. The code imposes a $0.10 fee for each paper bag that is distributed, and requires paper bags to be 100% recycled content paper, with a minimum of 40%
post-consumer, recycled content.
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The City has implemented a Share a Bag Program. The
program enables the community to donate extra, reusable
bags at designated locations throughout the City for those
who cannot afford reusable bags or for those who forget
their reusable bags. There are 10 Share a Bag Program locations citywide The locations are listed below and
shown on Exhibit 2-2.
• Santa Monica City Hall Help Desk, 1685 Main
Street
• Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, 1234 6th Street #100
• Downtown Santa Monica Ambassador's Desk,
Parking Structure 4, 1321 2nd St.
• Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1920
Main Street
• Santa Monica Place, The Market on Level Three
• Real Offices Center Santa Monica, 604 Arizona Ave
• Sustainable Works, 1744 Pearl Street
• Assistance League of Santa Monica Thrift Shop, 1453 15th Street
• Cherry Picked Boutique, 2807 Pico Blvd.
• Virginia Avenue Park, 2200 Virginia Ave.
Exhibit 2-2. Share a Bag Locations
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2.2.1.3 Construction and Demolition Material Waste Management Plans
Chapter 8.108, Subpart C, requires all City-sponsored construction and demolition (C&D)
projects, as well as private C&D projects that are $50,000 or greater in value, or are 1,000 square
feet or greater, to meet a minimum 70% diversion rate. Covered projects must submit a waste
management plan (WMP) for City approval that includes the tonnages of materials that are
disposed and diverted, and the methods implemented to reuse and/or recycle the materials,. Applicants must provide a security deposit equal to 3% of the project value, or $30,000,
whichever is less. Upon project completion, a final compliance report must be submitted for the
security deposit to be refunded to the applicant.
A number of methods can be used to comply with the C&D diversion requirements. On -site
reuse is allowed on a case by case basis, as approved in the WMP. Materials that are source-seperated on site, such as wood, concrete, or asphalt, can be sent to an approved C&D facility for
reuse or recycling. All mixed C&D materials are required to be sent to an approved mixed C&D
recycling facility. A list of the City-approved C&D recycling facilities is included in Table 2-8.
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Table 2-8. Approved C&D Recycling Facilities (2010)
METAL companies listed below accept both ferrous & non-ferrous metals,
unless otherwise noted.
MIXED C&D RECYCLERS Process mixed C&D to extract recyclables
SALVAGED ITEMS (USED BUILDING MATERIALS)
A&S Metal Recycling
2261 E. 15th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-623-9443
Community Recycling & Resource
Recovery, Inc.
9189 DeGarmo Avenue
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818-767-0675
Freeway Building Materials
1124 S. Boyle Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90023
323-261-8904
Alpert & Alpert Iron & Metal
1815 Soto Street
Los Angeles, CA 90023
323-265-4040
Direct Disposal
3720 Noakes Street
Los Angeles, CA 90023
323-262-1604
Santa Fe Wrecking & Salvage
720 E. 18th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-765-8166
Atlas Iron & Metal
10019 Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90002
323-566-5184
East Valley Diversion
11616 Sheldon Street
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818-252-0019
Scavenger’s Paradise
5453 Satsuma Avenue
N. Hollywood, CA 91601
323-877-7945
Kramer Metals
1760 E. Slauson Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90058
323-587-2277
Downtown Diversion
2424 E. Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-612-5005
WOOD
North Hills Recycling, Inc.
11700 Blucher Avenue
Granada Hills, CA 91344
818-831-7980
A-1 Metals Recycling, Inc.
8250 Tujunga Avenue
Sun Valley, CA 91352
818-767-4388
California Waste Services
621 W. 152nd Street
Gardena, CA 90247
310-538-5998
Recycled Wood Products
1313 E. Phillips Blvd
Pomona, CA 91766
909-868-6882
INERT MATERIAL Southern California Disposal
1908 Frank Street
Santa Monica, CA. 90404
310-828-6444
CARPET PADDING
Hanson Aggregates
5625 Southern Avenue
South Gate, CA 90280
800-300-6120
Carpet Pad Recycling
1923 Rosemead Blvd
South El Monte, CA 91733
626-444-6048
Arcadia Reclamation, Inc.
12321 Lower Azusa Road
Arcadia, CA. 91006
909-392-8510
Interior Removal Specialist, Inc.
9309 Rayo Avenue
South Gate, CA 90280
323-357-6900
CARDBOARD
Allan Company
2411 Delaware Avenue
Santa Monica CA 90404
310-453-9677
Vulcan Materials Company
11520 Sheldon Blvd
Sun Valley, CA 90052
818-768-4157
INERT MATERIAL BRICK & ROOFING TILES
Valley Base Materials
2121 E. 25th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90058
323-583-7913
Bourget Bros Building Materials
1636 11th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-450-6556
Chandler’s Sand Gravel
26311 Palos Verdes Drive East
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
310-784-2900
Nu-Way Arrow Reclamation
1270 E. Arrow Highway
Irwindale, CA. 91706
626-305-5308
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In 2010, the City conducted an audit of the mixed C&D recycling facilities. The results of the
audit indicated a total of 35,308 tons of C&D materials originating in the City were processed at
these facilities, with 31,116 diverted from landfilling, for an average of 88% diversion. Table 2-
9 includes the approved mixed C&D recycling facilties, along with the facility diversion rates,
and tons of materials processed from the City in 2010.
Table 2-9. City-Approved Mixed C&D Recycling Facilities (2010)
Facility Name and Location
Tons Originating in Santa Monica
Diversion Rate Tons Diverted
California Waste Services 5,922 87% 5,152
Community Recycling 16,742 93% 15,570
Direct Disposal 311 73% 227
Downtown Diversion 10,087 83% 8,372
East Valley Diversion 62.6 85% 52.4
Interior Removal Specialists 1,190 78% 928
Southern California Disposal 994 82% 815
TOTAL 35,308 88% 31,16
2.2.2 Extended Producer Responsibility
Resolution 10412, signed on June 23, 2009, documents the City’s support for an extended
producer responsibility (EPR) framework in State legislation by way of urging the League of
California Cities, the California State Association of Counties, and CalRecycle to advocate for
more EPR policies. The resolution states that the City will encourage all manufacturers to take part in the responsibility of their products, from the processing, collection, recycling, and
disposal of the materials.
2.2.3 Recycled Products Procurement Policy
The Recycled Products Procurement Policy was developed in 1991 to help the City make
responsible decisions in purchasing products with recycled content. The main guidelines of the
policy include the following:
• The priority in which products should be purchased based on the highest content of
post-consumer material, pre-consumer material, and minimum recycled content.
• The ability of a product and its packaging to be reused, reconditioned for reuse, or
recycled, and the amount of waste the product and its packaging generates.
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• Equipment purchased or rented by the City are to be compatible with the use of
recycled-content products.
• Product specifications, requisitions, and performance standards must not require
the use of products made from virgin materials or exclude recycled-content
products.
2.2.4 Sustainable City Plan
In September 1994, the City Council took steps to address sustainability concerns in the
community by adopting the City of Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan. The Sustainable City
Plan provides a roadmap to ensure the City meets its environmental, economic, and social needs without compromising the quality of life for the community and for future generations. The plan
has concrete goals and targets for tracking the City’s progress in the following nine areas:
1. Resource Conservation
2. Environmental and Public Health
3. Transportation
4. Economic Development
5. Open Space and Land Use
6. Housing
7. Community Education and Civic Participation 8. Human Dignity 9. Arts and Culture
The Sustainable City Plan includes goals and strategies, for the City government and all sectors
of the community, to conserve and enhance local resources, safeguard human health and the environment, maintain a healthy and diverse economy, and improve the livability and quality of
life for all community members in the City.
Under the Resource Conservation area, the City established the following goals for solid waste
generation:
• Total citywide generation to not exceed year 2000 levels by 2010
• Increase amount diverted to 70% of total by 2010.
The goals of the Sustainable City Plan are tracked through a Sustainable City Progress Report
and Report Card. In 2005, a Progress Report website was launched to provide updates on the status of the Plan as well as a letter grade that rates the City on its efforts in the initial eight target areas. In 2012, a ninth target area, Arts and Culture, was added to the Sustainable City Plan.
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The Sustainable City Report Card is a document that provides a summary of the grades that are
also posted on the Progress Report website. The most recent Sustainable City Report Card was
released in 2012, a summary of those grades are provided in Table 2-10. The 2010 waste
diversion goal was exceeded in 2009 with a diversion rate of 74%.
Table 2-10. 2010 Sustainable City Report Card Grades
# Category Overall
Grade Effort
1 Resource Conservation B- A-
2 Environmental and Public Health C+ A-
3 Transportation C+ A
4 Economic Development B A-
5 Open Space and Land Use A- A
6 Housing C A
7 Community Education and Civic Participation A- A
8 Human Dignity B A
9 Arts and Culture1 N/A N/A
1 The Arts and Culture category was added in 2012 and grades were not included in the 2012 report card.
2.2.5 Green Business Certification Program
The City, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Sustainable
Works non-profit organization have joined together to certify and recognize green businesses in
the community through the Green Business Certification Program. The Program recognizes and
certifies businesses that have taken steps to incorporate
sustainable practices into their operations. In order to apply for a green certification, businesses must have a
physical location in the City, a minimum of five
employees, and occupy a minimum of 500 square feet
of commercial business space. Eligible businesses must
fall under one of the following categories:
• Office
• Retail Store
• Restaurant
• Grocery
• Hotel
• Motel
Businesses that successfully pass the verification process are green certified for a period of 2 years. A
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total of 19 businesses were certified in the latest (2011-2013) Business Certification Program.
2.2.6 Sustainable Quality Awards
The Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) event was developed to identify and recognize businesses in the City that are successfully incorporating sustainable practices into their
operations. The SQA is an annual event that promotes the efforts of local businesses that have
made significant achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, social
responsibility, and stewardship of the natural environment.
2.2.7 US Conference of Mayors/California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Buy Recycled Campaign
In September 1995, the City adopted a resolution for the US Conference of Mayors/California
Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Buy Recycled Campaign. In the resolution, the City
agreed to purchase paper that contains a minimum of 20% post-consumer recycled content, increasing the amount of post-consumer recycled content to 30% beginning in 1998. The City
currently exceeds these standards by using paper containing a minimum of 50% post-consumer
recycled content.
2.2.8 City’s Purchase and Use of Tropical Forest Wood Products
Ordinance 2.28 bans the purchase or use of any tropical hardwood product within the City, or at
any City-sponsored events. The ordinance requires all contracts between the City and any
supplier of wood products to include provisions that restrict the use of tropical wood.
2.2.9 Print Shop Purchasing Policy
The City’s print shop has a policy to exclusively purchase and use recycled paper and vegetable-
based printing inks, unless a printing request is submitted that cannot be completed using those
products. It is estimated that 99% of all printing jobs are completed using recycled paper and
vegetable-based inks.
2.2.10 Electronic Waste
Electronic waste (E-waste), such as computers and televisions, is collected through a drop-off
program for residents and businesses at the Santa Monica Community Recycling Center, located at 2411 Delaware Avenue. The drop-off program is free to residents and fee-based for
businesses.
2.2.11 Used Oil and Filter Collection
Collection centers are located throughout the City for residents to drop off used oil and oil filters. Exhibit 2-3 provides a map of the drop off locations.
2.2.12 Christmas Tree Recycling
During the month of January each year, Christmas trees can be taken and recycled at four local parks or at the SCD Transfer Station in the City for free. The trees collected at the parks are
turned into mulch and used throughout the City.
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Exhibit 2-3. Used Oil and Oil Filter Collection Locations
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2.2.13 Catalogue Choice
City residents can sign up for a free account to opt-out of unwanted catalogs, phone books,
coupons, circulars, credit card offers, and donation solicitations. The website is accessed through https://santamonica.catalogchoice.org/login.
2.2.14 Scheduled Events
The City schedules a variety of waste reduction, re-use, recycling and composting events on a quarterly basis:
• E-Waste collection
• Textile recycling
• Paper shredding
• Compost give-away days and workshops
• Re-use workshops
• Annual Citywide yard sale
2.3 Resource Recovery and Recycling Processing Facilities
There are two resource recovery and recycling processing facilities located within the City
limits: the Santa Monica Community Recycling Center and the SCD Transfer Station.
2.3.1 Santa Monica Community Recycling Center
The Santa Monica Community Recycling and Buy-Back Center is located at 2411 Delaware
Avenue. The property is owned by the City and leased to the Allan Company, who owns and
operates the facility equipment. The Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Center may close earlier due to maximum daily tonnage restrictions.
The Community Recycling Center accepts the
following items:
• Cans – aluminum, steel
• Glass – bottles and jars
• Plastic
• Mixed Paper
• Scrap Metal
• Electronics
• White goods - stoves, refrigerators and other appliances
• Used motor oil and oil filters
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2.3.2 Southern California Disposal Transfer Station
The SCD Transfer Station is a
privately owned facility that is open to the public. The transfer station is located at 1908 Frank Street, and is
open Monday through Friday from
6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on
Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Items that are accepted at the
facility include:
• Refuse
• Food scraps
• Yard trimmings
• C&D debris
• Street sweeping collections
In addition, SCD receives and transfers all refuse, yard trimmings, and food scraps that are collected by the City. SCD transfers refuse to a number of facilities, including Puente Hills
landfill, Sunshine Canyon Landfill, Chiquita Canyon Landfill, Southeast Resource Recovery
Facility (SERRF), and Commerce Refuse to Energy Facility. Yard trimmings, food scraps, and
street sweepings are transferred to Community Recycling for composting at its compost facility in Lamont. Community Recycling receives the City’s food scraps at the SCD transfer station, and transfers the material to its composting facility in Lamont, California. Construction and
demolition debris generated from City projects is also transferred through SCD to Community
Recycling for processing, recycling, and disposal.
2.4 Educational Outreach
2.4.1 Sustainable Works
Sustainable Works, a project of Community Partners, is a non-profit environmental education
organization within the City. The organization offers four different sustainability programs: Business Greening, Community Sustainability, Residential Greening, and Student Greening.
The Business Greening Program is free to Santa Monica businesses through a subsidy provided
by the City’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment. The Program assists businesses in
greening their bottom line by helping them save money and resources through increased
efficiency and employee education. Sustainable Works performs on-site environmental assessments to evaluate current business practices and provides sustainable recommendations.
The Community Sustainability Program facilitates the adoption of sustainable practices in the
community and engages stakeholders to help meet sustainability goals.
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The Residential Greening Program offers free Green Living Workshops for residents in the City,
and to non-residents for a fee. The series features six workshops offered once a week, for six
weeks, covering topics that include resource recovery and recycling, water, energy,
transportation, chemicals, and responsible purchasing. A Sustainable Works book is provided to
each participant, which includes comprehensive resources for sustainable living.
The Student Sustainability Workshop is a program that provides educational, student leadership,
and community building opportunities to its participants while shaping the next generation of
environmental leaders.
2.4.2 Community Sustainability Liaison
The role of the Community Sustainability Liaison is to provide Santa Monica residents and
community organizations with information and resources needed to help meet the goals of the
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan. The Liaison also helps coordinate educational outreach
events within the community and produces a monthly electronic newsletter that highlights local sustainable news and events.
2.4.3 Educational Outreach Tools
The City provides updates and information on its programs, policies, and events through a variety of outreach tools. Information is dispersed online (City websites and emails), via mail,
television programming, workshops, advertisements in public spaces, and through citywide
events. A list of some of the media available to the City for public outreach and education is
provided in Table 2-11. The Environmental Directory includes a thorough list of local resources
for topics that range from energy efficiency programs to environmentally preferred purchasing. The booklet also includes resources for refuse, recycling, composting, and hazardous waste.
Table 2-11. Educational Outreach Media
Media
Resource Recovery and Recycling Division Website
Office of Sustainability and the Environment Website
Sustainable Santa Monica Electronic Newsletters
Sustainable Santa Monica Facebook Page
Santa Monica Resource Recovery and Recycling Facebook Page and Twitter
City Emails
Press Releases/Media Lists (i.e., Santa Monica Daily Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica Observer, the Argonaut, etc.)
CityTV Programming
Community Events/Workshops
City Hall Public Information Desk
Libraries
Farmers Markets
Display Advertising (Big Blue Bus Advertising, etc.)
City Collection Truck Advertising
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2.4.4 Educational Outreach Events
The City hosts a variety of environmental events throughout the year. These events provide the
City an opportunity to directly reach out to community members, support local businesses, and promote sustainability efforts. The Santa Monica Festival is the largest festival in the City, and is held each year in May at Clover Park. The City also dedicates the month of September as
Sustainability Awareness Month, in which key messages are targeted to residents, businesses,
and the City Council regarding sustainability topics.
Events that take place during Sustainable Santa Monica Awareness Month include:
• Business Mixers
• Residential Workshops
• Film Screenings
• A Sustainable Food Event
• Report Card Launch
• Student Poster Contest
• Green Prize for Sustainable Literature
A summary of annual sustainability events hosted by the City is provided in Table 2-12.
Table 2-12. Citywide Environmental Events
Event Month
Buy Local Expo March
Sustainable Industries Economic Forum April
Santa Monica Festival May
AltBuild Expo May
Sustainable Quality Awards May
Main Street Festival June
Solstice Festival June
Sustainable Santa Monica Awareness Month September
AltCar Expo October
Pico Festival October
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3.0 Generation and Characterization
3.1 Existing Generation
Analyzing the City’s generation provides an understanding of which areas to target in the Zero
Waste Strategic Operations Plan. Utilizing both the generation data and the inventory of existing
programs and infrastructure, zero waste options were developed that will provide the most significant impact on reducing waste and increasing diversion.
In 2011, the City’s generation, as calculated by CalRecycle, was approximately 360,000 tons of
materials. Out of the total tons generated, 77% was diverted through waste prevention,
recycling, and composting, and 23% was disposed in landfills or waste-to-energy facilities. The
Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan prioritizes source reduce, reuse, recycling, and composting materials before landfilling or processing at waste-to-energy facilities. The total amount of materials generated is calculated using the City’s average generation rate from the years 2003
through 2006. This methodology is consistent with the CalRecycle per capita disposal
equivalent methodology (as set forth in state statute). The City’s 2011 per capita disposal was
5.0 pounds per person per day (PPD). Compared to the per capita disposal target of 10.9 PPD, the City was well within the target goal. The City’s overall 2011 generation is included in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1. Overall Generation 2011 (tons)
Disposal Diversion Total
82,997 275,355 358,351
3.2 Waste Diversion
In 2011, the City diverted approximately 275,355 tons of material, or 77% of the total materials
generated. The diversion programs provided by the City, and waste prevention and recycling efforts undertaken by individual residents and businesses, all contribute to the City’s diversion
rate. A summary of the activities that contribute to diversion in the City is provided in Table 3-
2.
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Table 3-2. 2011 Diversion Summary
Source/Program Diversion
(Tons)
SF Residential 10,527
Curbside Recycling 4,099
Yard Trimmings and Food Scraps 6,428
MF Residential 5,092
Recycling 4,479
Yard Trimmings 613
Commercial 6,412
Recycling 3,882
Yard Trimmings and Food Scraps 2,530
Self-Haul 3,356
Recycling 3,248
Yard Trimmings and Food Scraps 108
C&D 41,919
Commercial 2,861
Self-Haul 7,945
Private C&D Recycling 31,113
Street Sweeping 2,627
Other City Programs3 17,790
Residential Drop-Off 164
Residential Buy-Back 17,484
Tires 13
White Goods 7
Scrap Metal 78
E-waste 8
HHW 36
Diversion at Landfills (alternative daily cover, beneficial
reuse, etc.) 12,601
Other Source Reduction & Recycling Programs4 175,031
Total 275,355
3 City of Santa Monica 2010 Annual Report to CalRecycle
4 This figure was estimated based on CalRecycle’s calculation of citywide generation, and includes waste prevention
and recycling efforts undertaken by individual residents and businesses in the City.
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3.3 Disposal
In 2011, 82,997 tons of materials were disposed in landfills or processed at waste-to-energy
facilities. Commercial waste comprised approximately 50% of the disposed waste, MF
residential waste comprised almost 25% of disposal, and SF residential waste made up 8%. The remaining disposal consisted of self-haul construction and demolition (C&D) debris and
additional materials that were disposed by private companies or individuals. A summary of the
disposed waste is provided in Table 3-3.
.
Table 3-3. 2011 Disposal Summary (tons)
Source Tons
SF Residential 6,976
MF Residential 20,692
Commercial 39,931
Self-Haul (City controlled) 7,494
Self-Haul (Not City
controlled)5 7,905
Total 82,997
3.4 Discarded Materials Characterization
Understanding the types and quantities of materials that make up the discarded materials generated in the City is an important element of the Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan. The data helps guide the development and selection of policies, programs and facilities, and to target
specific material types and/or products. Since discarded materials vary by generator type, it is
important to analyze the materials generated by each sector.
3.4.1 Methodology
For this study, the waste composition percentages contained in the California 2008 Statewide
Waste Characterization Study were applied to the City’s discarded materials quantities to
5 Consists of disposal by private companies and individuals outside of the City’s control.
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identify the types and quantities of materials disposed by sector6. The specific data used for
Santa Monica was taken from the “Overall Disposed Waste Composition: Southern Region.”
The study characterizes the waste into 10 categories and 62 material types. Table 3-4 shows the
overall waste characterization by material category for each sector. The detailed data for all
material categories and types for each sector is included in Appendix A.
Table 3-4. Composition by Material Category and Generator Sector
Category SF
Residential
MF
Residential Commercial Self-
Haul Paper 18.3% 22.2% 20.1% 5.1% Glass 2.2% 2.9% 1.2% 0.4% Metal 3.7% 3.4% 4.3% 4.4% Electronics 0.4% 0.0% 0.1% 0.3% Plastic 9.9% 7.0% 10.5% 5.7% Other Organic 47.0% 41.8% 31.9% 10.1% Inerts and Other 14.7% 17.7% 28.1% 62.9% Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 0.1% Special Waste 0.2% 3.8% 3.5% 11.0% Mixed Residue 3.5% 1.1% 0.0% 0.0% Source: CalRecycle, 2008 State-wide Waste Characterization Study, Southern Region
6 Cascadia Consulting Group, for the California Integrated Waste Management Board (now “CalRecycle”).
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3.4.2 Single-Family Residential Waste Composition
Within the single-family residential sector, the following key findings are identified:
• Other Organic makes up 47% (3,280 tons) of the sector’s total disposed wastestream.
Food waste was the largest material type in this category, which made up 24% (1,687
tons) of the overall waste disposed within this sector; followed by leaves and grass at
approximately 8% (540 tons); and remainder/composite organics at approximately 7%
(484 tons).
• Paper makes up 18% (1,273 tons) of the wastestream; remainder/composite paper was
the largest material type and made up approximately 6% (401 tons).
• Inerts and Other make up approximately 15% (1,026 tons) of the wastestream; lumber
was the largest material type in this category, which made up almost 8% (543 tons) of the
disposed wastestream.
A summary of the quantity of materials disposed in the SF residential sector is shown in Exhibit
3-1.
Exhibit 3-1. Single Family Residential Disposed Waste Composition
Paper
1,273 tons
Glass
150 tons
Metals
256 tons
Electronics
26 tons Plastics
691 tons
Other Organic
3,280 tons
Inerts and Other
1,026 tons
HHW
17 tons
Special Waste
15 tons Mixed Residue
243 tons
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3.4.3 Multi-Family Residential
Within the multi-family residential sector, the following key findings are identified:
• Other Organic makes up the largest category of the materials, which was approximately
42% (8,639 tons) of the sector’s total wastestream. Food waste was the largest material
type in this category, which made up approximately 22% (4,460 tons) of the overall
waste disposed within this sector; followed by remainder/composite organics at 9%
(1,890 tons); and carpet which was 6% (1,300 tons).
• Paper makes up 22% (4,590 tons) of the wastestream; uncoated corrugated cardboard,
other miscellaneous paper, and remainder/composite paper were the largest material
types in this category, each made up approximately 5% (1,000 tons) of the wastestream.
• Inerts and Other make up approximately 18% (3,668 tons) of the wastestream; lumber
was the largest material type in the category, which made up 12% (2,568 tons) of the total
disposed wastestream.
A summary of the quantity of materials disposed in the MF residential sector is shown in Exhibit
3-2.
Exhibit 3-2. Multi-Family Residential Disposed Waste Composition
Paper
4,590 tons Glass
596 tons
Metals
692 tons
Electronics
6 tons
Plastics
1,443 tons
Other Organic
8,639 tons
Inerts and Other
3,668 tons
HHW
39 tons
Special Waste
794 tons Mixed Residue
225 tons
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3.4.4 Commercial
Within the commercial sector, the following key findings are identified:
• Other Organic makes up the largest category of the materials, at 32% (12,721 tons) of
the sector’s disposed wastestream. Food waste is the largest material type in this
category, which makes up15% (6,102 tons) of the overall waste disposed within this
sector; followed by carpet at 5% (1,994 tons); and prunings and trimmings at 4% (1,683
tons).
• Inerts and Other make up 28% (11,217 tons) of the wastestream; lumber is the largest
material type in the category, which makes up approximately 17% (6,570 tons).
• Paper made up 20% (8,807 tons) of the wastestream; cardboard was the largest material
type and made up approximately 7.5% (2,981 tons) of the total disposed wastestream.
A summary of the quantity of materials disposed in the commercial sector is shown in Exhibit 3-
3.
Exhibit 3-3. Commercial Disposed Waste composition- Percentages
Paper
8,007 tons
Glass
477 tons
Metals
1,730 tons
Electronics
42 tons Plastics
4,197 tons
Other Organic
12,721 tons
Inerts and Other
11,217` tons
HHW
125 tons
Special Waste
1,413 tons Mixed Residue
2 tons
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3.4.5 Self-Haul
Within the self-haul sector, the following key findings are identified:
• Inerts and Other makes up the largest category of materials, which is 63% (9,692 tons)
of the sector’s disposed wastestream.
• Special Waste makes up 11% (1,689 tons) of the wastestream, which consists entirely of
bulky items.
• Other Organic makes up 10% (1,559 tons) of the wastestream; carpet is the largest
material type and makes up approximately 4% (551 tons) of the total disposed
wastestream.
A summary of the quantity of materials disposed in the self-haul sector is shown in Exhibit 3-4.
Exhibit 3-4. Self-Haul Disposed Waste Composition Percentages
Paper
785 tons
Glass
58 tons Metals
675 tons
Electronics
50 tons
Plastics
872 tons
Other Organic
1,559 tons
Inerts and Other
9,692 tons
HHW
18 tons
Special Waste
1,689 tons
Mixed Residue
3 tons
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3.5 Disposal Projections
3.5.1 Population Projections
Low and high population forecasts were provided in the City’s 2010 Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE)7. The forecasts used for the disposal projections are an average of the low and
high population estimates from the LUCE. As shown in Table 3-5, the average 5-year
percentage increase between 2010 and 2030 is 1.31%, and the 20 year cumulative growth is
5.23%. Refer to Appendix B for the reference LUCE data.
Table 3-5. Population Forecasts (2010-2030)
Source 2013 2014 2015 2020 2025 2030
20 year
Cumulative
% Change Average Growth 91,578 91,820 92,063 93,275 94,488 95,700 % change-5 yr. - - 1.33% 1.32% 1.30% 1.28% 5.23%
3.5.2 Future Disposal
The disposal projections for the City are calculated based on the population growth projections
and waste composition data. Overall, it is anticipated the waste disposal will increase by over 3,756 tons between 2013 and 2030, which represents an increase of approximately 220 tons per
year. A summary of the waste disposal tonnage projections for each sector is provided in Table
3-6. The commercial sector is expected to contribute an additional 106 tons per year to the
disposal waste stream from 2013 to 2030. The multi-family residential sector disposal is
expected to increase by 55 tons per year through 2030; the single-family residential sector disposal is expected to increase approximately 19 tons per year; and the self-haul sector by 41
tons per year. Utilizing the data in Table 3-6, the types and quantities of materials that can
potentially be source reduced, recycled, and/or composted have been identified for each waste
sector in the Zero Waste options in Section 4.
7 City of Santa Monica Land Use and Circulation Element.
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Table 3-6. Waste Disposal Projections 2013-2030 (Tons)
Source 2013 2014 2015 2020 2025 2030
SF Residential
7,013
7,032
7,050
7,143
7,236
7,329
MF Residential
20,801
20,857
20,912
21,187
21,462
21,738
Commercial
40,143
40,249
40,356
40,887
41,419
41,950
Self-Haul
15,481
15,522
15,563
15,768
15,973
16,178
Total*
83,438
83,659
83,880
84,985
86,090
87,195
* Values may not sum to total due to rounding
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4.0 Zero Waste Options
4.1 Initial List of Potential Options
To meet its Zero Waste goal, the City will implement expanded and new policies, programs and
infrastructure during the short, medium and long terms. For purposes of this plan, the short term
is considered years 2013-2015, the medium term is years 2016-2022, and the long term is years 2023-2030.
Using the information on current policies, programs and facilities (Section 2), and the waste
generation and composition of discarded materials (Section 3), zero waste options were
identified for potential implementation in the single-family, multi-family, and commercial
sectors. Policy, program, and facility options included opportunities to improve existing programs, as well as new programs for reducing generation and discarded materials and increasing diversion.
Initially, a list of 33 options was developed for review and evaluation. The options were
categorized as follows:
Mandatory - Policies or programs that are compulsory (such as meeting a diversion requirement) or prohibit an activity (such as a disposal or use ban).
Collection - Programs for the collection of residential and commercial food scraps, recyclables,
and bulky items.
Rate Setting – Revised fee structures to account for basic and additional services, for single-
family, multi-family, and commercial sectors.
Upstream – Policies and programs to support re-design strategies to reduce the volume and toxicity of discarded products and materials, and promote low-impact or reduced consumption
lifestyles.
Downstream – Policies and programs to address reuse, recycling and composting of end-of-life
products and materials to ensure their highest and best use.
Facilities – Local and regional, existing and new, resource recovery facilities for processing recyclables, residuals, and other materials for beneficial use and energy recovery.
The list included three mandatory policies/program options, seven collection program options,
two rate setting options, three upstream options, fourteen downstream options, and four facility
options. A description of each option was included, along with the affected waste sector (single-family, multi-family, government); relevant guiding principles; implementation opportunities and obstacles, portion of discarded materials, potential capture rate by material type,
implementation time frame, and examples from other jurisdictions, as available. The initial list
of options were considered and then reduced, based on the elimination of some options. A
summary of the list of initial options, and resulting status, is included in Table 4-1.
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Table 4-1. Initial List of Zero Waste Options
Title Description Affected Waste
Sector
Resulting Status
MANDATORY
1. Disposal bans Restrict disposal of specific materials, such as
plastic bottles and cardboard. • S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
2. C&D ordinance revision Revise C&D ordinance to increase diversion requirement from 70% to 90%. • S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
3. Mandatory diversion rate Require commercial, residential, and
government sectors to meet specific diversion rates.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
COLLECTION
4. Mandatory food scraps
participation -commercial
Require food establishments to participate in the
City’s food scraps diversion program. • Commercial Recommend
5. Mandatory food scraps participation -residential Require residents to participate in the City’s food scraps diversion program. • S-F
• M-F
Recommend
6. Mandatory commercial
recycling
Adopt an ordinance that expands on AB 341 to
require all businesses to have recycling service. • Commercial Recommend
7. Mandatory recycling of new materials Require recycling of carpets, textiles, mattresses, and other items currently not collected in the recycling bins.
• S-F Recommend
8. Wet/Dry collection Separate wet (food waste) and dry (non-
recyclable materials) waste by different color
bags to be separated at the MRF.
• M-F
• Commercial
Modified
9. Weekly organics collection and bi-weekly collection
of trash and recyclables
Reduce the collection frequency of trash and recycling containers while maintaining organics
collection at once per week.
• Phase 1: S-F
• Phase 2: M-F
Modified
10. Bulky item collection for
reuse and recycling
Expand collection frequency with emphasis on
reuse and recycling; partnership with reuse organizations
• M-F Modified
RATE SETTING
11. Implement Integrated
Waste Management Fee Structure
Revise fee structure to account for basic services
and additional services Eliminate “free recycling and organics”
• S-F Recommend
12. Implement Integrated Waste Management Fee
Structure
Revise rate structure • M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
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Title Description Affected Waste Sector
Resulting
Status
UPSTREAM POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
13. EPR for HHW, pharmaceuticals, and/or
difficult to recycle items
Establish mandatory take back provisions for producers and/or businesses that sell batteries,
fluorescent light bulbs, sharps and
pharmaceuticals, or other difficult to recycle products. Difficult to recycle items can include
Styrofoam, packaging materials, and toys.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
14. Packaging legislation Support legislation that requires manufacturers
to reduce packaging and to incorporate recycled content materials in all packaging.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
15. Behavior change
marketing
Large scale, sustained, social marketing and
media campaign • S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
DOWNSTREAM POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
16. Expansion of the Single-Use Carry Out Bag
ordinance
Establish a date to review the progress of the current ordinance and set a goal date to expand
the program to all retailers and restaurants.
• Commercial
Recommend
17. Multi-Family recycling educational outreach Require multi-family building managers to inform tenants about recycling resources upon move-in.
• M-F Recommend
18. Move-in/Move-out
program
Provides free excess waste pickup services for
residents moving in/out of their homes • M-F Modified
19. Self-haul waste origin
reporting
Require more accurate reporting of self-haul
waste origin at transfer and disposal sites • S-F Recommend
20. Regional Sustainability
Collaboration Meetings
Host regular meetings with local jurisdictions to
discuss opportunities, projects, and issues. • S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Recommend
21. Update Environmental
Directory
Update the 2009 Environmental Directory.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Modified
22. School recycling
competitions
Hold competitions between schools to see who
can divert the most materials from their waste stream within a fixed time frame. Prizes,
money, trophies, etc. can be awarded to the school that collects the most.
• Commercial Modified
23. HHW collection bins at public events Collect used batteries, cell phones, etc. at public events. Events can include farmer’s markets,
Santa Monica Festival, street fairs, etc.
• S-F
• M-F
Recommend
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Title Description Affected Waste Sector
Resulting
Status
24. Expand items collected in
the recycling bins
Materials could include clothing, diapers, chip
bags, and other specific materials. • S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
• Government
Recommend
25. Centralized “garage sales” Establish a program for residents to sell items in
a centralized location, as opposed to the many
garage sales typically held in the City.
• S-F
• M-F
Recommend
26. Clothing drives Hold clothing drives to collect clothing, shoes,
blankets, etc. to donate to thrift stores, reuse centers, homeless shelters, etc.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Eliminated
27. Business & restaurant food donation Program to help businesses and restaurants find resources that will accept food donations. • Commercial Recommend
28. Diversion Recognition and
Rewards Program
Reward residents for participating in recycling. • M-F Modified
29. Product reuse/recycling
grants
Offer grants and/or subsidies to individuals and
businesses to develop businesses in the City that
reuse or recycle materials.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Modified
FACILITIES
30. Transform residuals Send all residual waste to a waste-to-energy
facility. • S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
• Government
Modified
31. MRF residual materials Send residual materials to mixed waste MRF for
further sorting prior to landfilling or transformation.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
Eliminated
32. Resource Recovery Park/Hard to Recycle
Center
Facility that accepts materials that are difficult to recycle (e-waste, Styrofoam blocks, textiles,
etc.) and identifies reuse/recycle opportunities; also works with manufacturers on take-back programs.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
• Government
Recommend
33. Alternative Technology
Facility
Utilize regional facility for processing of
residual waste into energy or other beneficial
use.
• S-F
• M-F
• Commercial
• Government
Recommend
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4.2 Recommended Strategies
The initial list of options was reviewed and evaluated by the City project team, and a final list of
strategies was developed, incorporating the comments from all of the team members. A
description of each of the recommended strategies is included below, and a summary table is included in Appendix C.
4.2.1 Mandatory
Mandatory requirements, new rules and ordinances can be the most effective strategies for achieving Zero Waste. The City will support these efforts through technical assistance, outreach
and education, and reinforcement of desired behaviors. A description of these strategies is
provided below.
4.2.1.1 Disposal Bans
To reduce discards that currently have recycling markets or uses, the City will consider product
and material bans. Plastic water bottles, cardboard, yard trimmings and construction and demolition debris can be recycled, have available end-uses, and should not be disposed. These
materials impact the collection system and take up space in landfills. The ban will start with
government facilities, such as elimination of single-use water bottles at City facilities and events,
and improved recycling of cardboard and landscaping debris.
4.2.1.2 C&D Ordinance Revision
Construction and demolition debris constitutes approximately 33% of the City’s overall disposal. The existing ordinance requires all City-sponsored C&D projects, and all private C&D projects that are $50,000 or greater in value or 1,000 square feet or great to meet a minimum 70%
diversion rate. This option will modify the existing Construction and Demolition Ordinance by
increasing the diversion requirement from 70% to 90%. An amendment to the C&D ordinance
will be required to implement the increased diversion requirements. The increase will be implemented in a phased approach, as follows:
• 75% in 2015
• 80% in 2020
• 85% in 2025
• 90% in 2030
4.2.1.3 Mandatory Diversion Rate
The City will adopt an ordinance establishing diversion mandates for the single-family, multi-
family, commercial, and government sectors. The diversion mandates will be implemented in a
phased approach, as follows:
• 75% in 2015
• 80% in 2020
• 85% in 2025
• 90% in 2030
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The effort will be supported by education and outreach and enforcement through tagging of bins
with recyclables and/or stop service notices.
4.2.1.4 Mandatory Recycling in Hotels/Motels
There are approximately 30 hotels/motels in the City, and an estimated 600,000 visitors stay in
hotels/motels annually, with an average length of stay of three nights.8 These visitors generate
waste during their stay, and may not be aware of or have opportunities to recycle their waste. This ordinance will require all hotels and motels to implement a recycling program in guest rooms and common areas. The City will support the effort with education and outreach and
technical assistance.
4.2.2 Collection
The Resource Recovery and Recycling Division is responsible for the collection of refuse,
recycling, and yard trimmings from single-family, multi-family and commercial customers. Zero
Waste collection initiatives that will be implemented by the Division include: mandatory food
scraps participation for commercial and residential customers, mandatory commercial recycling, adding materials to the mandatory recycling of new materials, including mattresses, textiles, transitioning to bi-weekly collection of trash, wet/dry collection method, and bulky item
collection. These initiatives are described below.
4.2.2.1 Require Commercial Food Scraps Collection
This policy represents a major shift from voluntary to mandatory participation in organics
collection programs. It is intended to motivate all commercial generators within the City to separate organic materials from the waste they generate at their business, and place it in the
appropriate organics collection container on a regular basis for collection. To effect this change,
the City will need to develop and adopt a separate ordinance that requires waste generators to
source separate organics from other waste, and set the organics out for collection.
The organics separation ordinance could be implemented in conjunction with or as a component of the mandatory commercial recycling ordinance (Option 7), or as a stand-alone ordinance. This
ordinance will need to be carefully developed based on consideration of potential cost impacts on
businesses and customers, and be consistent with City policy directives. The ordinance should
be publicized adequately to inform all residents, businesses, and others of the intent and purpose
of the ordinance.
This program requires availability of permitted compost facilities within the region that will
receive, process, and market yard trimmings commingled with food scraps and other organic
materials suitable for conversion to compost products. Before this program could be
implemented on a citywide basis, the City will need to ensure that there is sufficient processing
8 Santa Monica 2011Tourism and Economic Fiscal Impacts and Visitor Profile, Santa Monica Convention and
Visitor’s Bureau.
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capacity in the region to handle the increased organics tonnages that will be collected through the
expanded brown bin program.
4.2.2.2 Require Residential Food Scraps Collection
This policy represents a major shift from voluntary to mandatory participation in organics
collection programs. It is intended to motivate all residential generators within the City to
separate organic materials from the waste they generate at their homes, and place it in the green collection container on a regular basis for collection. To effect this change, the City will need to
develop and adopt a separate ordinance that requires waste generators to source separate organics
from other waste, and set the organics out for collection.
The City will modify and expand its current food scraps collection program to include not only
yard trimmings and food scraps, but also food-contaminated paper, and similar compostable materials. This program is designed to increase residential waste diversion by requiring residents
to place food scraps and other organic materials in their green bins.
This program requires availability of permitted compost facilities within the region that will
receive, process, and market yard trimmings commingled with food scraps and other organic
materials suitable for conversion to compost products. Before this program could be implemented on a citywide basis, the City will need to ensure that there is sufficient processing
capacity in the region to handle the increased organics tonnages that will be collected through the
expanded green bin program.
4.2.2.3 Expand Mandatory Commercial Recycling
Assembly Bill 341 (adopted by the California legislature in 2011) established a statewide goal of 75 percent by 2020 and requires commercial generators (with four or more cubic yards per week of solid waste) and multi-family complexes (with five units or more) to recycle. However, it does
not specify the materials to be collected or the level of recycling services received. Many
communities have adopted ordinances specifying recycling requirements for multi-family
residential and commercial customers.
This policy expands upon the requirements of AB 341, to mandatory participation in recycling collection programs. It is intended to motivate all commercial waste generators within the City to
separate recyclable materials from the waste they generate at their business, and place it in the
appropriate blue bin or recycling collection container on a regular basis for collection. To effect
this change, the City will need to develop and adopt a “Mandatory Recycling” ordinance that requires waste generators to source separate recyclables from other waste, and set the recyclables out for collection.
The recycling ordinance will need to be carefully developed based on consideration of potential
impacts to business and customers, consistent with City policy directives, and publicized
adequately to inform all residents, businesses, and others of the intent and purpose of the ordinance.
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4.2.2.4 Require Recycling of New Materials
This program allows the City to require the recycling of materials currently not collected in the
blue bins from residential customers, including mattresses, carpet, and textiles. The materials
could be added to the blue bin program, or alternatively, the City could collaborate with non-
profit or other private organizations to increase the availability of collection or drop-off centers
for these materials in the City.
Adding new materials to the recycling program will require the availability of viable long-term
markets to ensure the materials are recovered to the maximum extent feasible and have a positive
market value. Some items are more suited to recovery and processing, while others do not have
viable markets or processors to accept them. The City will work with processors and
representatives of the recycling industry to identify market opportunities in the Southern California region for various materials that could be recycled. Once appropriate program
parameters are established, the City will need to provide appropriate public outreach so that
residents can easily identify the acceptable items for recycling.
4.2.2.5 Weekly Organics and Recycling Collection; Bi-weekly Refuse Collection
The City collects refuse, recycling and organics (yard trimmings and food scraps) from
residential customers on a weekly basis. This option will reduce the collection frequency of trash to every other week, while maintaining recycling and organics collection at once per week.
The program will be implemented initially for single-family residences, and phased in later for
multi-family residences. The City will support the transition with outreach and education to
residents.
This program requires availability of permitted compost facilities within the region that will receive, process, and market yard trimmings commingled with food scraps and other organic
materials suitable for conversion to compost products. Before this program could be
implemented on a citywide basis, the City will need to ensure that there is sufficient processing
capacity in the region to handle the increased organics tonnages that will be collected through the expanded green bin program.
It is anticipated the program will result in an increase in waste diversion, as organics comprise
47% of the single-family disposed waste stream, and 43% of the multi-family disposed
wastestream. Reduced operations costs are also anticipated, based on results in other
communities that have tested every other week refuse collection (e.g. Renton, Tacoma, and Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon). Other benefits of the program include fewer collection truck trips, which will reduce vehicle air, noise and green house gas emissions, and
increased collection efficiency in terms of labor time, and maintenance.
4.2.2.6 Wet/Dry Collection
In a transition from the every other week collection, the City will re-route existing residential and
commercial collections to keep “wet” discards (which include yard trimmings, food scraps and soiled paper, manure and other “putrescibles”) separate from “dry” discards, such as paper, glass, etc. Wet discards will be collected for processing through composting or anaerobic digestion,
and dry products and materials will be reused, repaired or recycled. The dry waste routing and
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processing takes advantage of the recyclables generated by residents and business, makes
recycling less dependent on changing customer behavior and can dramatically increase diversion.
It can also reduce disposal fees and increase revenues from the sale of recyclables due to the
increase tons of materials recovered. It is anticipated the wet/dry collection will increase
diversion by about 8% in the residential sector, and 6% in the commercial sector.
This program requires the availability of processing capacity in the region that can handle greater
quantities of recyclables for separation and processing. This program requires availability of
permitted facilities within the region that will receive, process, and market the organic materials.
Before this program could be implemented on a citywide basis, the City will need to ensure that
there is sufficient processing capacity in the region to handle the increased recyclables and organics that will be collected.
4.2.2.7 Bulky Item Collection; Move-in/Move-out Program
A significant source of trash is created when apartment dwellers move in and out of apartment
buildings. Presently, the City provides bulky item collection Monday through Friday for a
prearranged fee. The fee varies according to the size and weight of the item, and ranges from $50
for a small item to $250 or more for a major cleanup of debris and furniture pieces. Bulky items are limited to those large items that do not fit in a refuse container, such as: refrigerators, stoves,
furniture and similar items. This service is available to both Residential and Commercial
customers.
A new program will be implemented to provide excess waste pickup services for multi-family residents moving in/out of their homes. The purpose of the program is to reduce the frequency of illegal dumping in alleys and on curbs, and provide more convenient opportunity for residents
to donate their materials for reuse and recycling. The City will collaborate with reuse entities
(thrift stores, repair shops, and non-profits such as Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, St.
Joseph’s Center, and American Cancer Society Discovery Shop) to repair, reuse, and resell appropriate bulky items that are currently being set out by residents for collection by the Division and landfilled.
The City recently entered into a service contract to establish Santa Monica SHARES, a program
for the donation of items to non-profits and schools. The City will encourage residents to contact
Santa Monica SHARES to donate useable items using the program’s online service.
Information on this program will be conveyed through annual mailers to multi-family residences, through the City’s web page and City events.
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4.2.3 Rate Setting
Changes to the rate structure can have a significant effect in motivating customers to participate
in new programs, and to account for basic services and additional services. The City’s existing rate structure for single-family refuse collection is based on the number and size of carts (either 68 or 95 gallons). Unlimited carts are provided for recyclables and yard trimmings.
For multi-family dwellings, a similar fee structure is established for refuse collection, based on
the size, number, and frequency of collection of 68, 95 or 300 gallon carts, or 2, 3, or 4 cubic
yard bins. In addition, a per unit charge is assessed for each unit in the complex. Commingled recyclables are collected in 300-gallon carts or 2, 3, or 4 cubic yard bins, and are either designated to specific complexes or are shared. There is no separate charge for recycling.
Commercial customers are also charged for refuse collection based on the size, number and
frequency of collection (68, 95 or 300 gallon carts, or 2, 3, or 4 cubic yard bins), and are assessed
street sweeping charges, based on the water meter size. There is no separate charge for recycling.
The existing fees collected by the City pay for more than just refuse collections and disposal.
The fees are used to pay for collection and processing of recyclables, food scraps, yard debris
and bulky items, as well as street sweeping, equipment, infrastructure, container replacements,
support services, alternative technology studies, etc.
4.2.3.1 Implement Single-Family Integrated Waste Management Fee Structure
The intent of this option is to reduce the risk to the city of its existing disposal oriented rate
structure, and more accurately account for basic services and additional services. The fee
structure will also provide further incentives for customers to increase recycling and reduce
disposal. Under this type of fee structure, a basic service fee will be assessed for each single-
family residence, and will include one cart each for trash, recycling, and organics. An additional charge will be assessed for additional refuse carts, with a lower additional charge for recycling
and organics carts.
The advantages of this type of fee structure are increased diversion and decreased disposal, and a
potential reduction in collections costs for the City collections operations. Although residents
may be resistant to a change in their fee structure, the option aims to communicate the value of the services to the customers. It is anticipated this type of fee structure will result in a 4%
increase in diversion in the single-family sector.
4.2.3.2 Implement Multi-Family and Commercial Sector Integrated Waste Management Fee Structure
The goal of this option is to establish sufficient customer rate incentives for commercial and
multi-family refuse customers to increase recycling and decrease refuse service. This policy will
help to minimize the common industry practice of offering price incentives based on volume discounts to customers that subscribe for higher levels of refuse service, thereby creating pricing incentives for customers to shift to increased recycling services. It will also require full
disclosure of the cost components of rates charged and eliminate the perception of “free
recycling”.
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Refuse rate component: Commercial customer rates will be modified to reflect a uniform “per
cubic yard” rate for the whole range of bin or container sizes and collection frequency offered to
customers. The amount of the cubic yard (unit) rate will be established to ensure that sufficient
revenues are generated to cover the City’s costs. For example, the City would charge a rate of
$100 for a one cubic-yard bin collected once per week, the rate would be $200 for the one cubic-yard bin collected two times per week, $400 for a four cubic-yard bin collected once per week,
or $1,200 for a six cubic yard bin collected two times per week.
Recycling rate component: A recycling rate will be established under this fee structure, for
example that is no higher than 75 percent of the refuse rate for service, as measured by the
uniform “per cubic yard” rate for refuse service. If the City charges $100 for a one cubic yard bin of refuse, they would charge no more than $75 for a one cubic yard bin of commingled or source
separated recyclables.
4.2.4 Upstream
4.2.4.1 Extended Producer Responsibility
Producer responsibility is a key strategy for achieving Zero Waste. Take-back requirements shift
the costs of refuse from taxpayers to brand owners and producers. They also create a powerful
economic incentive to redesign products and substantially reduce the use of toxic materials.
The City will consider the following problem materials for producer take-back:
• Materials that cannot be reused, recycled or composted and single-use items; and
• Regulated materials (e.g., pharmaceuticals, sharps, batteries, fluorescent bulbs).
The upstream extended producer responsibility (EPR) initiatives call for the City to take an
active role in advocating for legislation that requires product manufacturers, retail
establishments, wholesale distributors and other appropriate entities to take back certain products
or packaging that currently are difficult to recycle, contain toxics or otherwise pose problems when they are discarded as waste. The City will work with various federal, state and regional agencies and community groups to ensure that effective take-back programs are enacted into law,
thereby enhancing the City’s goals to reduce the volume and toxicity of the materials entering
the City’s waste stream.
The following are the priorities the City will focus on under this program:
• Advocate for legislation making businesses responsible for their products that contain
toxics, such as pharmaceuticals, fluorescent lights, household batteries, treated wood, and
other materials banned from disposal statewide
• Advocate for legislation making businesses responsible for their products that are
difficult to recycle materials, such as disposable diapers, composite materials, tires, white
goods, durable goods, plastic, and food packaging.
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• Advocate for legislation to incentivize manufacturers to use local reuse and recycling
markets for the products they manufacture.
4.2.4.2 Packaging Legislation
The City’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment is presently working with Green Cities California to identify opportunities for packaging legislation. The option will further the City’s efforts of leadership by example and work towards regionalization of programs to address
packaging. The goal of packaging legislation is to prevent or reduce the impact of packaging
and packaging waste on the environment. Legislation will contain provisions not only for
preventing packaging waste, but also the reuse, recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
Under this option, the City will advocate for packaging legislation making businesses responsible for their packages, including alternatives to expanded polystyrene containers,
“peanuts” and “blocks” and plastic bags (statewide); and support for reusable shipping
containers. The City will also support legislation to reduce packaging and to incorporate
recycled content materials in all packaging.
4.2.4.3 Behavior Change Marketing
To significantly increase awareness of its existing and planned Zero Waste programs, the City
will undertake a large scale media or social marketing campaign. The City will work closely with
electronic and print media to encourage their coverage of the City’s goals, plans, and project
implementation, and to challenge them to help engage the public in creative new ways. Funding
programs on an on-going basis (over multiple five-year campaign periods) to educate target audiences about the new rules and changes is an important part of implementing Zero Waste.
This program will greatly enhance public awareness about where to reuse, recycle, and compost
materials to keep them out of landfills, and encourage residents, businesses, workers, and visitors
to fully participate in achieving a Zero Waste future.
A community-based social marketing program will be implemented to help change the culture and waste-related behavior in the City, with different messages targeted to different
demographics using a wide assortment of tools. The City will work closely with electronic and
print media to encourage their coverage of the City’s goals, plans, and project implementation,
and to challenge them to help engage the public in creative new ways. This program will
greatly enhance public awareness about where to reuse, recycle, and compost materials to keep them out of landfills, and encourage residents, businesses, workers, and visitors to fully
participate in achieving a Zero Waste future.
Social marketing campaigns involve the systematic application of marketing alongside other
techniques and tools to achieve specific social behavioral goals. Some of the best practices that
have been developed include starting from a detailed understanding of the needs, desires and attitudes of the individuals concerned, researching the underlying reasons for certain behaviors
and developing an “offer” that will be attractive given existing needs, values and other pressures
such as peer group influences.
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There is also an important role for civic leaders and elected officials, to lead by example as
exemplars of the new social norms. This requires clear and consistent messages from the City
Council and City management and staff. Strategies for changing the norms of behavior include:
• Leaders who visibly encourage and reward successful innovation;
• Focusing financial resources on innovation, including both public and private
sources;
• Using incubator models for testing and piloting innovations; and
• Establishing institutions to link small scale enterprises to larger organizations such as
business and legislative bodies.
4.2.5 Downstream
4.2.5.1 Expand Single-use Carry Out Bag and Disposable Container Ordinance
The City’s existing ordinances prohibit the distribution of single-use carry out petroleum and
bio-based plastic bags by retail establishments; grocery, convenience and liquor stores; mini- marts; pharmacies; and at City events. The City also prohibits the distribution of disposable food
service containers made of nonrecyclable plastic or expanded polystyrene foam from all food
providers and at City events. The ban applies to single-use disposable containers intended for
serving or transporting prepared, ready-to-eat food or beverages.
This policy will establish a date to review the progress of the existing ordinances, and to set a goal date to expand the program to all retailers and restaurants. Expansion of the bans will further help to
reduce the amount of plastic that ends up on the City’s beaches, reduce materials that go to the
landfill, and reduce the amount of natural resources used to manufacture and transport the disposable
products.
4.2.5.2 Multi-family Recycling Educational Outreach
This program will provide enhanced technical assistance to owners and managers of multi-family complexes in order to encourage them to initiate or expand recycling and waste reduction practices at their complexes, and to make tenants aware of the move-in/move-out program.
Technical assistance will include conducting on-site waste assessments to identify target
materials for recycling and waste reduction, providing information on arranging for recycling
services, and distributing appropriate outreach materials describing best practices for setting up or expanding recycling services. Technical assistance will help to minimize or overcome various obstacles to recycling faced by multi-family complexes (space constraints, labor and sorting
requirements, lack of information or training, etc.). Technical assistance provided by the City
will encourage more complexes to set up an effective recycling program that is suited to the
complex’s site.
4.2.5.3 Self-haul Waste Origin Reporting
Misreported waste origin continues to be an ongoing problem for the City and throughout the
region. The problem can impact a jurisdiction’s ability to accurately monitor and report disposal,
and to plan for new policies and programs. In Santa Monica, it is estimated that over 10,000 tons
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per year of waste is misallocated to the City. The intent of this option is to establish regional
cooperation between cities, counties, and facilities that are responsible for reporting the origin of
waste. Through regional cooperation, a more efficient process should be established to track
misreported waste, and reduce the time and resources spent by individual jurisdictions on this
process. This option will be closely tied with the option for Regional Sustainability Collaboration described below.
4.2.5.4 Regional Sustainability Collaboration
There are several approaches to regional cooperation, including the formation of a regional Zero
Waste Task Force and the development of inter-agency or interlocal agreements between
neighboring communities. The approach will form the basis for establishing regional Zero
Waste goals throughout Southern California. The City will support regional efforts in Zero Waste planning and will engage in dialogues with other cities to identify opportunities for
regional coordination and to undertake project-specific regional opportunities. The City will
explore possibilities through this process of developing regional Resource Recovery Parks,
regional reuse, recycling and composting, and conversion technology infrastructure, and regional
funding for Zero Waste.
4.2.5.5 Environmental Directory On-line version
The City provides an Environmental Directory booklet that includes a list of local resources for
topics that range from energy efficiency programs to environmentally preferred purchasing. The
booklet also includes resources for refuse, recycling, composting, and hazardous waste. The
Directory was last updated in 2009, and has historically been provided in print form only. This option will create an on-line only version of the Directory, eliminating the print version entirely. The on-line version will include new and/or updated resources, and will be made available and
searchable on the City’s website.
4.2.5.6 Rewards Program
The City’s Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) was developed to identify and recognize
businesses in the City that are successfully incorporating sustainable practices into their operations. An annual event promotes the efforts of local businesses that have made significant achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, social responsibility, and
stewardship of the natural environment. This option will expand the City’s recognition of
businesses to reward residents and businesses for developing programs in the City for reusing,
repurposing, reducing, and recycling of waste. As part of this option, the City will initiate school waste reduction competitions, with rewards in the form of prizes, money, grants, etc. The City will coordinate with other civic organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, to identify
grants and other funding opportunities. This intent of this option is to encourage community
involvement in zero waste solutions, including individuals, business, schools and other
institutions. The program may stimulate local job growth and markets for recovered materials, creating a new reuse industry in the City.
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4.2.5.7 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection at Public Events
Presently, the RRR Division offers assistance to help organizations implement Zero Waste goals
at their events. This program will entail placement and servicing of HHW collection containers
at public events, and City events such as the Santa Monica Festival. This program will provide
convenient opportunities for the general public to safely dispose of used batteries, mobile
phones, and other HHW items.
4.2.5.8 Expand Items Collected In Recycling Cart
This program allows the RRR Division the ability to add new materials to the existing list of
materials that can be placed in the recycling cart for collection by the City, including textile and
other items. Adding new materials to the recycling cart will require that the City’s contracted
recycling processor identify viable long-term markets to ensure that the materials are recovered
to the maximum extent feasible and have a positive market value. The City will initiate discussions with its processor to identify market opportunities in the Southern California region
for new materials that could be recycled. Once opportunities are identified and new materials are
selected, the City will need to provide appropriate public outreach to residents and businesses.
Adding new materials will reduce the quantity of materials being disposed, create a convenient
program to donate clothing and other materials for reuse and/or recycling, and provide the ability to divert specific hard-to-recycle items.
4.2.5.9 Centralized Garage Sales
The City presently schedules an annual citywide yard sale to promote waste reuse and
repurposing. In addition, numerous yard sales are held privately throughout the City on a regular
basis. The City has been considering and assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the citywide garage sales. This option will establish a program for residents to sell items in a centralized location, in lieu of the many garage sales that are typically held in the City. The
program will be coordinated with the citywide yard sale event, and will be free and open to
residents only. It is the intent of the program to encourage more residents to resell and reuse
items before discarding them, and provide residents with limited space an opportunity to sell their items.
4.2.5.10 Business and Restaurant Food Donation
The many large businesses and restaurants in the City generate uneaten prepared foods that are
typically disposed. Food comprises approximately 15% of the commercial waste stream. This
program will help businesses and restaurants to find resources that will accept food donations.
This program will reduce the amount of food scraps that is landfilled, and provide a source of food for persons in need. The City will publish resources in the environmental directory for businesses wishing to donate food, and will provide information on the program on its website.
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4.2.6 Facilities
4.2.6.1 Regional Resource Recovery Center
Resource Recovery Centers (RRCs) can be small centers for drop-off of hard to recycle items,
including mattresses, large blocks of Styrofoam, and textiles, or much larger facilities that include a reuse yard for building materials, and provide repair and refurbishment for reusable bulk items and other reusable materials delivered by the public. They can also handle HHW
materials, brush, and other recoverable materials. The materials typically are brought in self-
hauled loads by residents or businesses to a solid waste facility. Thus RRCs are usually
developed at landfills or transfer facilities. Local facilities can redesign their sites to provide for a separate drop-off and staging area where the public can drop off their recoverable materials before proceeding to the designated tipping area. At some facilities, the diversion activity takes
place after the fee gate and the public is required to separate materials for recycling and reuse. If
users decide to proceed directly to the disposal area, they are required to pay an extra fee.
Reduced tipping fees at RRCs can provide a significant incentive to users. Most provide drop-off or buyback options for revenue-generating recyclables. Some charge lower rates for certain items (e.g., yard trimmings, clean fill).
Diversion levels and costs at RRCs can vary widely depending on the extent and type of the
diversion activities. These activities can include public area drop-off for traditional recyclables
(cans, bottles, and paper), salvaging materials from the tipping area at a transfer station or landfill (large pieces of metal, cardboard or wood), diverting reusable items (furniture, building materials, and household goods), and providing retail sales on site. In some locations, RRCs
could be combined in “clusters” of reusable, recyclables, compostable, and special discards
(including regulated materials and C&D). Each of the clusters would utilize different approaches
to collecting and processing, requiring different trucks, equipment and handling. The cluster approach requires that the combined categories of materials be sorted at other locations. Some activities may be co-located at a landfill, but others may be off-site. The City may support these
efforts through helping apply for grants, recruiting businesses and industries to use materials
generated by Zero Waste programs, and promoting the use of the RRC.
4.2.6.2 Alternative Technology Facility
Based on Zero Waste research some type of future alternative technology is anticipated to be developed that will help meet Zero Waste goals. A number of emerging technologies are
currently under consideration or in development with the potential to provide substantial
increases in diversion rates. Examples of these emerging technologies include thermal and
biological processes, including anaerobic digestion, gasification, and pyrolysis. In addition,
although mixed material processing facilities are currently in operation throughout the U.S., developments and improvements in this technology over time should render increased
efficiencies, better economical feasibility and higher diversion processing capabilities.
A number of jurisdictions in Southern California are evaluating the feasibility of developing
alternative technology facilities for processing the residual waste into energy or other beneficial
use. The County of Los Angeles and cities of Los Angeles and Glendale are some of the local
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jurisdictions that are continuing to evaluate the potential for implementation of such a facility.
It is reasonable to predict that within the planning horizon of the Zero Waste Strategic
Operations Plan, some current emerging technologies will be commercially viable to support the
City in achieving its Zero Waste goals. The City will monitor and support the development of a
regional alternative technology facility for the processing of the residual portion of the waste stream into waste or other beneficial use.
4.2.6.3 Residual Processing
A portion of the City’s waste is presently transformed into energy at one of two permitted waste
to energy facilities in Southern California. The City’s Zero Waste Strategic Plan includes
policies and programs to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost to the greatest extent possible the
maximum amount of materials for beneficial reuse. It is estimated the City can achieve a 93% diversion rate with the implementation of the policies, programs and infrastructure described in
the previous option. However, in the future, the City may continue to utilize transformation of
residuals to achieve 95% diversion by 2030.
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5.0 Diversion and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Estimates
5.1 Diversion Estimates
Diversion estimates were prepared to identify the waste disposal reduction potential of each
policy and program. The diversion estimates are based on comparable policies and programs
implemented in other jurisdictions, research, and educated estimates. Table 5-1 summarizes the diversion by implementation phase. As indicated, based on the City’s 2012 diversion rate of 77%, it is estimated the City can achieve 94% diversion by 2030 through implementation of all
the policies, programs and facilities identified; and 96% diversion with residual waste
processing.
Table 5-1. Diversion Estimates by Implementation Phase
Phase/Year Existing (2012) Short Term (2013-2015)
Short to Medium Term
(2013-2020)
Medium Term
(2021-2025)
Medium to Long Term (2021-2030) Long Term (2026-2030)
2030
(with Residual Processing)
Estimated
Diversion 77% 80% 85% 86% 89% 94% 96%
A breakdown of the zero waste plan diversion increases by sector and phase is included in Table
5-2. As indicated, options to be implemented in the commercial sector will have the greatest
impact on increasing diversion, followed by the multi-family and single-family sector programs.
The commercial sector programs with the greatest diversion potential include mandatory food
scraps recycling, expanding the types of recycled materials collected, wet/dry collection, increasing the C&D ordinance diversion requirement, and behavior change marketing. For the
residential sector, the options with the greatest diversion potential include mandatory food scraps
recycling, mandatory diversion rate, behavior change marketing, and wet/dry collection. In the
multi-family sector, the options with the highest diversion potential include implementing an
integrated waste management fee structure, behavior change marketing, mandatory food scraps recycling, mandatory diversion rate, wet/dry collection, and converting to bi-weekly refuse
collection.
The detailed calculations used for estimating the diversion potential of each of the policies,
programs, and facilities considered by the City are included in Appendix D. The diversion
estimates are presented in the presumed order of implementation. Each one builds on the program or policy preceding it, and assumes the available waste was reduced by the previous
program. Several policies will require new ordinances and regulations which will require City
Council action and time to implement. Zero waste is a design framework for reducing
generation of waste and maximizing diversion, not a strict tonnage goal. By implementing the
proposed policies, programs and facilities, the City will be striving towards zero waste, but there will still be some residual wastes that will be disposed.
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Table 5-2. Zero Waste Strategic Plan Diversion Estimates
Estimated Diversion Increase (tons)
Total
Diversion
Rate
Increase
(%)
Residual
Processing
Diversion
(tons)
Total Diversion
Increase with
Residual
Processing
(tons)
Diversion
Rate
Increase
with
Residual
Processing
(%)
Short
Term
(2013-
2015)
Short to
Medium
Term (2013-
2020)
Medium
Term
(2021-
2025)
Medium
to Long
Term
(2021-
2030)
Long Term
(2026-2030)
Total
Diversion
Increase
(2013-2030)
SF
Residential 1,819 1,249 130 926 736 4,860 1.3% 1,248 6,107 1.7%
MF
Residential 4,032 4,686 1,244 3,098 1,970 15,031 4.1% 3,377 18,407 5.0%
Commercial 5,528 5,113 4,672 6,201 10,546 32,060 8.8% 4,913 36,973 10.1%
Self-Haul 0 6,142 0 0 4,134 10,277 2.8% 0 10,277 2.8%
Diversion
(tons) 11,379 17,190 6,046 10,225 17,387 62,227 9,537
71,765
Diversion
(%) 3.2% 4.7% 1.6% 2.8% 4.7%
17%
19.6%
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5.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Estimates
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) developed the Waste Reduction Model
(WARM) to help planners and organizations track and voluntarily report greenhouse gas
emissions reductions from several different waste management practices. WARM calculates and totals Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions for baseline and alternative waste management
practices—source reduction, recycling, composting, and landfilling. The model calculates
emissions in metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
(MTCO2E), and energy units (million BTU) across a wide range of material types commonly
found in municipal solid waste.
The WARM was used to estimate the amount of GHG emissions that can potentially be reduced
through implementation of the programs and policies outlined in the Zero Waste Strategic
Operations Plan. The GHG emissions reductions are calculated based on the program
implementation timeline (i.e. short term, short-to-medium term, medium term, etc.). The long
term programs include residual processing, modeled as combustion (waste-to-energy) in WARM, therefore the GHG emissions reduction shown is the resulting net effect.
Based on the estimated diversion rates in the Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan, the City’s
overall GHG emissions will be reduced by 18,573 MTCE by 2030. The GHG emissions
reductions are shown in Table 5-3. The model assumptions and results are included in Appendix E.
Table 5-3. Zero Waste Strategic Plan Greenhouse Gas Emissions Estimates (MTCE)
Source Short Term Short to Med Term Med Term Med to Long Term Long Term Residual Processing Total
SF Residential (517) (255) (58) (307) (262) 98 (1,301)
MF Residential (1,482) (1,438) (556) (1,094) (920) 189 (5,301)
Commercial (1,935) (1,973) (1,249) (2,489) (3,037) 545 (10,138)
Self-Haul - (1,153) - - (680) - (1,833)
TOTAL (3,934) (4,819) (1,863) (3,890) (4,899) 832 (18,573)
Note: a negative value (i.e., a value in parentheses) indicates an emission reduction; a positive value indicates an emission increase
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6.0 Financial and Cost Analysis
6.1 Financial Analysis
The first steps in determining the selected zero waste programs’ costs and rate impacts involved
developing an understanding of the Division’s operational and capital costs for existing programs
and establishing a baseline. In order to develop the baseline data included in Tables 6-1 through 6-4, data was gathered from the City on solid waste related revenue and expense data, and shared cost allocation methodologies. (Appendix F).
The expense data provided by the City was categorized within specific cost categories for Direct
Costs (the direct labor, equipment and other costs required for the collection activity), Material
Handling Costs (the transfer, processing, and disposal costs associated with the post-collection handling of the collected material), and Administration and Overhead (the management, administrative, and other indirect overhead costs of the Division that is allocated back to each
line of service). In addition to these collection costs, there are costs for programs and services
performed by the Division which have been allocated among sectors based on estimates provided
by Division staff. These programs/services costs, and the sector allocations, are listed below.
COST CATEGORY SECTOR ALLOCATION
Events Single Family 100%
Alley Crew Single Family 10%; Multi-Family 90%
Household Hazardous Waste Single Family 50%; Multi-Family 50%
Outreach Calculated among sectors based on number of accounts
Street Sweeping Commercial 100%
Public Litter Container Collection Commercial 100%
Bus Stop Litter Collection Commercial 100%
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Table 6-1. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – All Sectors
Table 6-2. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – Single Family Sector
* Includes expenses for Compost Bins/Giveaways, Events, Household Hazardous Waste, Alley Crew,
and Outreach
Single Family Multi-Family Commercial Total
Labor 1,394,476$ 2,243,936$ 3,939,579$ 7,577,991$
Equipment 1,242,954$ 1,718,448$ 3,201,892$ 6,163,294$
Other 550,652$ 786,368$ 953,502$ 2,290,522$
Subtotal Direct Costs 3,188,082$ 4,748,752$ 8,094,973$ 16,031,808$
Direct Transfer 225,823$ 414,487$ 821,128$ 1,461,439$
Allocated Transfer 53,053$ 84,320$ 160,140$ 297,513$
Processing 234,074$ (118,343)$ 137,734$ 253,465$
Disposal 442,492$ 1,446,126$ 2,682,622$ 4,571,240$
Subtotal Material Handling 955,442$ 1,826,590$ 3,801,625$ 6,583,656$
Subtotal Operations Costs 4,143,524$ 6,575,342$ 11,896,598$ 22,615,464$
Admin & Overhead 784,838$ 923,740$ 867,978$ 2,576,556$
Total Program Costs 4,928,362$ 7,499,082$ 12,764,576$ 25,192,020$
Total By Sector
Solid Waste Recycling Green Waste Other* Total
Labor 363,443$ 402,854$ 475,823$ 152,356$ 1,394,476$
Equipment 349,026$ 396,323$ 450,381$ 47,224$ 1,242,954$
Other 70,041$ 346,561$ 87,803$ 46,247$ 550,652$
Subtotal Direct Costs 782,510$ 1,145,738$ 1,014,007$ 245,827$ 3,188,082$
Direct Transfer 117,399$ 4,079$ 99,823$ 4,522$ 225,823$
Allocated Transfer 27,610$ -$ 25,443$ -$ 53,053$
Processing -$ (134,934)$ 365,237$ 3,771$ 234,074$
Disposal 428,105$ -$ -$ 14,387$ 442,492$
Subtotal Material Handling 573,114$ (130,855)$ 490,503$ 22,680$ 955,442$
Subtotal Operations Costs 1,355,624$ 1,014,883$ 1,504,510$ 268,507$ 4,143,524$
Admin & Overhead 78,841$ 131,558$ 102,165$ 472,274$ 784,838$
Total Program Costs 1,434,465$ 1,146,441$ 1,606,675$ 740,781$ 4,928,362$
Single Family
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Table 6-3. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – Multi-family Sector
* Includes expenses for Household Hazardous Waste, Alley Crew, and Outreach
Table 6-4. Solid Waste Program Baseline Analysis – Commercial Sector
* Includes expenses for Outreach, Street Sweeping, Public Litter Containers, and Bus Stop Refuse Collection
Solid Waste Recycling Green Waste Other* Total
Labor 1,327,221$ 558,006$ 63,915$ 294,794$ 2,243,936$
Equipment 1,052,983$ 480,484$ 48,534$ 136,447$ 1,718,448$
Other 242,340$ 405,506$ 10,883$ 127,639$ 786,368$
Subtotal Direct Costs 2,622,544$ 1,443,996$ 123,332$ 558,880$ 4,748,752$
Direct Transfer 387,629$ 5,195$ 9,664$ 11,999$ 414,487$
Allocated Transfer 81,894$ -$ 2,426$ -$ 84,320$
Processing -$ (153,261)$ 34,918$ -$ (118,343)$
Disposal 1,400,182$ -$ -$ 45,944$ 1,446,126$
Subtotal Material Handling 1,869,705$ (148,066)$ 47,008$ 57,943$ 1,826,590$
Subtotal Operations Costs 4,492,249$ 1,295,930$ 170,340$ 616,823$ 6,575,342$
Admin & Overhead 264,232$ 169,335$ 12,426$ 477,747$ 923,740$
Total Program Costs 4,756,481$ 1,465,265$ 182,766$ 1,094,570$ 7,499,082$
Multi-Family
Solid Waste Recycling Organics Other* Total
Labor 1,918,374$ 649,706$ 169,882$ 1,201,617$ 3,939,579$
Equipment 1,392,244$ 451,977$ 136,189$ 1,221,482$ 3,201,892$
Other 354,760$ 377,236$ 24,923$ 196,583$ 953,502$
Subtotal Direct Costs 3,665,378$ 1,478,919$ 330,994$ 2,619,682$ 8,094,973$
Direct Transfer 721,546$ 4,812$ 21,436$ 73,334$ 821,128$
Allocated Transfer 151,187$ -$ 8,953$ -$ 160,140$
Processing -$ (139,058)$ 182,266$ 94,526$ 137,734$
Disposal 2,599,087$ -$ -$ 83,535$ 2,682,622$
Subtotal Material Handling 3,471,820$ (134,246)$ 212,655$ 251,396$ 3,801,625$
Subtotal Operations Costs 7,137,198$ 1,344,673$ 543,649$ 2,871,078$ 11,896,598$
Admin & Overhead 369,302$ 188,190$ 33,349$ 277,137$ 867,978$
Total Program Costs 7,506,500$ 1,532,863$ 576,998$ 3,148,215$ 12,764,576$
Commercial
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6.2 Cost Analysis
The cost analysis is designed to assist the City in making planning-level decisions regarding the
selection of appropriate programs for the Zero Waste Plan. The analysis considers two quantitative factors:
• Diversion potential (measured by tons per year); and,
• Cost effectiveness (measured by the cost per diverted ton).
The estimates presented herein are not intended to calculate the precise results of each program. The tables present a “low” and “high” estimate of the incremental change in the Division’s cost associated with the implementation of these programs. The range of costs is reflective of the
range experienced in other communities that have implemented these or similar programs. The
actual costs of the program will be impacted by general economic conditions during the
implementation period, management decisions regarding the operations of each program, and customer behaviors that are too numerous to model. Instead, we estimated a reasonable range (as represented in the “Low” and “High” cost estimates in the Incremental Annual Program
Costs/(Savings) and Incremental Annual Program Cost/(Savings) Per Ton in tables 6-1 through
6-4) for each of these measurements based on data provided by the City, data gathered from
other companies and communities who are operating similar programs, and in-house data from other zero waste/high-diversion engagements. These planning-level estimates are intended to provide enough information for the City to evaluate the relative merits of each program in the
development of the Zero Waste Plan.
For each selected program, the incremental change in the annual cost for the program and the
cost per ton diverted was estimated. The cost estimates provide a reasonable basis for understanding the potential cost impacts and how costs between programs compare to one another.
Cost estimates are not inclusive of any indirect implementation cost associated with the
development of implementation plans, general plan amendments, conduct of feasibility studies,
or the process of procuring and negotiating the contracts associated with each program (if necessary). These are anticipated to be one-time costs incurred by the City. More precise cost estimates can be prepared during the implementation planning phase once decisions are made on
issues such as program scope, facility operations, education and outreach, roles and
responsibilities, and other factors.
Table 6-5 presents the incremental annual change in program costs, the estimated tons diverted by program, and the cost/(savings) per diverted ton for each of the selected programs. Details of the planning level cost estimate calculations for each program are included in Appendix G.
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Table 6-5. Planning-Level Cost Estimates for Selected Zero Waste Programs
6.3 Customer Rate Impact Analysis
Using the cost analysis data, the percentage impact on existing customer rates for each of the selected program options was calculated. The rate impacts for each selected program are cumulative. The rate impacts are based on fiscal year 2013 budget data provided by the City, and
cumulative future tonnage diversion assumptions developed by HDR. The “Low” and “High”
rate impacts are illustrated in Table 6-6. Details of the rate impact calculations for each program
are included in Appendix G.
PROGRAM PHASE
PROGRAM
TONS
DIVERTED
Residential Low High Low Midpoint High
Food Scraps Collection Short 90,346$ 132,755$ 1,124 80$ 99$ 118$
Behavior Change Marketing Short 28,582$ 60,418$ 410 70$ 109$ 147$
Weekly Organics and Recyclables Collection;
Bi-Weekly Refuse Collection Short-Med (157,402)$ (137,671)$ 504 (312)$ (292)$ (273)$
Wet/Dry Collection Med-Long (295,135)$ (252,622)$ 562 (525)$ (487)$ (449)$
Residuals Processing Long 10,716$ 13,211$ 1,248 9$ 10$ 11$
Multi-Family Low High Low Midpoint High
Behavior Change Marketing Short 211,746$ 375,609$ 1,549 137$ 190$ 242$
Bulky Item Collection; Move-In/Move-Out
Program Short-Med $ 160,896 $ 230,483 176 $ 916 $ 1,114 $ 1,312
Weekly Organics and Recyclables Collection;
Bi-Weekly Refuse Collection Short-Med $ (229,434) $ (201,057) 2,694 $ (85) $ (80) $ (75)
Food Scraps Collection - Cart Customers Medium $ 39,381 $ 58,132 476 $ 83 $ 102 $ 122
Food Scraps Collection - Bin Customers Medium $ 130,258 $ 300,681 463 $ 281 $ 465 $ 649
Wet/Dry Collection Med-Long (94,878)$ (81,319)$ 1,615 (59)$ (55)$ (50)$
Residuals Processing Long 29,006$ 35,760$ 3,377 9$ 10$ 11$
Commercial Low High Low Midpoint High
Behavior Change Marketing Short (101,132)$ (44,065)$ 2,831 (36)$ (26)$ (16)$
Food Scraps Collection Medium 456,964$ 615,261$ 3,975 115$ 135$ 155$
Wet/Dry Collection Med-Long (210,325)$ (185,492)$ 2,620 (80)$ (76)$ (71)$
Expansion of Mandatory Commercial Recycling Long $ 214,645 $ 355,382 906 $ 237 $ 315 $ 392
Residuals Processing Long 41,976$ 51,750$ 4,887 9$ 10$ 11$
INCREMENTAL ANNUAL
PROGRAM COST/(SAVINGS)
INCREMENTAL ANNUAL PROGRAM
COST/(SAVINGS) PER TON
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Table 6-6. Customer Rate Impacts for Selected Zero Waste Programs
PROGRAM PHASE
Residential Low High
Food Scraps Collection Short 3.1% 4.5%
Behavior Change Marketing Short 1.0% 2.1%
Weekly Organics and Recyclables Collection;
Bi-Weekly Refuse Collection Short-Med -5.4% -4.7%
Wet/Dry Collection Med-Long -10.1% -8.6%
Residuals Processing Long 0.4% 0.5%
Multi-Family Low High
Behavior Change Marketing Short 2.8% 5.0%
Bulky Item Collection; Move-In/Move-Out
Program Short-Med 2.1% 3.1%
Weekly Organics and Recyclables Collection;
Bi-Weekly Refuse Collection Short-Med -7.8% -6.9%
Food Scraps Collection - Cart Customers Medium 1.3% 2.0%
Food Scraps Collection - Bin Customers Medium 1.5% 3.4%
Wet/Dry Collection Med-Long -1.3% -1.1%
Residuals Processing Long 0.4% 0.5%
Commercial Low High
Behavior Change Marketing Short -1.2% -0.5%
Food Scraps Collection Medium 5.2% 7.0%
Wet/Dry Collection Med-Long -2.4% -2.1%
Expansion of Mandatory Commercial Recycling Long 2.5% 4.1%
Residuals Processing Long 0.5% 0.6%
RATE IMPACT
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6.4 Program Impact Observations
The most cost effective programs are those that result in net cost savings. These programs are
illustrated in Table 6-7.
Table 6-7. Most Cost Effective Zero Waste Programs Based on Incremental Annual Program Savings
The other programs result in net cost increases. The most cost effective of these programs are
those with the lowest cost per ton diverted. The programs in Table 6-8 are sorted from most to least cost effective based on the diversion achieved.
Program
Program
Tons
Diverted
Residential Low High
Weekly Organics and Recyclables Collection; Bi-
Weekly Refuse Collection (157,402)$ (137,671)$ 504
Wet/Dry Collection (295,135)$ (252,622)$ 562
Multi-Family Low High
Weekly Organics and Recyclables Collection; Bi-
Weekly Refuse Collection (229,434)$ (201,057)$ 2,694
Wet/Dry Collection (94,878)$ (81,319)$ 1,615
Commercial Low High
Behavior Change Marketing (101,132)$ (44,065)$ 2,831
Wet/Dry Collection (210,325)$ (185,492)$ 2,620
Incremental Annual Program
Savings
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Table 6-8. Programs with Net Cost Increases Sorted by Lowest to Highest Cost Per Ton
Residuals Processing Commercial 4,887 10$
Residuals Processing Multi-Family 3,377 10$
Residuals Processing Residential 1,248 10$
Food Scraps Collection Residential 1,124 99$
Food Scraps Collection - Cart Multi-Family 476 102$
Behavior Change Marketing Residential 410 109$
Food Scraps Collection Commercial 3,975 135$
Behavior Change Marketing Multi-Family 1,549 190$
Expansion of Mandatory Commercial Recycling Commercial 906 $ 315
Food Scraps Collection - Bin Multi-Family 463 $ 465
Bulky Item Collection; Move-In/Move-Out Program Multi-Family 176 1,114$
Program
Tons
Diverted
SectorProgram
Incremental Annual
Program Midpoint
Cost Per Ton
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zero waste strategic operations plan 7.0 IMPLEMENTATION
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7.0 Implementation
Implementation of the recommended strategies will be undertaken over an approximately 20 year
period, from 2013 through 2030. During the implementation, the City will continue to evaluate
the efficacy of each strategy, and modify the Plan as necessary to meet the zero waste goals and
objectives, and to adjust to the changing social, environmental, and economic conditions within the City. An implementation schedule is presented in Exhibit 7-1.
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zero waste strategic operations plan 7.0 IMPLEMENTATION
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Exhibit 7-1. Implementation Schedule
Period Program
Single
-
Famil
y
Multi-
Family
Commercia
l
Self-
Haul C&D
Short-
Term
Require Food Scraps Collection
Behavior Change Marketing
Environmental Directory On-line
Version
Integrated Waste Management Fee
Structure
Bulky Item Collection; Move-
In/Move-Out Program
Recycling Educational Outreach
Mandatory Recycling in
Hotels/Motels
Business and Restaurant Food
Donation
Santa Monica Shares /Bulky Item
Reuse and Recycling
Short to
Medium-
Term
Regional Sustainability
Collaboration
Rewards Program
HHW Collection at Public Events
Centralized Garage Sales
Disposal Bans
Weekly Organics and Recyclables
Collection; Bi-weekly Refuse
Collection
Self-Haul Waste Origin Reporting
Medium-
Term
Packaging Legislation
Extended Producer Responsibility
Regional Resource Recovery Center
Require Food Scraps Collection
Expand Single-Use Carry Out Bag
and Disposable Container Ordinance
Medium
to Long-
Term
Wet/Dry Collection
Expand Items Collected in Recycling
Cart
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city of santa monica
zero waste strategic operations plan 7.0 IMPLEMENTATION
7-3
Period Program
Single
-
Famil
y
Multi-
Family
Commercia
l
Self-
Haul C&D
Long-Term
Mandatory Diversion Rate
Require Recycling of New Materials
C&D Ordinance Revision
Expand Mandatory Commercial
Recycling
Alternative Technology Facility
Residuals Processing
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ZERO WASTE PLAN UPDATE
FINAL REPORT
September 23, 2019
A 2020-2024 ROADMAP TO REDUCE, REINVENT, RECAPTURE, AND RECYCLE SANTA MONICA’S WASTE MATERIAL STREAMS
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TOC - i
ZERO WASTE PLAN UPDATE
Table of Contents
FINAL REPORT
Report Contributors
The following organizations and individuals contributed to the research, preparation, review, and
evaluation of the City of Santa Monica Zero Waste Plan Update.
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Task Force on the Environment
Mark Gold
Erik Neandross
Garen Baghdasarian
Robert Lempert
Susan Mearns
David Pettit
Dean Kubani
Reource Recovery and Recycling Division
Chris Celsi
Yvonne Yeung
Daniel Pankau
Erin Carr
Office of Sustainability and the Environment
Shannon Parry
James Velez-Conway
Planning and Community Development
Department
Peter James
Public Works Department
Susan Cline
Salvador Valles
R3 CONSULTING GROUP, INC.
Garth Schultz, Principal
Natalie Lessa, Project Manager
Emily Ginsburg, Senior Project Analyst
Claire Wilson, Project Analyst
ABBE and ASSOCIATES, LLC
Ruth Abbe, Principal
HDR ENGINEERING, INC.
John Carlton, Planning Lead
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TOC - ii
ZERO WASTE PLAN UPDATE
Table of Contents
FINAL REPORT
Table of Contents
Sections
1 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 1
2 State Requirements and Diversion Assessment and Opportunities Analysis ................... 9
3 Recommended Zero Waste Actions ............................................................................... 15
4 Projected Outcomes and Timeline ................................................................................. 35
Tables
1 Summary of Priority Actions for Zero Waste Achievement .............................................. 6
2 Additional Diversion Potential by Zero Waste Action ..................................................... 36
3 Estimated Annual Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction ................................................ 38
4 Estimated Average Annual Implementation Costs by Zero Waste Action ...................... 39
5 Initial Estimated Rate Impacts by Zero Waste Action ..................................................... 40
Figures
1 Projected Implementation Timeline ................................................................................. 7
2 Santa Monica Diversion Rate in Tons by Year ................................................................. 11
3 Diversion Levels by Sector Based on Participation Levels............................................... 12
4 Estimated Contents of Santa Monica’s Landfilled Materials by Sector .......................... 13
5 Zero Waste Program Team Organization Chart .............................................................. 17
6 Additional Diversion Potential by Sector and Action ...................................................... 36
7 Estimated Reduction in MTCO2 by Zero Waste Action................................................... 38
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ZERO WASTE PLAN UPDATE
Table of Contents
FINAL REPORT
Appendices
A 2014 Santa Monica Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan
B Status of Strategy Implementation
C Status of Zero Waste Goals
D Santa Monica Additional Diversion Potential Analysis
E Santa Monica Cost Estimate by Action
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ZERO WASTE PLAN UPDATE
Section 1 – Executive Summary
FINAL REPORT
SECTION 1 Executive Summary
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Monica (City) has a history of leadership in the field of environmental sustainability. The
City has made multiple commitments to reduce waste sent to landfills (and associated greenhouse gas
emissions) including its goals in the 2019 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and investment to
review and update to its 2014 Zero Waste Strategic Operations Plan (2014 ZWP, included as Appendix A).
This 2019 Zero Waste Plan Update (2019 ZWP Update) reviews the implementation status and outcomes
of the waste reduction and diversion strategies included in the 2014 ZWP, is consistent with the City’s
CAAP, and recommends priorities for implementation in the next five years.
HISTORY OF THE PROCESS
On June 23, 2009, the City Council directed staff to develop a Zero Waste Strategic Plan to enhance Santa
Monica’s waste diversion operations and reduce landfill disposal. The Zero Waste Planning Committee,
comprised of the Resource Recovery & Recycling Division (RRR), the Office of Sustainability and the
Environment (OSE) and the City’s private partners, Southern California Disposal and Allan Company, was
established to effectively design and implement the City’s Zero Waste program. Numerous meetings were
held to discuss potential resource recovery policies, programs, and infrastructure, resulting in a
collaborative effort to implement of several programs including a pilot residential yard trimmings and
food scraps program, expansion of the commercial food scraps program, and audits of landfills to
determine diversion rates. The 2014 ZWP was developed to serve as a broad environmental and policy
framework to guide Santa Monica on its path to Zero Waste: 95% diversion of waste from landfill by 2030,
or a per capital disposal rate of 1.1 pounds per person per day (PPD).
Many community members, City staff, commissions, and other stakeholders contributed to the 2014
ZWP’s development, including its three top guiding principles: healthy community, waste reduction, and
education and outreach. This spirit of teamwork continues in creating the 2019 ZWP Update to build on
past successes and identify new actions Santa Monica can take to achieve its Zero Waste goals.
WHAT IS ZERO WASTE?
Zero Waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse,
and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and discharges to land, water, or air
that threaten the environment or human health.
Working towards Zero Waste is critically important for protecting people and planet, and as a shared goal
is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary. Zero Waste guides people in changing their lifestyles and
practices to emulate natural cycles, where discarded materials become resources for others to use.
Everyone can participate in Zero Waste regardless of age, income level or background, and benefit from
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FINAL REPORT
the improved environmental health and economic opportunity resource recovery brings. Zero Waste is
also an invitation and opportunity to join in a global sustainability movement.
WHAT DOES ZERO WASTE MEAN TO SANTA MONICA?
When Santa Monica developed its Zero Waste plan in 2014, the City defined its Zero Waste goal as a 95%
reduction from the State's measurement of the City's 2004-2006 waste generation estimate of 21.8
pounds per capital disposal (PPD) by Year 2030. A 95% reduction of 21.8 PPD equals to approximately 1.1
PPD by 2030. The measure of diversion reflects how well the City is diverting materials away from landfills
and putting materials in recycling and organic containers. Per capita disposal (PPD) measures how well
the City is reducing the overall amount of materials that are sent to the landfill. To achieve Zero Waste,
the City must both increase its current diversion rate of around 40% by increasing recycling and organics
collection and reduce its 5.0 PPD by discarding less materials as garbage. The City can make significant
strides towards its Zero Waste goals over the next five years. However, additional effort and continuous
improvement will be needed to achieve a 1.1 PPD by 2030.
ZERO WASTE IN SANTA MONICA’S CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN
Solid waste disposed in the landfill generates methane gas and contributes to the City’s carbon footprint.
Increasing recycling and composting rates will be critical to meeting the City’s goal to achieve Zero Waste
to landfill by 2030 and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The City adopted its CAAP in June 2019
that includes 11 strategies related to solid waste, with the goal of reducing total carbon emissions by 3%
and meeting the City’s 95% diversion of waste from landfill by 2030.
1. Implement citywide organics recycling
2. Zero waste outreach and education
3. Institute wet-dry sorting system for
businesses
4. Implement pricing signals to increase
diversion
5. Increase construction and demolition
debris diversion requirements
6. Implement material and landfill bans
7. Expand the reuse and repair economy
8. Foster a food waste prevention
network
9. Incentivize reusable containers and
packaging
10. Support and pilot extended producer
responsibility programs
11. Explore waste-to-energy conversion
technologies
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ZERO WASTE PLAN UPDATE
Section 1 – Executive Summary
FINAL REPORT
REVIEW OF ZERO WASTE PERFORMANCE TO DATE
The City has not yet implemented many of its Zero
Waste strategies, and as a result, is not meeting
most of its Zero Waste goals. A review of the specific
2014 ZWP strategies are discussed in Appendix B of
this Update. Reasons that implementation of the
2014 ZWP has largely not yet occurred include a
focus on achieving optimal day-to-day waste
collection customer service as opposed to long-term
zero waste strategic planning, unclear
responsibilities, staff attrition, organizational
inertia, and the fact that the strategies
recommended in the 2014 ZWP were not better
prioritized for the City. This ultimately resulted in de-
prioritization of Zero Waste strategies and
minimization of staff and organizational buy-in to
the 2014 ZWP.
Additionally, there were no apparent accountability
and reporting mechanisms in place with respect to ZWP implementation, which, given staff attrition,
resulted in more obscurity about responsibilities. Another reason for delayed implementation could be
lack of adequate financial and staffing resources. This 2019 ZWP Update, therefore, focuses on providing
a concise set of actions along with clear staffing responsibilities and resources to implement the
recommended actions.
PROJECTED OUTCOMES
Initial estimates of anticipated diversion, GHG emissions reductions, and implementation costs for the
five priority Actions (Actions) are described in Section 4 of this 2019 ZWP Update. In terms of diversion,
full implementation of recommended priorities could result in an approximately 24% reduction to the
City’s disposal by 2024, as measured in pounds per person per day of waste sent to landfill. Specifically,
5.0 PPD could be reduced to 3.8 PPD by 2024, which would be an additional 20,800 tons of waste diverted
from landfill and an estimated 28,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent reduction. This is the
equivalent to the annual emissions from 5,641 passenger vehicles, conserving 1,394 households’ annual
energy consumption, or conserving 27,586 barrels of oil.
In terms of cost, the average annual cost of implementation for the recommended priorities is projected
at an annual average cost of approximately $1,087,000. If the City were to fund all priority Actions through
the rate base, over time the City’s solid waste rates would need to increase by approximately 3.3% to
cover the average annual cost of implementation. For single family customers with a 95-gallon garbage
cart, this would be an additional approximate $1.80 per month based on 2019 rates. For commercial
customers, the additional dollar amount added per month would be $2.62 for a two cubic yard garbage
container collected once per week based on 2019 rates.
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FINAL REPORT
DEVELOP A ZERO WASTE PROGRAM TEAM
A necessary precursor to implementing the recommended suite of Actions is for the City to establish a
new Zero Waste Program Team housed within the Resource Recovery & Recycling Division of the Public
Works Department. The Zero Waste Program Team would be charged with the responsibility for
implementation. This 2019 ZWP Update recommends creation and funding of a new seven-person Zero
Waste Program Team (comprised of two existing positions and five new ones, as further discussed in
Implementation in Action: Develop a Zero Waste Program Team on pages 16 and 17) and to implement
the recommended Actions and provide annual reports on plan implementation and progress. The Zero
Waste Program Team would report to the RRR Manager.
PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR 2020-2024
Based on review of Zero Waste progress to date, an evaluation of the City’s Zero Waste Goals, and with
consideration of the current needs and objectives of the City, this 2019 ZWP Update recommends a
prioritized suite of Actions designed to further the City’s progress towards its Zero Waste goals. These
Actions are dependent on the City’s ability to first develop a Zero Waste Program Team to implement the
Actions below.
1. Develop a Zero Waste Program Team
2. Create, Implement, and Enforce a Comprehensive Zero Waste Ordinance
3. Create, Implement, and Enforce an Edible Food Recovery Program
4. Provide Proactive Technical Assistance and Community Engagement
5. Develop and Implement a Zero Waste Communications Plan
These Actions encapsulate strategies already identified in the City’s 2014 ZWP and 2019 CAAP. To be clear,
the 2014 ZWP’s strategies were not – in and of themselves – the reason that ZWP implementation is
behind schedule. The strategies included in the 2014 ZWP were, and remain, generally representative of
the types of Actions the City does, in fact, need to take in order to meet its Zero Waste goals. That said,
the ZWP implementation status is at least partially attributable to the fact that the strategies
recommended in the 2014 ZWP were not better prioritized for the City. This 2019 ZWP Update, therefore,
does not seek to replace or supersede the 2014 ZWP but, rather, to strategically identify and prioritize a
more refined set of Actions for implementation in coming years. It is important to note that the strategies
identified in the 2014 ZWP remain, for the most part, potentially viable and can remain in the City’s quiver
for future reconsideration, adaptation, and potential implementation.
PLAN UPDATE GOAL
The 2014 ZWP establishes the City’s zero waste goal as 95% reduction, or diversion of waste from landfill,
from the State's measurement of the City's 2004-2006 waste generation estimate of 21.8 pounds per
capital disposal (PPD) by 2030. In other words, the goal is to achieve a per capita disposal rate of 1.1
pounds per person per day by 2030. While the City has reduced its overall disposal since the adoption of
its 2014 ZWP, it appears that the City is not on track to meet the milestone of 3.6 PPD in 2020 and will
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FINAL REPORT
need to dramatically decrease disposal in order to meet the 1.1 PPD target set for 2030. It is recommended
that the City monitor and report annually on progress towards its 1.1 PPD target set for 2030 and prepare
a Zero Waste Plan Update in 2024 to identify new and expanded policies and programs to help achieve
the City’s 2030 goal.
PROJECTED TIMELINE
It is recommended the City embark on a focused five-year implementation period for the five priority
Actions identified in this 2019 ZWP Update in keeping with the figure shown on the following page.
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FINAL REPORT
TABLE 1 – Summary of Priority Actions for Zero Waste Achievement
Startup Year Action* Objective Average Annual Cost Tons Diverted
Change in GHG
Emissions
(MTCO2)
2020 1. Develop Zero Waste
Program Team
Create five new Zero Waste Program Team
positions Included below
2020
2. Create, Implement
and Enforce
Comprehensive Zero
Waste Ordinance
Require all generators to participate in recycling
and organics programs, enhance construction
and demolition debris recycling requirements,
and reusable food ware for dine-in restaurants.
$269,000 6,600 7,300
2020
3. Create, Implement
and Enforce an Edible
Food Recovery
Program
Require grocery stores, restaurants and other
food generating businesses to recover edible
food currently disposed and collaborate with
food recovery organizations to help feed people
in need.
$109,000 700 2,900
2020
4. Provide Proactive
Technical Assistance
and Community
Engagement
Provide technical assistance to help commercial
and multi-family generators with the greatest
potential for higher diversion. Engage residents
through in-person Zero Waste education.
$600,000 12,000 16,400
2020
5. Develop a Zero
Waste
Communications Plan
Develop and execute a robust communications
plan to educate the community and tourists on
Zero Waste. $109,000 1,500 2,000
Total Average Annual Cost $1,087,000 20,800 28,600
*Action 2 through Action 5 are dependent on the establishment of the Zero Waste Program Team (Action 1), as further described on p.16 & p.17.
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FINAL REPORT
FIGURE 1 – Projected Implementation Timeline
2020
1.Hire Zero Waste Program Team.
2.Develop comprehensive Zero Waste policy covering mandatory recycling and organics program, enhanced construction
and demolition debris recycling requirements, and expand the City’s ban on single-use plastics.
3.Stakeholder and community engagement on the zero-waste policy; complete ordinance revisions.
4.City Council considers and adopts Zero Waste policy. Begin phased implementation.
2021
1.Proactive development of SB 1383 policy
and systems to recover edible food for
those in need.
2.Ensure SB 1383 preparedness.
3.Development of outreach and educational
materials to support implementation
efforts.
2022
1.Community engagement and
technical assistance for multi-
family and commercial generators.
2.Begin enforcement of Zero Waste
policy.
2023
1.Implement formalized social media plan.
2.Create online content and enhance educational materials to engage the community and visitors in Zero Waste programs.
3.Begin assessing penalties for non-compliance with edible food participation ordinance.
2024
1.Maintain and monitor prior
Actions taken to support Zero
Waste achievement.
2.Fully evaluate progress and
attainment towards the
community’s Zero Waste goal.
3.Identify new and expanded Zero
Waste Actions for
implementation over the next
five years in a 2024 ZWP
Update.
2025 – 2029
1.Implement the 2024 ZWP
Update priority Actions.
2.Maintain Zero Waste policies
and programs.
3.Continue to monitor and report out on progress.
Set the Foundation
2020-2021
Engagement and Enforcement
2022-2023
Maintenance and Monitoring
2024-2029
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Section 2 – State Requirements and Diversion Assessment and Opportunities Analysis
FINAL REPORT
SECTION 2 State Requirements and Diversion Assessment
and Opportunities Analysis
This section presents background information on applicable State laws and data on waste diversion for
the community, overall and by sector. It also identifies the recoverable resources that are most often not
captured and removed from the disposal stream. This analysis guides the recommendations for how to
approach improvements in capturing these resources for each sector which tie to the strategies proposed
in this 2019 ZWP Update.
STATE LAWS
In addition to the Zero Waste goals that were set in the City’s 2014 ZWP, the City must also comply with
new and existing State Laws including AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383. Each of these laws have
requirements for the jurisdiction to provide resources, outreach, education, and monitor progress and
compliance for its recycling and organics programs. Progress and efforts towards these goals are currently
reported to the State annually in the Electronic Annual Report (EAR).
AB 341 – Mandatory Commercial Recycling
AB 341 increased the statewide diversion goal to 75% and instituted mandatory recycling service for all
businesses, multi-family properties (5 units or more) and public entities that generate more than four
cubic yards of solid waste per week. Additionally, the bill requires education and outreach programs be
implemented to inform generators cover by the bill of their obligation to meet the terms of the regulation.
To measure efforts made to comply with this policy, CalRecycle requires an annual report which details
the commercial recycling program, including education, outreach, and monitoring.
AB 1826 – Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling
AB 1826 expanded mandatory commercial and multi-family residential recycling requirements to add
organics recycling. Covered generators are generally in alignment with those covered under AB 341. AB
1826 requires jurisdictions to identify covered generators that will be subject to compliance, ensure that
organics recycling services are available to them, and perform outreach, education, and compliance
monitoring to make them aware of the requirement to participate. As with AB 341, CalRecycle requires
reporting on program offerings and compliance efforts.
SB 1383 – Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
SB 1383 sets a goal to reduce organic waste by 50% from the 2014 level by 2020 and 75% by 2025.
Additionally, the bill establishes a target of recovering 20% of currently disposed edible food for human
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FINAL REPORT
consumption by 2025. The law’s requirements are still under development and, though the latest draft
with specific regulatory language was released by CalRecycle in December 2018, adjustments may be
made until requirements become effective on January 1, 2022. Although the exact language and details
of this bill are not yet finalized, current draft regulations present the following potential impacts and
requirements for local jurisdiction:
The City will need to provide an implementation report demonstrating compliance by April 1,
2022;
The City will need to provide organics collection service to all generators;
The City’s garbage containers are currently black for garbage, blue for recyclables and green for
organics; some retrofits to the bins (where black bins are used for organics) may be needed, as
well as adding signage to bins that are currently unlabeled;
The City will need to expand its pilot food rescue program (with Global Green) and incorporate
additional features such as: conducting outreach to edible food generators and providing a list of
food recovery organizations to generators;
The City may be required to impose penalties on generators that fail to comply;
The City may be required to purchase products made from organics (such as compost and mulch)
for internal City use; and
The City may be required to adopt ordinances mandating local use of finished products made
from organics.
CURRENT DIVERSION
The City’s progress towards Zero Waste can be measured by the amount of recyclable and organic
material that residents and businesses divert from landfill disposal. Figure 2, on the following page, shows Santa Monica’s diversion rate from 2015-2018. Contamination (i.e., materials wrongly placed in recycling and/or organics collection containers and ultimately disposed) is included in total landfilled materials. While diversion from landfill disposal has improved slightly, discarded materials generated by the Santa Monica community are mostly landfilled, indicating an opportunity for Santa Monica residents and businesses to recycle and compost more materials.
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FINAL REPORT
FIGURE 2 – Santa Monica Diversion Rate in Tons by Year
However, not all of the City’s generators throw away the same amount or type of discarded materials.
Figure 3, on the next page, depicts current amount of material collected as garbage, recycling, and organic
materials for different generator sectors in Santa Monica: single family curbside carts (SFD), commercial
containers (COM), and multi-family containers (MFD). Collected tons have been allocated according to
subscription levels by sector to estimate their diversion rates.
While single family residents have excellent levels of participation in waste diversion programs (likely
exceeding the 90% target set for 2020), multi-family residents and commercial businesses have lower
levels of participation: the commercial and multi-family sectors have the most need for improvement with
11% and 21% diversion respectively. Both of these sectors also generate the majority of the material,
making them the most important sectors to target for high impact change. Single family customers have
a much higher level of diversion with 61%, but still has room for improvement.
-
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
2015 2016 2017 2018Tons
Landfilled Waste Recycled Waste Composted Waste Recycled Construction & Demolition Waste
38%35%35%
40%
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Section 2 – State Requirements and Diversion Assessment and Opportunities Analysis
FINAL REPORT
FIGURE 3 – Diversion Levels by Sector Based on Participation Level
Of the roughly 1,600 commercial customers in the City, only about 185 or 12% subscribe to both recycling
and organics collection services. Likewise, of the roughly 3,000 multi-family customers in the City, only
about 115 or 4%, subscribe to both recycling and organics collection services. While these figures may be
understated due to the fact that some, if not many, commercial and multi-family customers may share
recycling and organics collection containers, data regarding which customers share what recycling service
is not available.
Based on overall garbage, organics, and recyclables service levels tracked by the City, it is clear that
commercial and multi-family customers are not achieving high levels of participation in waste diversion
programs. As shown in Figure 3 above, landfilled tons attributable to commercial and multi-family
customers (shown in grey) are far higher than organics (shown in green) and recycling (shown in blue) for
those customer types. This is in contrast to the levels of participation observed for single family customers.
Single family customers are achieving an approximate 61% diversion rate based on subscription levels,
whereas commercial customers are achieving approximately 11% and multi-family customers are
achieving approximately 22%.
UNCAPTURED MATERIALS
The recyclable and compostable materials found in Santa Monica’s garbage represent the potential to
divert more resources from landfill disposal. Breaking down the landfilled materials bar in Figure 3 using
the 2014 State Waste Characterization Study, Figure 4 shows what recoverable materials are being thrown
away. Across sectors, organic materials and paper comprise the bulk of landfilled materials. Improved
source separation and source reduction of these materials would significantly reduce Santa Monica’s
-
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
COM MFD SFDTons per YearGarbage Organics Recycling
11% Diversion bySubscriptionLevels
21% Diversion by Subscription Levels
61% Diversion bySubscriptionLevels
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FINAL REPORT
landfilled materials. Most disposed materials could also be captured for recovery, with the exception of
residue and some special wastes.
FIGURE 4 – Estimated Contents of Santa Monica’s Landfilled Materials by Sector
CONTAMINATION
Contamination rates for Santa Monica are well above maximum targets set by the 2014 ZWP
(contamination reduced to 2% by 2015, 1% by 2020). The reported contamination rate for collected
recyclables varies over time, but is generally above 20% while the contamination rate for collected
organics is generally above 5%. While these contamination rates are above the targets set in the 2014
ZWP, they are comparable to other communities. Overall, contamination rates are important as they are
a measure of how well residents and business are sorting their recyclable and organic materials because
higher contamination can increase the cost of processing for recovery. The City will continue to track
contamination of its recyclable and organic materials and reduce contamination through implementation
of this 2019 ZWP Update.
-
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
Single Family Multi-Family Commercial
Organic Paper Inerts Plastic Special Glass Metal Residue Electronics
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Section 3 – Recommended Zero Waste Priorities
FINAL REPORT
SECTION 3 Recommended Zero Waste Actions
This section summarizes a concise set of five strategic Actions for the City to implement in the next five
years. To be clear, the following priority Actions are already largely described and identified in the 2014
ZWP and in the City’s 2019 CAAP, including applicable GHG emissions and cost estimates. This 2019 ZWP
Update is not intended to broadly override or supersede the prior plan. Instead, this 2019 ZWP Update
focuses the City’s resources and attention on a suite of high priority Actions which would immediately
improve Santa Monica’s Zero Waste achievement while also facilitating the City’s required compliance
with State mandates. Additionally, priority Actions would fulfill 10 of the solid waste actions identified in
the CAAP1 and include a targeted approach to reduce disposed organic materials which generate
significant greenhouse gases.
The City will conduct another ZWP Update in
2024 to evaluate its progress towards Zero
Waste using the goals, indicators and targets
identified in the original 2014 ZWP2, and
evaluating the implementation status of the
priority Actions described below. To the
degree that descriptions vary from the
descriptions in other planning documents, it is
because there are a variety of ways to fulfill
these priorities. The City will adapt
recommendations as needed to ensure that
action is not deferred due to lack of agreement
on the details.
1 The outlier being CAAP action #11 (Explore waste-to-energy conversion technologies) which is not addressed in
this 2019 ZWP Update. Actions the City takes in the next five years should focus on improving participation in
the City’s current recycling and organics programs. The City may conduct a separate study of waste-to-energy
conversion technologies to fulfill this action.
2 With the clarification that the percentage diversion targets are calculated via the CalRecycle diversion
equivalent calculation methodology described elsewhere herein.
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ACTION #1: Develop a Zero Waste Program Team
The 2014 ZWP and 2019 ZWP Update represent a significant undertaking for the City. Dedicated staff
resources will be needed to implement specific policies and programs. The City has multiple
departments/divisions engaged in the development and implementation of the plan. It is essential that
the plan identify appropriate roles and responsibilities for each department/division in carrying out the
strategies identified in the plan. Overall, based on estimates of staffing needs for program
implementation, it should be anticipated that the City’s Zero Waste Program Team would require the
following five 5.0 FTE new positions and the reclassification of one 1.0 FTE existing position:
One 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) new Senior Sustainability Analyst to manage the Zero Waste
Program and Team, conduct research, undertake implementation of programs, and be the
primary responsible party for Action #1, including associated administrative code enforcement
authority.
One 1.0 FTE new Zero Waste Coordinator to assist the Senior Sustainability Analyst and be the
primary responsible party for Actions #3 and #5, including associated administrative code
enforcement authority.
Three 3.0 FTE new Zero Waste Assistants and the reclassification of one 1.0 FTE existing Project
Support Assistant to Zero Waste Assistant for a total of four Zero Waste Assistants, with primary
responsibility for Action #4 including contamination monitoring.
Approximately $250,000 to $350,000 per year in outreach, education, production and special
services to support program activities.
The five 5.0 FTE new Zero Waste positions could join with the existing 1.0 FTE Senior Sustainability Analyst
(whose duties are primarily focused on matters of State reporting and compliance) and the existing 1.0
FTE Project Support Assistant (to be reclassified to Zero Waste Assistant) for a total of a seven-person 7.0
FTE Zero Waste Program Team with the organizational structure as shown in Figure 5. Costs for these
positions are identified in Appendix E.
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FIGURE 5 – Zero Waste Program Team Organization Chart
Five 5.0 FTE Net New Positions Recommended for Hire in 2020
RRR Manager
(Reclassified) from Project Support Assistant to Zero Waste Assistant
(Proactive Technical Assistance, Monitoring)
Zero Waste Assistant (Proactive Technical Assistance, Monitoring)
Zero Waste Assistant (Proactive Technical Assistance, Monitoring)
Zero Waste Assistant (Proactive Technical Assistance, Monitoring)
Senior Sustainability Specialist
(State Compliance and Reporting)
Senior Sustainability Analyst -
(Zero Waste Ordinance Development, Enforcement)
Zero Waste Coordinator
(Edible Food Recovery and Communication Plan)
= Existing RRR Position
= New Zero Waste Program Team Position
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ACTION #2 Create, Implement, and Enforce a Comprehensive Zero Waste
Ordinance
POLICY SUMMARY
ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL
DIVERSION 6,600 tons IMPLEMENTATION
START 2020
GREENHOUSE GAS
REDUCTION 7,300 MTCO2 AVERAGE ANNUAL
COST ESTIMATE $269,000
2014 ZWP STRATEGIES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 CAAP ACTIONS 1, 6, 9, 10
Objective
Achieve a higher level of diversion from landfill disposal by requiring all generators to participate in
recycling and organics programs, enhancing construction and demolition debris recycling requirements,
and encourage and/or require the use of reusable food ware.
Description
A comprehensive policy approach to zero waste is needed to create a strong framework to support high
diversion program implementation and advance community action. Developing inter-related sections of
municipal code that together holistically address the discarded materials generated by residents and
businesses within the City will serve to complement other actions and streamline implementation efforts.
Require Mandatory Recycling and Organics Program Participation
To maximize the potential of Santa Monica’s three-stream system, all generators should be required to
participate in recycling and organics programs. Creating mandatory recycling and organics requirements
is an alignment with State legislation and clearly sets the expectation that everyone take action to reduce
their waste. This message should be positively affirmed through conducting education to all members of
the community.
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Updating the municipal code for mandatory recycling and organics
collection program participation would simplify and streamline
implementation of State legislation, as well as emphasize that Zero
Waste is a community effort. The City can partner with community
groups to spread the message across targeted waste generator sectors,
and ensure technical assistance services are available to help customers
comply (Action #4). A multi-media and multi-lingual approach is
recommended to ensure the message is widespread (Action #5). A
positive messaging approach is important to explain this Action is in
support of the community’s Zero Waste goal, reflects increasing State
legislative requirements, and encourages everyone to participate in
helping Santa Monica be a sustainable community.
Mandatory subscription to recycling and organics collection services
also lifts the responsibility for generators to voluntarily subscribe.
Instead, each customer would be provided with recycling and organics containers from RRR, with service
level sized appropriately to manage the materials generated. With individualized technical assistance
(Action #4) and waste diversion infrastructure in place, all generators will have the tools and support
needed to be successful.
Adequate enforcement of mandatory requirements is also crucial for achieving and maintaining high
participation. This includes monitoring the proper use of containers so as to minimize contamination of
recyclables and organics because contamination impairs waste diversion efforts by increasing the cost to
process collected materials and reducing their recoverability. It is not enough to subscribe – how well
customers participate in recycling and organics programs is what ultimately determines their success.
Enhance Construction & Demolition (C&D) Debris Recycling Requirements
Building projects produce large amounts of C&D debris that often end up in a landfill despite their
potential to be reused or recycled. The City’s current C&D Ordinance sets a 70% diversion requirement of
total material generated by each covered project. To enhance C&D debris recovery efforts, covered
projects could be required to recycle C&D materials by using the services of the permitted C&D haulers
or by self-hauling C&D materials, or by employing a City-approved deconstruction contractor. Loads
should be directed to third-party certified facilities proven to have good processes in place to maximize
recovery.
Changing the focus from hitting a percentage diversion target to achieving high diversion of all recoverable
materials generated would increase the overall amount of C&D diverted from landfill disposal. Oversight
of C&D diversion by project could be streamlined by requiring that all covered projects track diversion and
disposal through the use of simplified C&D forms and/or through an online platform such as Green Halo.
For greater resource recovery, technical assistance and outreach should be actively provided to permit
applicants through the building counter and online.
City staff will work with the Building and Safety Division to implement a program in which all C&D
materials must go to high diverting facilities and/or development of additional policies to promote
recycling (i.e., deconstruction ordinance, requiring source separation of materials on-site, prohibiting the
disposal of readily recyclable C&D materials). The shift away from focusing on diversion and the
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generator’s ability to recycle to the requirement of materials going to facilities that achieve high C&D
diversion rates will not only increase the City’s C&D diversion rate but be less time for staff to review
weight tickets and diversion calculations for each covered project.
Update Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance
The City adopted a Non-Marine Degradable Disposable Food Service Ware ordinance on January 1, 2019
prohibiting the use and distribution of plastics and other non-marine degradable food service ware (cups,
plates, straws, accessories) from food or beverage providers. The ordinance targets a range of single-use
plastic products, which will reduce the amount of non-recyclable plastics destined for disposal and
demonstrate Santa Monica’s strong commitment to reducing materials sent to landfill.
While the City is currently in the early phases of implementation and enforcement (which began July 1,
2019), a growing number of cities and counties in California are addressing the problem of single-use
plastics through food ware ordinances. Municipalities including Alameda, San Francisco, Manhattan
Beach, Malibu, and Santa Cruz County have similar bans on single-use plastics. Other cities like Berkeley,
San Anselmo, and Watsonville have passed additional requirements including disposable cup charges
($0.10-$0.25), prohibition of products containing fluorinated compounds, requiring three-stream waste
collection for customer use in the front-of-house, and requiring all dine-in food to be served on or in
reusable food ware.
The City should continue to educate and engage its
businesses on the requirements of the existing
ordinance, and consider expanding the ordinance to
include additional provisions and more robust
enforcement of its ordinance through a phased
approach.
The first phase will focus on full implementation and
enforcement of Santa Monica’s current ordinance. RRR
staff should collaborate with the Office of Sustainability
and the Environment to assist in enforcement and public
education.
The second phase will be to expand the ordinance to
include additional requirements that promote source reduction. Businesses will grow accustomed to the
current ordinance and this phased approach to include reusable dine-in food service ware, a disposable
cup charge requirement, and requiring garbage, recycling, and organics containers in the front-of-house,
will support a wider culture shift around source reduction. Over time, residents and businesses will
become more comfortable with, and aware of, practicing source reduction and/or utilizing reusable
alternatives.
In addition to adding more innovative ordinance features, enforcement should be shifted away from a
compliant-based system to more proactive enforcement. The Zero Waste Program Team can enforce the
ordinance via administrative code violation process, and penalties should have monetary value to help
fund enforcement and additional outreach activities.
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This policy also promotes Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) by stimulating market demand for
products that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable at end of life, which the City adopted a resolution
to support in 2009 and is also a key Zero Waste strategy in the CAAP. EPR redirects responsibility for
managing waste back to the product manufacturers, particularly for hard-to-recycle materials or
disposable products to help reduce their upstream generation.
Resources Needed
The City’s solid waste ordinance would need to be enhanced to comprehensively support Zero Waste,
with on-going resources provided to conduct annual outreach and monitoring. Development of a
mandatory recycling and organics program participation ordinance, updating the City’s current C&D
ordinance, and updating of its single-use plastics ordinance is estimated to require 2,080 hours in start-
up labor (estimated 1.0 full-time equivalent or FTE) for the first year. Implementation and enforcement
of the new ordinance requirements is anticipated to take 2,080 hours thereafter (1.0 full-time equivalent)
to sustain via outreach, monitoring, and enforcement.
The City would hire an additional Senior Sustainability Analyst to be responsible for development,
implementation and enforcement of ordinance requirements. Fines and penalties for not meeting the
requirements of the ordinance could help fund additional outreach and education efforts and could be
accomplished by providing the Senior Sustainability Analyst with administrative code enforcement
authority.
Implementation Steps
STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE PARTY
PHASE I: Draft Ordinance and Seek Stakeholder Input – Steps 1-4 are concurrent
1
Draft comprehensive Zero Waste ordinance to: 1)
require mandatory recycling and organics program
participation, 2) enhance C&D debris recycling, 3)
update and explore additional requirements in
include: prohibit disposable dine-in food service
ware, add disposable cup charge, and requiring 3
stream in front-of-house
3-6 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
2 Engage the community via public workshop,
stakeholder meetings, online and social media 2 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
3
Conduct inter-departmental coordination to seek
input on draft ordinance from the Planning &
Community Development and Public Works
2 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
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STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE PARTY
4 Revise draft ordinance to incorporate feedback 1 month RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
PHASE II: Engage City Council and Support Ordinance Adoption
1 Conduct City Council workshop on the draft
ordinance and invite feedback
Per Council
Schedule
RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
2 Revise draft ordinance 1-2 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
3 Present revised ordinance to the City Council for
consideration and adoption
Per Council
Schedule
RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
PHASE III: Conduct Outreach, Begin Implementation, and Enforcement
1 Conduct outreach campaign to educate residents and
businesses 6 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
2
Send non-compliance notifications and engage in
positive outreach to help impacted generators
achieve compliance
6 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
3 Begin enforcement of ordinance requirements Ongoing
Code Enforcement and
RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
4 Conduct annual outreach and invite feedback Ongoing RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
5
Re-evaluate ordinance, implementation and
enforcement annually for improvement. Report to
City Council and put forward revisions as appropriate.
Ongoing RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
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ACTION #3 Create, Implement, and Enforce an Edible Food Recovery
Program
Objective
Divert edible food from disposal and redistribute the food to those in need. Recovery of edible food is a
requirement of State law SB 1383 as well as a strategy to reduce GHG emissions by reducing the amount
of organic material sent to landfill and recovering them to feed hungry people in the City and surrounding
areas.
Description
Edible Food3 has been identified by California through the passage of SB 1383 as an important sector of
the organics stream that can be reduced and recovered. Not only does this material provide an
opportunity to reduce the tons sent to landfill where it will emit GHG emissions, recovering edible food
feeds hungry people in the community. SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to recover 20% of the edible food
currently landfilled and direct it for human consumption. SB 1383 identifies food generating businesses
and categorizes them into tiers described below:
Tier One: Supermarkets; grocery stores with a total facility size equal to or greater than 7,500
square feet; food service distributors; wholesale food markets (compliance required by January
1, 2022).
Tier Two: Restaurants with 250 or more seats, or a total facility size equal to or greater than 5,000
square feet; hotels with an on-site food facility and 200 or more rooms; health facility with an on-
site food facility and 100 or more beds; large venues; large events; state agencies with a cafeteria
with 250 or more seats or total cafeteria facility size equal to or greater than 5,000 square feet;
3 Edible food per SB 1383 Draft regulatory language means unsold or unserved food that is fit for human
consumption, even though the food may not be readily marketable due to appearance, age, freshness, grade,
size, surplus, or other conditions.
POLICY SUMMARY
ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL
DIVERSION 700 tons IMPLEMENTATION
START 2020
GREENHOUSE GAS
REDUCTION 2,900 MTCO2 AVERAGE ANNUAL
COST ESTIMATE $109,000
2014 ZWP STRATEGIES 26 CAAP ACTIONS 8
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local education agency facilities with an on-site food facility (compliance required by January 1,
2024).
Collaborate with Food Recovery Organizations
The City must work collaboratively with its
local and regional food recovery organizations
(including the Westside Food Bank and their
member agencies, faith-based organizations,
prepared food rescue organizations like
RePlate and Copia, etc.) to determine how the
City can help support their efforts to collect
and distribute recovered edible food. Hosting
regional food recovery organization meetings
on a quarterly basis may be useful in
identifying roles of organizations and
discussing potential opportunities for building
or strengthening partnerships.
In addition, the City must identify the current capacity of these organizations and what the capacity will
be needed to recover the 20% edible food. As such, the City will meet with these organizations as well as
regional jurisdictions to gain an understanding of how much each group is recovering currently, how much
capacity currently exists, and how recovery is measured and tracked (weighing food, databases), and how
the City can best partner and support these organizations. Support may include funding for on-going
recovery efforts or capital improvements to expand existing capacity, and/or monitoring commercial
edible food generators for compliance with this Action.
Ordinance Development and Enforcement
As a part of this effort, the City will develop an ordinance that requires all food generating businesses
(categorized as Tier 1 and Tier 2) to establish a relationship with food recovery organization(s) for the
purposes of recovering edible food and prohibiting the disposal of edible food. The City will need to
identify and maintain a list of edible food generators (Tier 1 and Tier 2 generators) in the City. This is not
only important to understand the impact of an ordinance of this nature, but it is a requirement of SB 1383.
Identification will be helpful for implementation and enforcement of this ordinance as well.
This ordinance, if implemented, will greatly increase the amount of edible food that can be recovered and
help meet the 20% goal. Therefore, collaboration with the food recovery organizations is important to
ensure that capacity exists for the additional food that will be collected as a result of the ordinance.
Apart from supporting food recovery organizations and generators, the City can maximize food recovery
in the City’s limits by supporting and promoting gleaning, school food waste reduction policies, and
distributing information of how to reduce wasted food.
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Resources Needed
The City will need a Zero Waste Coordinator working 1,040 annually (0.5 FTE) for on-going annual
monitoring and maintenance. The City will need to coordinate its efforts with other local jurisdictions,
food recovery organizations, environmental health agencies, and the City’s code enforcement staff. This
Action requires input and support from a wide variety of public stakeholders and City staff to be
successful.
Implementation Steps
STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY
PHASE I: Draft and Adopt Ordinance and Stakeholder Input
1
Develop a list of regional food recovery organizations
(Westside Food Bank, Copia, RePlate, faith-based
groups, etc.)
2 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
2 Identify and maintain Tier 1 and Tier 2 generators based
on the SB 1383 requirements using NAICS codes
Ongoing RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
3 Develop a model agreement for food generating
businesses to use for securing recovery services
2 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
4
Draft and adopt comprehensive edible food recovery
ordinance that: 1) requires food generators to have an
agreement with a food recovery organization 2)
prohibits the disposal of edible food
6 months (Per
Council
Schedule)
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator and
RRR Senior
Sustainability
Analyst
PHASE II: Support and Collaboration with Food Recovery Organizations
1
Meet with the Westside Food Bank and other local food
recovery organizations to:
Measure existing capacity and need (collection
vs. distribution)
Quantify needs to expand efforts to meet 20%
food recovery goal
Determine method of tracking, weighing, and
counting collected and distributed food via the
food bank and/or member agencies.
2-4 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
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2 Meet with regional jurisdictions to coordinate efforts
related to food recovery (i.e., fee to cover costs, etc.)
2 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
3 Create a regional Strategic Plan to meet SB 1383 goal of
recovering 20% edible food
4-6 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
4 Establish/support a method of sustainable funding for
food banks and other organizations to increase capacity
and collect and distribute more food
4-6 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
PHASE III: Conduct Outreach, Begin Implementation, and Enforcement
1 Educate food generating businesses of requirement to
secure recovery services
6 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
2
Send non-compliance notifications and engage in
positive outreach to help impacted generators achieve
compliance
6 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
3
Create an enforcement mechanism that includes on-
the-ground assessment (i.e. inspection) of participation
in food recovery programs through Environmental
Health
Ongoing Environmental
Health and RRR
Zero Waste
Coordinator
4 Conduct annual outreach and invite feedback Ongoing RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
5
Re-evaluate ordinance, implementation, and
enforcement annually for improvement. Report to City
Council and put forward revisions as appropriate.
Ongoing RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
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Action #4 Provide Proactive Technical Assistance and
Community Engagement
POLICY SUMMARY
ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL
DIVERSION 12,000 tons IMPLEMENTATION START 2020
GREENHOUSE GAS
REDUCTION 16,400 MTCO2 AVERAGE ANNUAL COST
ESTIMATE $600,000
2014 ZWP STRATEGIES 18, 20 CAAP ACTIONS 2
Objective
Proactively provide targeted technical assistance to help commercial and multi-family generators with the
greatest potential for higher waste diversion through personalized training and support. Engage residents
through positive, in-person interaction to provide Zero Waste education.
Description
Proactive Technical Assistance
A robust technical assistance program is needed to provide commercial and multi-family generators with
the help they need to initiate or expand recycling, organics recycling, composting, and waste reduction
practices. Skilled staff would aid businesses and multi-family properties in minimizing and overcoming
obstacles to waste diversion, such as limited space, labor and sorting requirements, and lack of
information or training. Technical assistance activities would include conducting on-site waste
assessments to identify target materials for improved diversion, opportunities for edible food recovery,
right-sizing collection service levels, providing information for securing recycling equipment, labeling
containers and posting signage both front and back of house, addressing contamination, and training
custodial and operations staff. Technical assistance staff will also develop and distribute outreach
materials describing best practices appropriate for multi-family and different types of businesses. The
approach to technical assistance also determines its level of impact: rather than wait on businesses or
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property managers to request assistance, technical
assistance staff will initiate contact, directly engage
with generators identified as having the most
potential to improve, and follow up to maintain a
high level of participation.
The City will also promote the technical assistance
program and encourage businesses and multi-
family properties to use it to achieve compliance
with City ordinance (Actions #2 and #3). Technical
assistance is more effective when undertaken
within the framework of City ordinance
requirements to recycle and reduce waste. This program is a collaborative effort, with technical assistance
staff empowered to implement City ordinance through their efforts to help targeted generators comply
and achieve greater participation rates by working with City staff to support active enforcement. For the
first three years of the program, the City will target the top 20% of commercial generators and top 20%
of multi-family generators for technical assistance. Often the top 20% of generators are responsible for
more than half of the materials generated by these sectors. A targeted approach is important for focusing
resources to make a meaningful impact on the City’s disposal rates. Specifically, discarded materials from
the commercial and multi-family sectors are a significant portion of Santa Monica’s overall generation.
Improvements in commercial and multi-family diversion will result in improvement to the community’s
overall diversion and further achievement of its waste reduction goal. Over time, generators will need
continued engagement to maintain successful participation in waste diversion programs and the targets
may be expanded to reach higher hanging fruits.
Community Engagement
Residents could benefit from active and direct engagement as well. In-person presence, collaboration,
and involvement within the community is important for developing strong working relationships with local
organizations and understanding real barriers to proper use of diversion programs. On-the-ground
experience also creates personal insight into Santa Monican disposal behaviors, which can guide
development of specific strategies and messages for community based social marketing (Action #5).
Technical assistance staff should regularly attend Santa Monica community events and festivals,
neighborhood organization and HOA meetings, and other organized community meetings to act as an
accessible resource to engage attendees about waste-related topics, collaborate and share information,
and integrate Zero Waste conversations into various groups. For example, beach clean-ups could be a
good avenue for engaging community members and creating social awareness that may lead to further
individual action. In addition, technical assistance staff can begin to identify Zero Waste ambassadors
within the community and conduct in-person workshops such as a Master Recycler Course to build a
network of interested and knowledgeable community members to spread the message of Zero Waste.
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Resources Needed
The City currently has one full-time staff person (with the title of Project Support Assistant) dedicated to
conducting education and outreach in the community. Via this Action, the City would ramp up those
efforts with three (3) additional Zero Waste Assistant positions (6,240 new annual hours, 3.0 new FTE).
This would result in a proactive team of four full-time people dedicated to providing Santa Monica’s
businesses and multi-family properties with technical assistance, and residents with direct outreach when
needed to maximize the additional diversion potential of this Action. Employing boots on the ground to
appropriately engage target generators through a robust technical assistance program will require
significant investment. However, this program is critical for meaningfully moving the needle on Santa
Monica’s waste diversion and its ability to achieve the Council approval goal of zero waste by 2030.
Implementation Steps
STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE PARTY
PHASE I: Build Technical Assistance Team and Set Targets – Steps 2-5 are concurrent
1
Hire three RRR Zero Waste Assistants and fe-class
existing Project Support Assistant as Zero Waste
Assistant
3 months RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
2 Identify top 20% commercial and multi-family
generators
1 month 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
3
Identify community groups, potential Zero Waste
ambassadors, local events and other avenues for
resident engagement
2 months 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
4
Develop educational materials for distribution during
on-site assistance and at community events
3 months 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
5 Create Master Recyclers Course materials, work on
logistics and promotion
3 months 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
PHASE II: Proactively Engage Generators On-site and in the Community
1 Reach out to target generators regarding Zero Waste
and City ordinance requirements.
Ongoing 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
2
Conduct site-visits to assess conditions and help start
or expand waste diversion practices through
individualized support
Ongoing 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
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STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE PARTY
3
Attend community events and engage local
organizations; conduct Master Recyclers Course and
support Zero Waste ambassadors
Ongoing 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
PHASE III: Monitor Program Success and Integrate Lessons Learned
1
Check-in with Zero Waste Assistants at minimum
once per quarter to assess progress (e.g., number of
calls, emails and site visits conducted by team and the
results, number of community events attended, and
other agreed upon metrics)
Ongoing RRR Senior
Sustainability Analyst
2
Annually conduct analysis to identify top 20%
generators and other low hanging fruit to target for
technical assistance
Ongoing 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
3 Annually identify local events, organizations, and
other avenues to engage residents in Zero Waste
Ongoing 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
4 Integrate lessons learned from implementation to-
date to continually improve the program
Ongoing 4 RRR Zero Waste
Assistants
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Action #5 Develop and Implement a Zero Waste Communications Plan
POLICY SUMMARY
ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL
DIVERSION 1,500 tons IMPLEMENTATION START 2020
GREENHOUSE GAS
REDUCTION 2,000 MTCO2 AVERAGE ANNUAL COST
ESTIMATE $109,000
2014 ZWP STRATEGIES 14, 16 CAAP ACTIONS N/A
Objective
Develop and execute a robust communications plan to educate Santa Monica residents and visitors about
proper separation of discarded materials, reduction, Zero Waste goals, important updates, and more.
Description
Behavior change is an increasingly important factor in the successful implementation of diversion
programs and reducing materials sent to landfill. It not only supports policy development but directly links
these policies to disposal habits. State laws AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383 also require print and/or online
media be created for distribution to a jurisdiction’s community. Communications are necessary for
supporting and supplementing the Action #4 education and outreach plan and for assisting City staff in
conducting in-person community engagement.
There are many ways to provide education and outreach to a community. The messaging can be
informational, educational, statistical, motivational, promotional, and/or disciplinary. For this Action,
community-based social marketing (CBSM) will be emphasized. CBSM draws on the idea that behavior
change is most effective when people are directly contacted on a community level. CMBS is more effective
than other techniques because it focuses on a single activity, and targets one desired behavior (i.e.,
focusing a campaign on food waste reduction) rather than providing people with a “laundry list” of things
to do (i.e., a campaign around both food waste reduction and water usage). Additionally, CMBS uncovers
the barriers to the target behavior, which is critical to future long-term change.
This education and communication plan will provide marketing collateral (as opposed to in-person
involvement in Action #4) and serve as a resource for information and awareness around certain disposal
habits. Based on research, the City can create actionable, quantifiable responsibilities (e.g. number of site
visits conducted per week; customer follow-up protocol; community organization meeting and event
schedule; and expectation for involvement). Developing such content as print and online collateral, social
media, and video would also be advantageous to the City considering its unique customer base of large
media production companies, TV stations, and social media "influencers" available for collaboration,
content sharing, and overall cultural norming.
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FINAL REPORT
Developing a variety of content across mediums not only helps the residents of Santa Monica become
educated on Zero Waste related issues, it also helps educate tourists as well. Santa Monica received over
8.4 million visitors in 20184. To target such a large number of non-residents, education and
communications must be clear, effective, and able to be understood by tourists to ensure that visitors are aware of the Zero Waste systems in Santa Monica and are informed. Messaging for visitors must be in
strategically placed in the City’s most-visited areas including its beaches and pier, downtown area, and at
its hotels and short term rental properties.
Resources Needed
The City will need 1,040 hours of Zero Waste Coordinator annual labor (0.5 FTE) to implement this
program. Largely, the collaboration needed in this Action will be between City staff, including the Office
of Communications, Public Works Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Information Services
Department and members of the Zero Waste Program Team. The City may seek to work with outside
agencies for advertisements, promotions, and content creation as a way to increase the level of awareness
to residents and visitors of the City’s Zero Waste goals and increase engagement.
Implementation Steps
STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY
PHASE I: Develop Education, Outreach, and Communications Plan
1
Create a formalized Education and Communications, which
includes:
Development of engaging content
Social media presence including Facebook,
Instagram, Next Door
Paid online advertisement with an emphasis on
travel/tourist webpages
6 months Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
2
Robust website development inclusive of an informational
guide that describes where and how to properly dispose of
particular items; consider collaboration with third party
education and outreach platforms
3 months ISD, Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
3
Conduct research on the disposal behaviors and perceptions
of the community and develop strategies for addressing such
information as part of the Education and Outreach Plan
using:
6 months RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
4 https://www.santamonica.com/about-smtt/economic-value-of-tourism/
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FINAL REPORT
STEP TASK DESCRIPTION TIMELINE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY
Focus Groups
Conversations from tabling as a part of Action #4
PHASE II: Implement Plan and Engage Community
1
Develop infographics, posters, and other visual 2D media
collateral for sharing online and printed for distribution
within the community (bus stops, truck sides, billboards, etc.)
4-6
months
Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
2
Develop print advertisement, specific to tourism as part of
booking tourist-related activities / accommodation that
addresses ways to minimize waste and recycle/compost
correctly in tourist areas
4-6
months
Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
3
Develop short and aesthetically pleasing videos with the
specific goal of educating the community how to properly
source separate items, reduce contamination, and also
create behavior change through normalizing sustainable
behavior and lifestyle
4-6
months
IT, Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
4
Promote the City’s collection programs through radio, TV,
and other audio and video collateral
Ongoing Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
5
Coordinate with community influencers to share media
content
Ongoing Office of
Communications,
RRR Zero Waste
Coordinator
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FINAL REPORT
SECTION 4 Projected Outcomes and Timeline
INITIAL DIVERSION ESTIMATES
Initial planning level estimates of the diversion potential for the priority Actions are presented in this 2019
ZWP Update. These planning level estimates are based on analysis of the City’s current landfilled materials
tons and assessment of the potential amounts of recovery that could reasonably be projected given
adequate implementation. More precise estimates are not possible given that many variables influence
materials generation and disposal patterns (for example, the China National Sword Policy) and the fact
that the level of City implementation cannot be anticipated in advance. As such, these estimates are solely
intended for the purposes of demonstrating relative potential outcomes by priority Action and estimating
GHG emissions.
To estimate the diversion potential of each priority Action, the City developed a diversion model
(Appendix D) which uses disposed waste composition data for each generator sector (i.e., single family,
multi-family, commercial, and self-haul) to estimate tons of potentially recoverable materials by type and
by sector that are currently landfilled. The model then applies an estimated capture rate (the percentage
of a target material estimated to be diverted) to the tons disposed to derive the potential diversion tons
associated with each priority Action. Capture rates were developed under guidance from the U.S
Environmental Protection Agency’s “Managing and Transforming Waste Streams” tool, in addition to
research of comparable programs and educated estimates. Waste composition data from CalRecycle’s
2014 Disposal-Facility-Based Characterization of Solid Waste in California report was used in estimating
the recoverability of materials in that are currently disposed Santa Monica.
TABLE 2 – Additional Diversion Potential by Zero Waste Action
# Recommended Zero Waste
Action
Annual Additional Potential Diversion
Single Family Multi-Family Commercial C&D Debris Total All
Sectors
2
Create, Implement, and
Enforce a Comprehensive
Zero Waste Ordinance
420 1,190 1,230 3,800 6,640
3
Create, Implement and
Enforce an Edible Food
Recovery Program
N/A N/A 720 N/A 720
4
Provide Proactive Technical
Assistance and Community
Engagement
650 4,640 6,690 N/A 11,980
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FINAL REPORT
# Recommended Zero Waste
Action
Annual Additional Potential Diversion
Single Family Multi-Family Commercial C&D Debris Total All
Sectors
5
Develop and Implement a
Zero Waste Communications
Plan
270 580 610 N/A 1,460
TOTAL 1,340 6,410 9,250 3,800 20,800
*Action #1, Develop a Zero Waste Program Team, is a prerequisite of Actions #2 through #5. Therefore, its diversion
potential has been included in the other Actions.
The model projections that implementation of the priority Actions could result in an approximately 24%
reduction to the City’s PPD. As seen in Table 2 and Figure 6, robust technical assistance efforts, particularly
in the multi-family and commercial sectors, are projected to be the primary contributors to waste
diversion.
FIGURE 6 – Additional Diversion Potential by Sector and Action
- 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
Single Family
Multi-Family
Commercial
C&D Debris
Total All SectorsAnnual Additional Potential DiversionTons
Create, Implement and Enforce a Comprehensive Zero Waste Ordinance
Create, Implement and Enforce an Edible Food Recovery Program
Provide Proactive Technical Assistance and Community Engagement
Develop and Implement a Zero Waste Communications Plan
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FINAL REPORT
INITIAL GHG REDUCTION ESTIMATES
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waste Reduction Model (WARM) was used to calculate
the 2019 ZWP Update’s estimated GHG emission reduction. WARM was created by the EPA to help
planners and organizations estimate greenhouse gas emission reductions from several different waste
management practices. The model calculates emissions in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
(MTCO2E) and metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) across a wide range of material types commonly
found in municipal solid waste.
If recommended Zero Waste Actions were to be fully implemented, approximately 28,600 metric tons of
carbon dioxide equivalent could be avoided each year through the source reduction, reuse, recycling and
composting of currently landfilled materials. This is the equivalent to the annual emissions from 5,641
passenger vehicles, conserving 1,394 households’ annual energy consumption, or conserving 27,586
barrels of oil.
TABLE 3 – Estimated Annual Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
Total Change in MTCO2E 28,600
Total Change in Energy Use 160,276 million BTU
Total Change in MTCO 7,307
Figure 7, on the following page, compares the estimated reduction in MTCO2E by priority Action. Actions
that emphasize behavior change are expected to yield the greatest reductions in landfilled tons and
greenhouse gas emissions. Strategies that take a policy-based approach support behavior change and
could yield still greater reductions depending on the level of effort undertaken to educate the community
and enforce requirements. In addition, targeting the diversion of materials which generate the most
GHG’s in landfills – namely food and other organic materials – will help the Santa Monica community
continue to move the needle in addressing climate change.
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FINAL REPORT
FIGURE 7 – Estimated Reduction in MTCO2E by Zero Waste Action
*Action #1, Develop a Zero Waste Program Team, is a prerequisite of Actions #2 through #5. Therefore, its MTCO2E
reduction potential has been included in the other Actions.
Collectively, full implementation of these priority Actions could meaningfully contribute to reaching the
City’s CAAP goal to achieve an 80% reduction (below 1990 levels) in community carbon emissions by 2030.
Recommended Zero Waste Actions support CAAP implementation action items for reducing waste-related
emissions. This complementarity further streamlines community sustainability efforts by making good use
of staff time and limited resources for greater impact to achieve both climate action and waste reduction
goals.
INITIAL ESTIMATED IMPLEMENTATION COSTS
Sustainable funding is critical for supporting implementation of priority Zero Waste Actions and ongoing
progress in waste reduction. Once the City seeks to implement the priority Actions described in this 2019
ZWP Update, it will also need to consider potential funding sources and secure resources needed for
implementation. Implementation of priority Actions is anticipated to begin in 2020 and outlines steps to
be taken over a five-year planning period through 2024. Estimated costs for each priority Action and
projected implementation over the planning period are further detailed in Appendix E, and summarized
in Table 4, on the following page.
7,300
2,900
16,400
2,000
28,600
- 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000
Action #1: Create, Implement and Enforce a
Comprehensive Zero Waste Ordinance
Action #2: Create, Implement and Enforce Edible
Food Recovery Program
Action #3: Provide Proactive Technical Assistance
and Community Engagement
Action #4: Develop and Implement Zero Waste
Communications Plan
Total
MTCO2 E
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FINAL REPORT
TABLE 4 – Estimated Average Annual Implementation Costs by Zero Waste Action
# RECOMMENDED ZERO WASTE ACTION
AVERAGE
ANNUAL
COST
ANNUAL
TONS
DIVERTED
DOLLARS
PER TON
DIVERTED
2 Create, Implement and Enforce a Comprehensive
Zero Waste Ordinance $269,000 6,600 $40
3 Create, Implement and Enforce an Edible Food
Recovery Program $109,000 700 $151
4 Provide Proactive Technical Assistance and
Community Engagement $600,000 12,000 $50
5 Develop and Implement a Zero Waste
Communications Plan $109,000 1,500 $75
TOTAL $1,087,000 20,800 $52
*Action #1, Develop a Zero Waste Program Team, is a prerequisite of Actions #2 through #5. Therefore, its cost
estimate has been included in the other Actions.
The City will note that actual costs may vary depending on the City’s specific implementation approaches,
timing of implementation, utilization of existing City resources, and other factors. The average annual cost
for the five priority Actions is estimated at approximately $1,087,000. The City could implement variants
on any priority Action that may lessen the actual cost of implementation, though the City should be aware
that such changes could affect the outcomes of those strategies. Costs for implementation of
recommended Zero Waste Actions were developed by:
Estimating the number of hours projected to be needed to develop and maintain each policy or
program;
Estimated salary and benefits for one new Senior Sustainability Analyst, one new Zero Waste
Coordinator, three new Zero Waste Assistants, and the reclassification of one Project Support
Assistant to one Zero Waste Assistant (each at Step 2 to be consistent with the City's budgeting
practice);
The annual outreach and education materials expense for each program, including training
materials, newspaper advertising, promotional flyers, promotional kits, and outreach
campaigns. This also includes supporting equipment such as materials sorting stations and
signage; and
An annual inflation escalator of 5% to adjust estimated costs over time.
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ESTIMATED RATE IMPACTS
The potential rate impact of funding Zero Waste strategies is presented below in Table 5. If the City were
to fund all recommended Zero Waste strategies through the rate base, over time Santa Monica’s
collection rates would need to increase by approximately 3.3% to cover the average annual cost of
implementation. For single family customers with a 95-gallon garbage cart, this would be an additional
approximate $1.80 per month.
As an alternative to funding these positions via solid waste rates, the City could potentially use revenue
from its General Fund, collect enforcement fees, or apply for grant funds to help reduce a rate increase
to fund recommended Zero Waste policies and programs.
TABLE 5 – Initial Estimated Rate Impacts by Zero Waste Action
# ACTION RATE IMPACT
2 Create, Implement and Enforce a Comprehensive Zero Waste Ordinance 0.9%
3 Create, Implement and Enforce an Edible Food Recovery Program 0.4%
4 Provide Proactive Technical Assistance and Community Engagement 2.0%
5 Develop and Implement a Zero Waste Communications Plan 0.4%
*Action #1, Develop a Zero Waste Program Team, is a prerequisite of Actions #2 through #5. Therefore, its rate Impact
estimate has been included in the other Actions.
While Action #4 is projected to require the most funding, it is also anticipated to have the highest impact
on waste reduction.
The City could consider adding an enforcement and fee component to strategies that call for ordinance
revisions in order to generate revenue for implementation of this 2019 ZWP Update. Fees and
enforcement may also drive greater participation in Zero Waste programs. However, it is recommended
that the City initially focus on making a positive effort to engage and educate the community before
considering enforcement. As a result, enforcement fees would not be a significant funding source in the
near-term but would remain an option should diversion rates fail to improve.
CalRecycle offers grants that the City could consider applying for to further Santa Monica’s waste
reduction goals. For example, CalRecycle’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant and Loan Programs include
a Food Waste Prevention and Rescue Grant Program and new Pilot Reuse Grant Program that could help
fund food recovery initiatives in Santa Monica (Action #3). Non-profit groups also offer grants to fund
waste reduction, including the California Student Sustainability Coalition Zero Waste Mini Grant program.
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FINAL REPORT
Grant funds are not guaranteed. However, if awarded they could significantly supplement the funding of
certain elements of this ZWP Update.
PROJECTED GOAL AND INDICATOR OUTCOMES
Implementation of the five recommended Zero Waste Priority Actions could potentially achieve the
following Zero Waste goal/indicator outcomes (aligning with the 2014 ZWP Update) by 2024. These are
based on the estimated diversion outcomes discussed above.
Reduction in landfilled waste from 5.0 to 3.8 PPD (an approximate 24% reduction);
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with CAAP goals;
Community awareness of Zero Waste increase by 50% (to be measured through conducting
periodic community surveys);
Majority of customers (95%+) subscribing to recycling and organics collection services (or the
wet/dry program); majority of edible food generators (95%+) partnering with a non-profit; and
Majority of customers actively participating in recycling and organics programs (less than 30%
recoverable materials in garbage, to be measured through garbage container “lid flip” audits to
visually assess contents during technical assistance site visits).
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS AND TIMELINE
This 2019 ZWP Update recommends implementation of the five recommended Zero Waste priority
Actions by 2024. Specific overall implementation steps and timeline are as follows:
2020: Hire Zero Waste Program Team (Action #1).
2020: Comprehensive zero waste policy development and adoption (Action #2).
2021: Building momentum through proactive development of SB 1383 policy and systems to
recover edible food for those in need (Action #3).
2022: Directly engaging, and assisting, residents and businesses in Zero Waste practices via a
robust public education and outreach effort (Action #4). Providing individualized technical
assistance for the community’s largest generators will meaningfully progress waste reduction;
these efforts will be strengthened by Santa Monica’s ordinance requirements and enforcement,
in addition to coinciding with SB 1383’s effective date.
2023: Positively spreading the message of Zero Waste far and wide to all members of the Santa
Monica community through social media, online, print, and other channels of communication
(Action #5). A formalized social media plan should be developed in 2023; outreach and education
materials in support of Actions #2-4 should be created and distributed in timing with their
implementation.
2024: Further support the grounding and fruition of all priority Actions to maximize waste
diversion efforts. Evaluate progress towards the community’s Zero Waste goal.
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FINAL REPORT
CONDUCT A ZWP UPDATE IN 2024
It is strongly recommended that the City conduct a re-assessment of its Zero Waste achievement on a
regular basis – by 2024 at the latest – to measure progress, adjust for changing conditions, reassess
strategies and/or identify additional strategies to implement. Nearing the halfway point to goal year 2030,
2024 offers an important opportunity to see how far Santa Monica has come and course correct as
necessary in forging the path to Zero Waste. Implementation of this 2019 ZWP Update will help the City
significantly reduce its PPD but further action will be needed after 2024 for the City to reach its 2030 goal
of 1.1 PPD.
The future of Santa Monica’s Zero Waste program will be shaped by many factors: the community’s
commitment in advancing Zero Waste, the City’s ability to support continued progress and innovation,
new State mandates and legislative requirements, and the influence of larger socioeconomic shifts. In
2024, Santa Monica should conduct an evaluation of its landfill diversion and 2019 ZWP Update
implementation to measure success and keep all stakeholders accountable for the outcome. Efforts taken
to fulfill each priority Action, and the results, should be well-documented along with any innovations,
supporting Actions, or other changes in conditions. Findings should be communicated to further improve
waste reduction and open a dialogue with residents and businesses on next steps for achieving Zero
Waste.
FUTURE PROGRESS AND ACTION
Santa Monica is a leader in Zero Waste by investing in a plan in 2014 and updating this ZWP in 2019. It is imperative that the City and community work together to not only achieve an increase in the amount of recycling and organics collected for diversion within Santa Monica, but overall waste reduction as well. While Zero Waste may always require continuous improvement, the City should take pride in its successes, learn from its failures, and seek above all else, reduce and responsibly manage its discarded materials for future generations.
If Santa Monica reaches its Zero Waste goal by 2030, everyone’s collective achievement should be
recognized and celebrated with the encouragement to maintain Zero Waste practices for continued
community and environmental benefit. Conversely, if the goal is not achieved in that time, the City will
iteratively evaluate Zero Waste progress to identify the largest areas of opportunity for increased resource
recovery and take lessons learned to inform next steps. A new goal date and revised set of priorities plan
would need to be developed, with sufficient time for selected Zero Waste strategies to be implemented.
In either case, a greater focus on Zero Waste initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions will likely
continue to rise in importance as a way to address climate change. Santa Monica is a leader and innovator
on the path to Zero Waste. Through this 2019 ZWP Update and beyond, the City will continue to make
strides in its sustainability efforts.
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REPORT
City of Santa Monica
Submitted electronically: February 6, 2023
Five-Year Rate Study
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Packet Pg. 486 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
405 14th Street, Suite 350, Oakland, CA 94612 | p 916.782.7821 | f 916.782.7824 | www.r3cgi.com
February 6, 2023
Ms. Yvonne Yeung
Acting Resource Recovery and Recycling Manager
City of Santa Monica
2500 Michigan Ave, Building 9s, Santa Monica, CA 90404
submitted via email: Yvonne.Yeung@smgov.net
SUBJECT: Report – Five-Year Rate Study
Dear Ms. Yeung,
R3 Consulting Group (R3) is pleased to submit this Report to the City of Santa Monica (City) detailing our
analysis findings, and recommendations related to Santa Monica’s Resource Recovery and Recycling
(RRR) Divisions enterprise fund and solid rates for fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 through FY 2027-28.
In 2019, the City engaged R3 to conduct a rate study forecasting revenues, expenses, and necessary
rate increases effective FY 2020-21 through FY 2024-25. The results of that rate study were completed in
March 2020, just prior to start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and were not brought forward for Council
adoption because of the economic uncertainty at the time.
This updated rate study follows up on that prior engagement, with findings and recommendations
including:
The City’s RRR Division provides comprehensive solid waste, recycling, street sweeping, and
other services necessary to fulfill unfunded State and other mandates.
The RRR enterprise fund is currently operating at a budgeted deficit due to not adjusting solid
waste rates since FY 2019-20.
The RRR enterprise fund will be nearly exhausted by the end of FY 20223-24 and will not be
able to continue operations into FY 2024-25 without immediate increases in rate revenues.
The City provides a comparably high level of service to its residents and businesses compared
to other publicly run solid waste operations.
After needed updates to the City’s rate structure and increases to rate revenues, the City’s rates
for single-family residents will remain appropriate given the level of service being provided, and
rates for multi-family residents and businesses will remain low compared to other communities.
* * * * *
We appreciate the opportunity to continue to be of service to the City. Should you have any questions on
our Report, please don’t hesitate to reach out directly.
Sincerely,
Garth Schultz | Principal
R3 Consulting Group, Inc.
510.292.0853 | gschultz@r3cgi.com
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Packet Pg. 487 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report TOC
1. Executive Summary & Background
page 1
2. RRR Enterprise Fund Is At Risk
page 3
3. Five-Year Rate Study Overview
page 5
4. Revenue, Expense, & Reserve Projections
page 6
5. Five-Year Rate Projections
page 9
Supporting Figures
1 Cost Increases by Category for FY 2022-23 over FY 2021-22 ...............................................3
2 Expense Projections for Five-Year Rate Study ......................................................................7
3 History and Projections of Revenues, Expenses and Reserves by Year ...............................8
4 Comparison of Single-Family Bundled Monthly Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected) ................... 10
5 Comparison of Multi-Family Bundled Monthly Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected) ...................... 12
6 Comparison of Commercial Bundled Monthly Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected) ...................... 14
Supporting Tables
1 Single-Family 65-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates ........................................................................9
2 Single-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates ........................................................................9
3 Annual Change in Single-Family 65-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates ..........................................9
4 Annual Change in Single-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates ..........................................9
5 Multi-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates (4-Units) .......................................................... 11
6 Multi-Family 2-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (10-Units) ......................................... 11
7 Annual Change in Multi-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates (4-Units) ............................ 11
8 Annual Change in Multi-Family 2-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (10-Units) ........... 11
9 Commercial 3-CY 1x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (0.75” WM) ........................................ 13
10 Commercial 3-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (1.5” WM) .......................................... 13
11 Annual Change in Commercial 3-CY 1x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (0.75” WM) .......... 13
12 Annual Change in Commercial 3-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (1.5” WM) ............ 13
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & BACKGROUND
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 1 of 14
Executive Summary
The City of Santa Monica’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division (RRR) provides critical solid
waste and recycling, public health, sustainable materials management, short-lived climate pollutant
greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, and Clean & Safe community programs and services to residents and
businesses in the City of Santa Monica. Santa Monica is among the few public agencies that provides
these services to residents and businesses as a municipal operation, from which the primary benefit is
the City’s direct control over programs, flexibility in service, and ability to adapt in response to public
needs. 95% of RRR’s funding comes from rates charged via the City’s utility bill – those rates have not
been changed since fiscal year (FY) 2019-20 and are overdue for updates.
The City had previously planned to update rates in FY 2020-21, in order to provide the new programs
needed to address increasing demand for extra solid waste collection, combat illegal dumping, and fund
progress towards achievement of the City’s 2030 Zero Waste Goal. Additionally, important updates to
multi-family and commercial rates were needed to align with single-family residential rates and best
practices for solid waste rate structuring. Updates to rates were not implemented that year, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, and the City remains without an approved plan to set rates in future years.
RRR is a well-managed operating providing high levels of service to the community, and had a history of
low-rate increases, well-controlled expenses, and stable reserves above target levels. However, since the
inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the available reserves in RRR’s enterprise fund have been
spent, despite RRR cutting staffing and programs, deferring capital replacements and projects, and
leveraging one-time revenues all in an effort to continue providing services while avoiding increases in
charges to ratepayers. Today, the RRR Fund is at a critical moment wherein rate increases are required
for RRR to continue operating for much longer – without rate increases in FY 2023-24, RRR Fund
reserves will be fully exhausted early in FY 2024-25 and RRR will not be able to function.
The results of the City’s new RRR rate study will achieve sustainable funding for operations, restore
operations to pre-COVID-19 levels, and replenish reserves to safe levels. Rate increases for single-family
rates effective August 1, 2023 and July 1 of 2024 through 2027 of 10.2% to 11% are recommended – with
these increases, the average annual increase over the last 15-years is just over 5%, which is directly in
keeping with solid waste industry trends. Updates to multi-family and commercial rates to bundle street
sweeping charges into solid waste rates is also recommended, resulting in varying changes (from
approximately 2% to 50%) in effective August 1, 2023 and 10.2% to 11% on July 1 of 2024 through 2027.
After update and adjustment, the City’s multi-family and commercial rates will remain well below most
other comparable agencies, and the City’s single-family residential rates will be comparable to other
agencies given the comparably high level of service the City provides.
Background and Services
RRR is an enterprise operation provides solid waste and recycling collection, processing and disposal,
and street sweeping services to residents and businesses in Santa Monica. Santa Monica is among a
small and unique set of public agencies in Los Angeles County that provide municipal solid waste
services to residents and businesses, with only two other cities (Claremont and Culver City) providing full
service solid waste programs to their constituents. Publicly provided solid waste services like Santa
Monica’s can provide a great deal of control, flexibility, and responsiveness to community needs
compared to private operations secured through long-term agreements.
Services and programs provided by RRR are critical to preserve public health and are also required to
fulfill State mandates for the reduction of GHG emissions. Per SB 1383 (The Short-Lived Climate
Pollutant Act of 2016) the City must implement a variety of programs and services to recover and recycle
organic waste (such as food scraps, yard trimmings and paper) and thus reduce GHG emissions from
landfills. In support of this objective, as well as the City’s Goal of Zero Waste for 2030, the City employs a
team of dedicated staff supporting Zero Waste outreach and education efforts, including in-the-field
training and technical assistance to businesses and multi-family dwellings.
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Executive Summary & Background
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 2 of 14
The suite of services that RRR provides to residents and businesses exceed those provided by most
other jurisdictions in Los Angeles County and the State.
Unlike most cities, Santa Monica provides:
Trash, recycling and organic waste collection in a bundled package via one rate to all customers,
which provides a strong financial incentive to recycle and compost waste and is cost-effective for
rate payers.
Unlimited collection of bulky items from residents and businesses, dedicated clean-up and
removal of illegal dumping and alley clean-ups throughout the City, and quarterly community
clean-up events.
Convenient on-call door-to-door collection of household hazardous waste (“HHW” which includes
paints, cleaning chemicals, pesticides, etc.).
Regular and popular recycling events including paper shredding, electronic waste, carpet,
mattresses, compost giveaways, used oil collection, City-wide garage sale, and repair café.
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2.RRR ENTERPRISE FUND IS AT RISK
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 3 of 14
The RRR enterprise fund (RRR Fund) is currently operating at a structural budget deficit of $8 million in
FY 2022-23 after a three-year rate increase suspension.
This deficit is primarily due to the combined result of $9.5 million in cost increases over the prior year, including:
$1.4 million - Normal increases in collection operations costs, including labor, vehicle
maintenance, fuel and other services, and which comprise nearly half (43%) of RRR’s overall
expenses.
$2.3 million - Anticipated increases in post-collection costs, including recycling, composting, and
processing of trash (instead of direct landfilling) to recover resources to meet State mandates and
the City’s Zero Waste Goal, comprising one quarter (25%) of RRR’s expenses.
$2.0 million – Increases in property, overhead and shared costs, including new salary deferrals
per labor agreements, new costs for debt service on the City Yards project, and increases in
RRR’s funding obligations to other City programs (OSE and 311), comprising 12% of RRR’s
expenses.
$3.8 million – Increases due to deferred capital replacements and projects, including collection
containers and vehicles and RRR’s operating facility, comprising 20% of RRR’s expenses.
Additional detail regarding the changes in cost for FY 2022-23 compared to FY 2021-22 by category are
shown in Figure 1, below.
Figure 1: Cost Increases by Category for FY 2022-23 over FY 2021-22
Salaries and Wages, $837,122
Vehicle Maintenance,
$78,889 Fuel, Supplies,
Professional Services,
$471,197
Recycling and Disposal Costs, $1,319,897
Transfer and Transportation Costs, $835,541
Household Hazardous
Waste Services,
$141,265 Salary and Benefit Commitments (MOU,
OPEB, EMPC Payout), $1,129,650 City Yard Debt Service, $496,268
Environmental Reimbursement to OSE, $148,615
311 Team Funding,
$223,534
Trucks and Equipment
Capital Costs,
$3,843,155
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RRR Enterprise Fund Is At Risk
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 4 of 14
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior plans to update rates and increase effective July 1, 2020 by 15%
and annually thereafter by 4% were not implemented. Instead, RRR cut staffing (twenty four as-needed
frontline employees were laid off plus four permanent positions were eliminated) and other expenses,
leading to service issues that remain today. RRR also deferred necessary capital truck replacements and
facility projects, leveraged one-time revenues, and drew down the RRR Fund balance in order to sustain
operations.
Under present operating conditions, the RRR Fund will nearly exhaust all of its reserves by the end of FY
2023-24. Without immediate increases to solid waste rates charged to residents and businesses, the
RRR Fund will run out of money in early FY 2024-25, which will have detrimental effects on the City’s
solid waste, recycling and street sweeping operations.
The City must increase solid waste rates in order to continue providing solid waste, recycling and street
sweeping services beyond FY 2023-24.
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3. FIVE-YEAR RATE STUDY OVERVIEW
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 5 of 14
The City typically conducts rate studies every five years in order to set rates for RRR’s operations. Rate
studies were completed in 2006 and 2014, each of which resulted in Council adoption of five-year rate
projections.
In 2019, the City engaged R3 to conduct a rate study forecasting revenues, expenses, and necessary
rate increases effective FY 2020-21 through FY 2024-25. The results of that rate study were completed in
March 2020, just prior to start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and were not brought forward for Council
adoption because of the economic uncertainty at the time.
The City re-engaged R3 to complete a rate study for the coming five (5) fiscal years, from FY 2023-24
through FY 2027-28. A summary of rate modeling projections is included in Attachment 1.
The objectives of this rate study were to:
Achieve financial stability in the RRR Fund by generating revenues to cover costs, fund required
capital replacement and projects (collection vehicles and containers) and rebuild healthy
reserves.
Rebuild and restore staffing and services that were cut during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enhance and improve services to support Santa Monica’s Clean & Safe community objectives.
Update, modernize and simplify the City’s rate structure to meet current industry standards.
During the course of completing the rate study, R3 found RRR’s operations to be well-run,
comprehensive, and generally very stable.
For example, R3 found that, over the prior ten years from FY 2011-12 through FY 2021-22:
RRR’s annual expenses grew at a pace of 3.8% annually, which is below normal industry trends
of 4-5% annual expense growth.
RRR’s residential customer rates grew at a pace of 2.4% annually and commercial rates grew by
3.2% annually, both of which were below the rate of growth in expenses.
RRR successfully navigated downturns in recycling markets resulting from China’s National
Sword Policy (2017) while also navigating community compliance with new unfunded State
mandates for Mandatory Commercial Recycling (AB 341) and Mandatory Commercial Organics
Recycling (AB 1826), as well as the Short-lived Climate Pollutants Act (SB 1383).
The RRR Fund balance was very healthy, well above recommended 90-day operating reserves in
recent years.
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4.REVENUE, EXPENSE, & RESERVE
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 6 of 14
PROJECTIONS
In completing the rate study, R3 evaluated and projected RRR’s revenues, expenses, fund reserves, and
necessary rate increases over the next five years.
Revenue Projections
The vast majority of RRR’s revenues (92%) are from bi-monthly rate charged to residents and businesses
via the City’s utility bills for solid waste and recycling collection, processing, recovery and disposal
services (projected to be $27 million in FY 2022-23). The remaining 8% of revenues (projected to be $2.3
million in FY 2022-23) are generated from other RRR services, such as construction and demolition
debris management planning, solid waste enclosure plan check review, services to other City
departments, events and other services.
RRR’s revenues do not change appreciably year-to-year and are thus projected to remain flat without
changes to the bi-monthly rates charged to ratepayers. Though there is the possibility of growth in the
number of ratepayers in the future (associated with projection of new housing units included in the City’s
new Housing Element), growth in accounts cannot be reliably projected at this time, and thus the rate
study does not include an expectation of growth in revenue resulting from growth in subscriptions.
Expense Projections
RRR’s expenses are projected to increase annually by an average of ~4% per year in the coming five years, in accordance with the following projections:
Net addition of 15.12 full time equivalent permanent positions in FY 2023-24 to replenish
positions lost during COVID-19 staffing reductions and to enhance the City’s clean, safe, and
zero waste programming, with projected increases in these expenses of 5% annually. This also
includes creation of a new illegal dumping and bulky item response team, that will increase
collection of illegal dumping and bulky items while also improving responsiveness time for these
services.
Labor costs (inclusive of salaries, wages and benefits) increasing overall by 3.4% to 5.5%, in
keeping with the City’s cost-of-living labor contract adjustments.
Vehicle maintenance costs increasing by 2.4% per year.
Fuel, supplies and professional services increasing by 1.9% per year after one-year increases for
insurance, contractual and legal services in FY 2023-24.
Recycling and disposal costs increasing by 8.8% to 13.1% per year as per the terms and
conditions of recently procured agreements which include gradually increasing amounts of solid
waste processing to capture and recyclable recoverable materials to meet State mandates and
the City’s Zero Waste Goal.
Transfer and transportation costs increasing by 2.4% annually.
HHW costs increasing 2.3% to 3.5% annually.
City-wide cost allocation costs increasing 2% annually.
Anticipated increase of RRR’s rental costs for use of City Yard.
General liability insurance costs increasing 3% to 14.8% annually in accordance with City’s
budget projections.
Environmental reimbursement to Office of Sustainability and Environment increasing 3% to 4%
annually in accordance with City’s budget projections.
Truck and equipment capital costs set based on replacement projections provided by City’s Fleet
Department.
Expense projections by year are shown in Figure 2, on the following page.
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City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 7 of 14
Figure 2: Expense Projections for Five-Year Rate Study
Expense Allocations
RRR expenses are allocated by service container type – i.e., cart service or bin service – which
corresponds to the type of route truck used to perform solid waste collections. Annual expenses are
allocated to cart or bin service based on a blended allocation comprised of: revenue (20% weighting),
tonnage (65% weighting), number of subscriptions (7.5% weighting) and container lifts (7.5% weighting).
The result is that 38.75% of expenses are allocated to cart service and 61.25% are allocated to bin
service.
Fund Reserve Projections
The RRR Fund began FY 2022-23 with available reserves of $22.5 million, $8 million of which are
projected to be used to fund operations, resulting in a projected year-end fund balance of $14.5 million.
In order to phase-in rate necessary rate increases and avoid near-term spikes in rates, the City intends to
continue to use available fund balance to offset needed increases through FY 2025-26.1 This means that
expenses will continue to exceed revenues in FY 2023-24 through FY 2025-26 even if the City adopts and
implements recommended rate increases. As a result, R3 projects that the available fund balance will
1 Please Note: Prior rate study draft included larger rate adjustments in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 than those
included in this Report – use of fund reserves is keeping near-term rate adjustments lower than they would otherwise be.
15,692,311 17,079,520 18,038,251 18,841,735 19,414,774 20,100,146 20,751,515
7,335,557 9,632,260 10,211,111 11,080,094 11,996,900 12,963,727 13,988,766
2,696,317 4,705,650
5,825,138 5,538,435 5,654,268 5,769,384 5,867,027
1,616,237 1,697,049 1,781,901 1,870,996 1,964,546
4,044,144
7,887,299
5,356,420 5,526,106 4,834,973 4,936,893 5,040,599
29,768,329
39,304,729 41,047,157
42,683,419 43,682,815 45,641,145 47,612,453
-
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
35,000,000
40,000,000
45,000,000
50,000,000
FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25 FY 25/26 FY26/27 FY 27/28
Collection Operation Costs
Post-Collection Recycling and Disposal Costs
Property, Overhead and Shared Costs
Compliance Programs Costs
Vehicle Replacement and Capital Projects
Grand Total Costs
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City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 8 of 14
decrease to $8.4 million by the end of FY 2023-24, $5.0 million by the end of FY 2024-2025, and $4.7
million by the end of FY 2025-26.
While spending down available fund balance to stabilize rates and phase-in rate increases is an
appropriate and advantageous, it is also important rebuild reserves to safe target levels. R3 strongly
recommends that the City set rates to achieve a 90-day operating reserve by the end of the five-year
projection period. The 90-day operating reserve is the best practice policy for other solid waste enterprise
funds through the state and is also the City’s adopted target for the Water Fund. The rate study measures
the 90-day operating reserve as 25% (90 divided by 365) of projected operating expenses (not including
truck replacement and capital project costs) and forecasts achievement of the reserve target by the end
of FY 2027-28, which is the final year of the rate study. Achieving the 90-day operating reserve in that
year would result in an ending available fund balance of $10.5 million.
The primary reason that the City should plan to achieve a 90-day operating reserve for the RRR Fund
within five years is due to the fact that expense projections are modest and do not reflect the possibility of
long-term inflation. Expenses as projected in the rate study generally use low 2% to 5% cost-of-living
adjustments, resulting in overall annual cost increases of approximately 4% per year. If inflation results in
higher annual cost increases in range of 5% to 6% per year (as was the case for many cost types in
2022) then actual costs will outpace rate study projections, resulting in precipitously low fund reserves.
To that end, planning to achieve a 90-day operating reserve serves as further rate stabilization and likely
avoiding the need for additional rate increases above those already contemplated for the coming five
years via the rate study. A history of and projections for RRR’s revenues, expenses and fund reserves by
year are shown in Figure 3, below.
Figure 3: History and Projections of Revenues, Expenses and Reserves by Year
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
$-
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
$30,000,000
$40,000,000
$50,000,000
FY
14/15
FY
15/16
FY
16/17
FY
17/18
FY
18/19
FY
19/20
FY
20/21
FY
21/22
FY
22/23
FY
23/24
FY
24/25
FY
25/26
FY
26/27
FY
27/28
Revenues Expenses
Revenue Trend (5.39% Annual Increase)Expense Trend (5.41% Annual Increase)
Fund Reserves as Percent of Expenses
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5. FIVE-YEAR RATE PROJECTIONS
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 9 of 14
Using the aforementioned projections of revenues, expenses, and fund reserves, the rate study yields
recommended increases to RRR’s single-family, multi-family and commercial rates effective August 1,
2023 and July 1 of 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027. Two rate adjustment alternatives are presented for the
City’s consideration: Alternative A, which includes funding for all expense projections described on the
prior page and is recommended by RRR staff and R3, and Alternative B, which does not include the
creation of an illegal dumping and bulky item response team (IDBI-RT), and thus has marginally lower
rate increases. Though the City’s rates are listed in its rate sheets and billed to customers in utility bills on
a bi-monthly basis, the effective monthly rates are shown for easy reference. The complete set of
projected rates for each ratepayer classification is included as Attachment 2 (Five-Year Rate Sheets).
Single-Family Rates
The City’s single-family rates are based on trash container size (65-gallon and 95-gallon trash carts) but
cover the cost of all service provided to single-family customers. The “bundled” service package includes
weekly collection of trash, recycling, and organics, as well as street sweeping, bulky item pickups, on-call
door-to-door HHW collection, and access to periodic recycling events. Tables 1 and 2, below, show the
single-family rates for the five-year rate study period for 65-gallon and 95-gallon monthly rates for each of
the two alternatives.
Table 1: Single-Family 65-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates
Alternatives Current FY
2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $41.78 $46.37 $51.47 $57.13 $63.42 $70.39
B – No IDBI-RT $41.78 $46.04 $50.73 $55.91 $61.61 $67.89
Table 2: Single-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates
Alternatives Current FY
2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $53.90 $59.83 $66.41 $73.71 $81.82 $90.82
B – No IDBI-RT $53.90 $59.39 $65.45 $72.13 $79.48 $87.59
Tables 3 and 4, below, show the annual increase in the monthly rates, which amount to 11% per year for
Alternative A and 10.2% per year for Alternative B.
Table 3: Annual Change in Single-Family 65-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates
Alternatives FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $4.60 $5.10 $5.66 $6.29 $6.98
B – No IDBI-RT $4.26 $4.70 $5.18 $5.70 $6.29
Table 4: Annual Change in Single-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates
Alternatives FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $5.93 $6.58 $7.30 $8.11 $9.00
B – No IDBI-RT $5.50 $6.06 $6.68 $7.36 $8.10
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Five-Year Rate Projections
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 10 of 14
It is important to note that, considering the three years of frozen rates (FY 2020-21 through FY 2022-23),
the average annual 10-year increase through FY 2027-28 for Alternative A is 6.3% and for Alternative B is
6.0%. Likewise, the average annual 15-year increase from FY 2013-14 through FY 2027-28 is 5.3% per
year for Alternative A and 5.05% per year for Alternative B. That average annual rate of increase
compares well with industry standards, especially given changes in the recycling market places, new and
increasing unfunded State mandates, and the comparably high levels of service provided by RRR.
The City’s single-family rates are comparable to other cities in Los Angeles County that provide municipal
solid waste collection services themselves, as shown in Figure 4, below. This shows the recommended
FY 2023-24 City rates per Alternative A in comparison to projected FY 2023-24 rates for the seven other
municipally provided solid waste services in Los Angeles County for which comparable rates exist.2
Though Santa Monica’s single-family rates are somewhat higher than those charged by the comparable
agencies, single-family residents in Santa Monica have greater benefits in the form of street sweeping,
on-call door-to-door HHW collection, unlimited bulky item collection, periodic recycling events and funding
for Zero Waste Goal achievement, which are not common in most of the other agencies.
Figure 4: Comparison of Single-Family Bundled Monthly Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected)
Multi-Family Rates
Like single-family rates, the City’s multi-family rates are also based on trash container size and cover the
cost providing collection of trash, recycling, and organics, as well as bulky item pickups, on-call door-to-
door HHW collection, and access to periodic recycling events.
2 Please Note: CPI adjustments have been applied to FY 2022-23 rates for comparable agencies where
applicable. Additionally, while Beverly Hills also provides municipal solid waste services to single-family residents, that City collects solid waste rate revenues via tax rolls based on square footage with the amounts not
being publicly available or comparable. Finally, Culver City does not provide 95-gallon single-family service and Los Angeles does not provide 65-gallon single-family service.
$46.37
$35.89 $37.68
$53.49
$36.58
$-
$39.54 $37.60
$59.83
$56.68
$46.85
$-
$41.72
$36.32
$54.82
$38.93
$-
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
Santa
Monica
Burbank Claremont Culver City Glendale Los Angeles Pasadena Torrance
65 Gallons Once Weekly 95 Gallons Once Weekly
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Five-Year Rate Projections
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 11 of 14
Unlike the single-family rates, however, street sweeping is not currently included as a part of the bundled
trash rate and is instead charged separately on per living unit. The practice of separately charging for
street sweeping per living unit is inconsistent with standard solid waste rate-setting practice as well as the
City’s current practice for single-family ratepayers and is unnecessarily complicated and impractical to
continue given a recent Court of Appeals ruling that considered street sweeping to be solid waste
collection activity. Therefore, R3 and staff are recommending discontinuance of the separate street
sweeping charge based on living units and are instead recommending that street sweeping be included in
the bundled rate based on trash subscription.
Also unlike single-family rates, multi-family ratepayers can choose from a variety of subscription levels
and sizes, as shown in Attachment 1 (Five-Year Rate Sheets). Tables 5 and 6, below, show examples of
common multi-family subscription types (95-gallon of trash at a four-unit complex and 2-cubic yards of
trash collected twice weekly at a 10-unit complex) for multi-family rates for the five-year rate study period.
Table 5: Multi-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates (4-Units)
Alternatives Current FY
2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $59.25 $59.83 $66.41 $73.71 $81.82 $90.82
B – No IDBI-RT $59.25 $59.39 $65.45 $72.13 $79.48 $87.59
Table 6: Multi-Family 2-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (10-Units)
Alternatives Current FY
2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $230.60 $314.78 $349.41 $387.85 $430.51 $477.86
B – No IDBI-RT $230.60 $314.78 $346.89 $382.27 $421.26 $464.23
Tables 7 and 8, below, show the annual increase in the monthly rates. For the 95-gallon / 4-unit complex
rates, the projected increase is 1% in FY 2023-24 and 11% in each of the following years for Alternative
A, and 0.2% in FY 2023-24 and 10.2% per year in each of the following years for Alternative B. For the 2-
cubic yards twice weekly / 10-unit complex rates, the projected increase is 36.5% in FY 2023-24 and 11%
in each of the following years for Alternative A, and 36.5% in FY 2023-24 and 10.2% in each of the
following years for Alternative B.
Table 7: Annual Change in Multi-Family 95-Gal Bundled Monthly Rates (4-Units)
Alternatives FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $0.58 $6.58 $7.30 $8.11 $9.00
B – No IDBI-RT $0.14 $6.06 $6.68 $7.36 $8.10
Table 8: Annual Change in Multi-Family 2-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (10-Units)
Alternatives FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $84.18 $34.63 $38.44 $42.66 $47.35
B – No IDBI-RT $84.18 $32.11 $35.38 $38.99 $42.97
As shown in Table 7, above, the effect of bundling street sweeping charges in with trash rates for a small
multi-family complex is minimal. Table 8, above, shows that the effect for larger multi-family complexes is
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Five-Year Rate Projections
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 12 of 14
somewhat larger in the first year, though it is important to understand that the City’s bundled multi-family
service rates are quite low in comparison to other agencies. Figure 5, below, shows the comparison of
Santa Monica’s rates via Alternative A (and inclusive of street sweeping charges) to other agencies.3
Figure 5: Comparison of Multi-Family Bundled Monthly Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected)
As shown in Figure 5, Santa Monica’s rates for multi-family customers (inclusive of street sweeping)
compare favorably to rates in other jurisdictions while also providing a high level of service including bulky
item pickups, on-call door-to-door HHW collection, and access to periodic recycling events.
Commercial Rates
As with the City’s single-family and multi-family rates, the City’s commercial rates are based on trash
container size and covers the cost providing collection of trash, recycling, and organics, as well as bulky
item pickups, although business don’t have access to on-call door-to-door HHW collection and periodic
recycling events and thus aren’t charged for those services (which is why the proposed commercial rates
are slightly lower than the single-family and multi-family rates for the same subscription levels –
commercial customers do not pay for HHW services and events through their solid waste rates).
Akin to the multi-family rates, street sweeping is also not currently included as a part of the bundled
commercial trash rates and is instead charged separately, based on water meter size. The practice of
separately charging for street sweeping by water meter size is inconsistent with standard solid waste rate-
setting practice as well as the City’s current practice for single-family ratepayers.
As with multi-family rates, it is unnecessarily complicated and impractical to continue this practice given a
recent Court of Appeals ruling that considered street sweeping to be solid waste collection activity.
3 Please Note: Claremont, Culver City, and Torrance did not have publicly available multi-family rates for the
purposes of this comparison and that Beverly Hills does not provide cart service to multi-family. Also note that multi-family service for all except Santa Monica are rates provided by private contractors, not municipal service.
$59.83
$-
$56.68 $41.72
$124.04 $77.74
$314.78 $363.29
$510.20
$744.80
$1,023.02 $975.33
$-
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
Santa Monica Beverly Hills Burbank Glendale Los Angeles Pasadena
95 Gallons Once Weekly 2 Cubic Yards Twice Weekly
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Five-Year Rate Projections
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 13 of 14
Therefore, R3 and staff are recommending discontinuance of the separate street sweeping charge based
on water meter (WM) size and are instead recommending that street sweeping be included in the bundled
rate based on trash subscription. Like multi-family ratepayers, commercial ratepayers can choose from a
variety of subscription levels and sizes, as shown in Attachment 1 (Five-Year Rate Sheets).
Tables 9 and 10, below, show examples of common commercial subscription types (2-cubic yards once
weekly with 0.75” water meter and 3-cubic yards twice weekly with 1.5” water meter) for rates over the
five-year rate study period.
Table 9: Commercial 2-CY 1x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (0.75” WM)
Alternatives Current FY
2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $131.34 $154.69 $172.01 $191.23 $212.56 $236.23
B – No IDBI-RT $131.34 $154.69 $170.75 $188.44 $207.93 $229.42
Table 10: Commercial 3-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (1.5” WM)
Alternatives Current FY
2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $318.26 $469.47 $521.42 $579.08 $643.07 $714.09
B – No IDBI-RT $318.26 $469.47 $517.64 $570.71 $629.19 $693.65
Tables 11 and 12, below, show the annual increase in the monthly rates. For the 2-cubic yards once
weekly with 0.75” water meter, the projected increase is 17.8%% in FY 2023-24 and 11% in each of the
following years for Alternative A, and 17.8% in FY 2023-24 and 10.2% per year in each of the following
years for Alternative B.
For the 3-cubic yards twice weekly with 1.5” water meter, the projected increase is 47.5% in FY 2023-24
and 11% in each of the following years for Alternative A, and 47.5% in FY 2023-24 and 10.2% in each of
the following years for Alternative B.
Table 11: Annual Change in Commercial 2-CY 1x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (0.75” WM)
Alternatives FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $23.36 $17.32 $19.22 $21.33 $23.68
B – No IDBI-RT $23.36 $16.06 $17.69 $19.50 $21.49
Table 12: Annual Change in Commercial 3-CY 2x Weekly Bundled Monthly Rates (1.5” WM)
Alternatives FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28
A – Staff
Recommended $151.22 $51.95 $57.66 $63.99 $71.02
B – No IDBI-RT $151.22 $48.17 $53.07 $58.48 $64.46
As shown in Tables 11 and 12, above, the effect of bundling street sweeping charges in with trash rates
for commercial customers is higher in FY 2023-24 than in the following years.
7.A.f
Packet Pg. 501 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
Five-Year Rate Projections
City of Santa Monica | Five-Year Rate Study – Report 14 of 14
As with multi-family rates, it is important to understand that the City’s bundled commercial service rates
are quite low in comparison to other agencies. Figure 6, below, shows the comparison of Santa Monica’s
rates via Alternative A (and inclusive of street sweeping charges) to other agencies.4
Figure 6: Comparison of Commercial Bundled Monthly Rates (FY 2023-24 Projected)
4 Please Note: Claremont and Torrance did not have publicly available multi-family rates for the purposes of this
comparison. Also note that commercial service for all except Santa Monica and Culver City are rates provided by private contractors, not municipal service.
$154.69
$220.32
$399.30 $368.29 $372.40
$548.38 $588.18
$469.47
$665.74
$1,043.49
$848.80 $812.52
$1,109.16
$975.33
$-
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
Santa Monica Beverly Hills Burbank Culver City Glendale Los Angeles Pasadena
2 Cubic Yards Once Weekly 3 Cubic Yards Twice Weekly
7.A.f
Packet Pg. 502 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
ACTUALSADJUSTED BUDGET12345FY 21/22 FY 22/23 FY 23/24 FY 24/25 FY 25/26 FY26/27 FY 27/28Starting Fund Balance21,169,728 22,549,276 12,569,720 6,420,809 3,005,343 2,679,323 5,033,898 Single‐Family Residential Rate Increase11.0% 11.0% 11.0% 11.0% 11.0%Multi‐Family Residential Rate IncreaseRESTRUCTURE11.0%11.0%11.0%11.0%Commercial Rate IncreaseRESTRUCTURE11.0%11.0%11.0%11.0%Revenues28,388,780 29,325,172 34,898,246 39,267,954 43,356,794 47,995,721 53,140,822 Salaries and Wages 10,854,075 11,691,197 12,249,833 12,924,498 13,367,071 13,918,971 14,433,795 Vehicle Maintenance 3,521,111 3,600,000 3,686,397 3,774,874 3,865,471 3,958,242 4,053,240 Fuel, Supplies, Professional Services 1,317,126 1,788,323 2,102,022 2,142,363 2,182,232 2,222,932 2,264,481 Collection Operation Costs15,692,311 17,079,520 18,038,251 18,841,735 19,414,774 20,100,146 20,751,515 Recycling and Disposal Costs 4,034,019 5,353,916 5,825,061 6,587,666 7,395,381 8,252,174 9,162,365 Transfer and Transportation Costs 2,998,414 3,833,955 3,925,970 4,020,193 4,116,678 4,215,478 4,316,650 Household Hazardous Waste Services 303,124 444,389 460,080 472,235 484,842 496,074 509,751 Post‐Collection Recycling and Disposal Costs7,335,557 9,632,260 10,211,111 11,080,094 11,996,900 12,963,727 13,988,766 City‐wide Cost Allocation Plan 1,276,612 1,276,612 1,302,144 1,328,187 1,354,751 1,381,846 1,409,483 City Yard Rent (With Contingency) 681,022 666,368 1,332,736 1,332,736 1,332,736 1,332,736 1,332,736 Salary and Benefit Commitments (MOU, OPEB, EMPC Payout) 77,490 1,207,140 1,283,413 1,121,523 1,140,810 1,176,880 1,214,139 City Yard Debt Service‐ 496,268 776,587 777,266 777,209 777,548 777,096 General Liability Insurance 388,375 414,295 459,491 527,285 583,779 621,443 640,274 Environmental Reimbursement to OSE 272,818 421,433 438,290 451,439 464,982 478,932 493,300 311 Team Funding‐ 223,534 232,475 ‐ ‐ ‐ ‐ Property, Overhead and Shared Costs2,696,317 4,705,650 5,825,138 5,538,435 5,654,268 5,769,384 5,867,027 Restore and Right‐size Collection Service ‐ ‐ 740,194 777,204 816,064 856,867 899,710 Illegal Dumping & Bulky Item Response Team ‐ ‐ 641,355 673,423 707,094 742,449 779,571 SB 1383 Mandatory Compliance & Zero Waste by 2030 Programs‐ ‐ 122,743 128,880 135,324 142,090 149,195 Right‐Size Sweeping Services‐ ‐ 111,945 117,542 123,419 129,590 136,069 Compliance Programs Costs‐ ‐ 1,616,237 1,697,049 1,781,901 1,870,996 1,964,546 Trucks and Equipment Capital Costs 4,044,144 7,887,299 5,356,420 5,526,106 4,834,973 4,936,893 5,040,599 Grand Total Costs 29,768,329 39,304,729 41,047,157 42,683,419 43,682,815 45,641,145 47,612,453 Surplus (Shortfall) (1,379,549) (9,979,557) (6,148,911) (3,415,466) (326,021) 2,354,575 5,528,369 Ending Fund Balance 22,549,276 12,569,720 6,420,809 3,005,343 2,679,323 5,033,898 10,562,267 Ending Fund Balance as % of Operating Expenses (Excluding Capital)40%18%8%7%12%25%Santa Monica RRR Fund 5‐Year Forecast and Rate StudyAttachment 1Santa Monica RRR 5-Year Rate Study17.A.fPacket Pg. 503Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616
SSC 1-65 gallon 1x weekly $92.74 SB2 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $314.78
SSD 2-65 gallon cart 1xweekly $185.48 SSZ Shared Container Service $59.83
SSE 3-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $278.22
SSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $119.65
SSG 2-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $239.30 RFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00
SSH 3-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $358.95 RFX Inactive Account $0.00
SSK 1-65 & 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $212.39 CRC Recycling Container $0.00
SX3 300 gallon container 1x weekly $275.00 SYC Yard Waste Container $0.00
RUC Residence Under Construction $92.74
MSC 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $92.74 MCA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $472.17
MSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $119.65 MCB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $944.34
MCC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,416.51
MXQ 300 gallon Container 1x weekly $275.00 MCD 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,888.68
MXA 300 gallon Container 2x weekly $550.00 MCF 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,360.85
MXB 300 gallon Container 3x weekly $825.00 MCE 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,833.02
MXC 300 gallon Container 4x weekly $1,100.00
MXE 300 gallon Container 5x weekly $1,375.00 MDA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $629.56
MXD 300 gallon Container 6x weekly $861.25 MDB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,259.12
MDC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,888.68
MSQ 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $314.78 MDD 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,518.24
MBA 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $629.56 MDE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,147.80
MBB 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $944.34 MDF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,777.36
MBC 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,259.12
MBE 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,573.90 MBN Bin roll out 1x weekly $62.32
MBD 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $1,888.68 MBO Bin roll out 2x weekly $124.64
MBP Bin roll out 3x weekly $186.96
MFV Livable Unit Charge $0.00 MBQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $249.28
MFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00 MBS Bin roll out 5x weekly $311.60
MLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $27.68 MBR Bin roll out 6x weekly $373.92
MSY City Bin on City Property Per Bin $113.74
MSZ Share Bin/Cart Service $59.83 MCJ Bin truck roll out 1x weekly $62.32
MCK Bin truck roll out 2x weekly $124.64
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate MCL Bin truck roll out 3x weekly $186.96
MCM Bin truck roll out 4x weekly $249.28
MCN Bin truck roll out 5x weekly $311.60
MCO Bin truck roll out 6x weekly $373.92
MULTI-FAMILY CART/BIN RATES
MISCELLANEOUS
SINGLE FAMILY RATES SINGLE FAMILY RATES
BI-MONTHLY SINGLE/MULTI FAMILY RATES
Rates effective August 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
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Packet Pg. 504 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
#REF! Rate Increase
CSA 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $87.34 CBA 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $309.38
CSB 1-65 gallon cart 2x weekly $180.08 CBB 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $624.16
CSC 1-65 gallon cart 3x weekly $272.82 CBC 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $938.94
CSE 1-65 gallon cart 4x weekly $365.56 CBD 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,253.72
CSF 1-65 gallon cart 5x weekly $458.30 CBG 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,568.50
CSD 1-65 gallon cart 6x weekly $205.43 CBE 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $1,883.28
CSG 1-65 gallon cart 7x weekly $239.67 CBF 2 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $2,198.06
CTA 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $114.25 CDA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $466.77
CTB 1-95 gallon cart 2x weekly $233.90 CDB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $938.94
CTC 1-95 gallon cart 3x weekly $353.55 CDC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,411.11
CTF 1-95 gallon cart 4x weekly $473.20 CDE 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,883.28
CTG 1-95 gallon cart 5x weekly $592.85 CDH 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,355.45
CTD 1-95 gallon cart 6x weekly $292.34 CDF 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,827.62
CTE 1-95 gallon cart 7x weekly $341.07 CDG 3 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $3,299.79
CXA 300 gallon container 1x weekly $269.60 CEA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $624.16
CXB 300 gallon container 2x weekly $544.60 CEB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,253.72
CXC 300 gallon container 3x weekly $819.60 CEC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,883.28
CXD 300 gallon container 4x weekly $1,094.60 CED 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,512.84
CXG 300 gallon container 5x weekly $1,369.60 CEE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,142.40
CXE 300 gallon container 6x weekly $620.92 CEF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,771.96
CXF 300 gallon container 7x weekly $700.59 CEG 4 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $4,401.52
CSX City bin on City Property Per Bin $113.74 CCN Bin roll out 1x weekly $62.32
CLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $27.68 CCO Bin roll out 2x weekly $124.64
CSZ Non-Semi Auto Service 2x/weekly $72.35 CCP Bin roll out 3x weekly $186.96
CCQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $249.28
CCS Bin roll out 5x weekly $311.60
RCS .75" Per Unit $0.00 CCR Bin roll out 6x weekly $373.92
RCT 1.00" Per Unit $0.00 CCT Bin roll out 7x weekly $436.24
RCU 1.5" Per Unit $0.00
RCV 2.00" Per Unit $0.00
RCW 3.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDJ Bin Truck roll out 1x weekly $62.32
RCX 4.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDK Bin Truck roll out 2x weekly $124.64
RCY 6.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDL Bin Truck roll out 3x weekly $186.96
CDM Bin Truck roll out 4x weekly $249.28
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate CDN Bin Truck roll out 5x weekly $311.60
CDO Bin Truck roll out 6x weekly $373.92
CDP Bin Truck roll out 7x weekly $436.24
STREET SWEEPING RATES (based on water meter size)
BIN TRUCK ROLL OUT
MISCELLANEOUS BIN ROLL OUT
300 GALLON CONTAINERS 4 CUBIC YARD BINS
95 GALLON CARTS 3 CUBIC YARD BINS
65 GALLON CARTS 2 CUBIC YARD BINS
Rates effective August 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024
BI-MONTHLY COMMERCIAL RATES
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
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Packet Pg. 505 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
SSC 1-65 gallon 1x weekly $102.94 SB2 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $349.41
SSD 2-65 gallon cart 1xweekly $205.88 SSZ Shared Container Service $66.41
SSE 3-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $308.82
SSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $132.81
SSG 2-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $265.62 RFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00
SSH 3-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $398.43 RFX Inactive Account $0.00
SSK 1-65 & 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $235.75 CRC Recycling Container $0.00
SX3 300 gallon container 1x weekly $305.25 SYC Yard Waste Container $0.00
RUC Residence Under Construction $102.94
MSC 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $102.94 MCA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $524.12
MSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $132.81 MCB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,048.24
$0.00 MCC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,572.36
MXQ 300 gallon Container 1x weekly $305.25 MCD 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,096.48
MXA 300 gallon Container 2x weekly $610.50 MCF 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,620.60
MXB 300 gallon Container 3x weekly $915.75 MCE 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,144.72
MXC 300 gallon Container 4x weekly $1,221.00
MXE 300 gallon Container 5x weekly $1,526.25 MDA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $698.82
MXD 300 gallon Container 6x weekly $861.25 MDB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,397.64
MDC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,096.46
MSQ 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $349.41 MDD 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,795.28
MBA 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $698.82 MDE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,494.10
MBB 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,048.23 MDF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $4,192.92
MBC 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,397.64
MBE 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,747.05 MBN Bin roll out 1x weekly $69.18
MBD 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,096.46 MBO Bin roll out 2x weekly $138.36
MBP Bin roll out 3x weekly $207.54
MFV Livable Unit Charge $0.00 MBQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $276.72
MFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00 MBS Bin roll out 5x weekly $345.90
MLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $30.73 MBR Bin roll out 6x weekly $415.08
MSY City Bin on City Property Per Bin $126.25
MSZ Share Bin/Cart Service $66.41 MCJ Bin truck roll out 1x weekly $69.18
MCK Bin truck roll out 2x weekly $138.36
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate MCL Bin truck roll out 3x weekly $207.54
MCM Bin truck roll out 4x weekly $276.72
MCN Bin truck roll out 5x weekly $345.90
MCO Bin truck roll out 6x weekly $415.08
MULTI-FAMILY CART/BIN RATES
MISCELLANEOUS
SINGLE FAMILY RATES SINGLE FAMILY RATES
BI-MONTHLY SINGLE/MULTI FAMILY RATES
Rates effective July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
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Packet Pg. 506 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
CSA 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $97.54 CBA 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $344.01
CSB 1-65 gallon cart 2x weekly $200.48 CBB 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $693.42
CSC 1-65 gallon cart 3x weekly $303.42 CBC 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,042.83
CSE 1-65 gallon cart 4x weekly $406.36 CBD 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,392.24
CSF 1-65 gallon cart 5x weekly $509.30 CBG 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,741.65
CSD 1-65 gallon cart 6x weekly $205.43 CBE 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,091.06
CSG 1-65 gallon cart 7x weekly $239.67 CBF 2 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $2,440.47
CTA 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $127.41 CDA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $518.72
CTB 1-95 gallon cart 2x weekly $260.22 CDB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,042.84
CTC 1-95 gallon cart 3x weekly $393.03 CDC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,566.96
CTF 1-95 gallon cart 4x weekly $525.84 CDE 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,091.08
CTG 1-95 gallon cart 5x weekly $658.65 CDH 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,615.20
CTD 1-95 gallon cart 6x weekly $292.34 CDF 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,139.32
CTE 1-95 gallon cart 7x weekly $341.07 CDG 3 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $3,663.44
CXA 300 gallon container 1x weekly $299.85 CEA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $693.42
CXB 300 gallon container 2x weekly $605.10 CEB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,392.24
CXC 300 gallon container 3x weekly $910.35 CEC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,091.06
CXD 300 gallon container 4x weekly $1,215.60 CED 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,789.88
CXG 300 gallon container 5x weekly $1,520.85 CEE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,488.70
CXE 300 gallon container 6x weekly $620.92 CEF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $4,187.52
CXF 300 gallon container 7x weekly $700.59 CEG 4 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $4,886.34
CSX City bin on City Property Per Bin $126.25 CCN Bin roll out 1x weekly $69.18
CLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $30.73 CCO Bin roll out 2x weekly $138.36
CSZ Non-Semi Auto Service 2x/weekly $80.31 CCP Bin roll out 3x weekly $207.54
CCQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $276.70
CCS Bin roll out 5x weekly $345.86
RCS .75" Per Unit $0.00 CCR Bin roll out 6x weekly $415.12
RCT 1.00" Per Unit $0.00 CCT Bin roll out 7x weekly $484.22
RCU 1.5" Per Unit $0.00
RCV 2.00" Per Unit $0.00
RCW 3.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDJ Bin Truck roll out 1x weekly $69.18
RCX 4.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDK Bin Truck roll out 2x weekly $138.35
RCY 6.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDL Bin Truck roll out 3x weekly $207.57
CDM Bin Truck roll out 4x weekly $276.76
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate CDO Bin Truck roll out 5x weekly $345.92
CDN Bin Truck roll out 6x weekly $415.11
CDP Bin Truck roll out 7x weekly $484.33
BIN TRUCK ROLL OUT
STREET SWEEPING RATES (based on water meter size)
MISCELLANEOUS BIN ROLL OUT
300 GALLON CONTAINERS 4 CUBIC YARD BINS
95 GALLON CARTS 3 CUBIC YARD BINS
2 CUBIC YARD BINS65 GALLON CARTS
Rates effective July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025
BI-MONTHLY COMMERCIAL RATES
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
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Packet Pg. 507 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
SSC 1-65 gallon 1x weekly $114.26 SB2 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $387.84
SSD 2-65 gallon cart 1xweekly $228.52 SSZ Shared Container Service $73.71
SSE 3-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $342.78
SSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $147.42
SSG 2-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $294.84 RFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00
SSH 3-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $442.26 RFX Inactive Account $0.00
SSK 1-65 & 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $261.68 CRC Recycling Container $0.00
SX3 300 gallon container 1x weekly $338.83 SYC Yard Waste Container $0.00
RUC Residence Under Construction $114.26
MSC 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $114.26 MCA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $581.78
MSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $147.42 MCB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,163.56
$0.00 MCC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,745.34
MXQ 300 gallon Container 1x weekly $338.83 MCD 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,327.12
MXA 300 gallon Container 2x weekly $677.66 MCF 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,908.90
MXB 300 gallon Container 3x weekly $1,016.49 MCE 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,490.68
MXC 300 gallon Container 4x weekly $1,355.32
MXE 300 gallon Container 5x weekly $1,694.15 MDA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $775.70
MXD 300 gallon Container 6x weekly $861.25 MDB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,551.40
MDC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,327.10
MSQ 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $387.85 MDD 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $3,102.80
MBA 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $775.70 MDE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,878.50
MBB 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,163.55 MDF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $4,654.20
MBC 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,551.40
MBE 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,939.25 MBN Bin roll out 1x weekly $76.79
MBD 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,327.10 MBO Bin roll out 2x weekly $153.58
MBP Bin roll out 3x weekly $230.37
MFV Livable Unit Charge $0.00 MBQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $307.16
MFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00 MBS Bin roll out 5x weekly $383.95
MLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $34.11 MBR Bin roll out 6x weekly $460.74
MSY City Bin on City Property Per Bin $140.14
MSZ Share Bin/Cart Service $73.71 MCJ Bin truck roll out 1x weekly $76.79
MCK Bin truck roll out 2x weekly $153.58
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate MCL Bin truck roll out 3x weekly $230.37
MCM Bin truck roll out 4x weekly $307.16
MCN Bin truck roll out 5x weekly $383.95
MCO Bin truck roll out 6x weekly $460.74
MULTI-FAMILY CART/BIN RATES
MISCELLANEOUS
SINGLE FAMILY RATES SINGLE FAMILY RATES
BI-MONTHLY SINGLE/MULTI FAMILY RATES
Rates effective July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
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Packet Pg. 508 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
CSA 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $108.86 CBA 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $382.45
CSB 1-65 gallon cart 2x weekly $223.12 CBB 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $770.30
CSC 1-65 gallon cart 3x weekly $337.38 CBC 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,158.15
CSE 1-65 gallon cart 4x weekly $451.64 CBD 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,546.00
CSF 1-65 gallon cart 5x weekly $565.90 CBG 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $1,933.85
CSD 1-65 gallon cart 6x weekly $205.43 CBE 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,321.70
CSG 1-65 gallon cart 7x weekly $239.67 CBF 2 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $2,709.55
CTA 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $142.02 CDA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $576.38
CTB 1-95 gallon cart 2x weekly $289.44 CDB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,158.16
CTC 1-95 gallon cart 3x weekly $436.86 CDC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,739.94
CTF 1-95 gallon cart 4x weekly $584.28 CDE 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,321.72
CTG 1-95 gallon cart 5x weekly $731.70 CDH 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,903.50
CTD 1-95 gallon cart 6x weekly $292.34 CDF 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,485.28
CTE 1-95 gallon cart 7x weekly $341.07 CDG 3 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $4,067.06
CXA 300 gallon container 1x weekly $333.43 CEA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $770.30
CXB 300 gallon container 2x weekly $672.26 CEB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,546.00
CXC 300 gallon container 3x weekly $1,011.09 CEC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,321.70
CXD 300 gallon container 4x weekly $1,349.92 CED 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $3,097.40
CXG 300 gallon container 5x weekly $1,688.75 CEE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,873.10
CXE 300 gallon container 6x weekly $620.92 CEF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $4,648.80
CXF 300 gallon container 7x weekly $700.59 CEG 4 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $5,424.50
CSX City bin on City Property Per Bin $140.14 CCN Bin roll out 1x weekly $76.79
CLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $34.11 CCO Bin roll out 2x weekly $153.58
CSZ Non-Semi Auto Service 2x/weekly $89.14 CCP Bin roll out 3x weekly $230.37
CCQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $307.14
CCS Bin roll out 5x weekly $383.91
RCS .75" Per Unit $0.00 CCR Bin roll out 6x weekly $460.79
RCT 1.00" Per Unit $0.00 CCT Bin roll out 7x weekly $537.49
RCU 1.5" Per Unit $0.00
RCV 2.00" Per Unit $0.00
RCW 3.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDJ Bin Truck roll out 1x weekly $76.79
RCX 4.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDK Bin Truck roll out 2x weekly $153.57
RCY 6.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDL Bin Truck roll out 3x weekly $230.40
CDM Bin Truck roll out 4x weekly $307.20
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate CDO Bin Truck roll out 5x weekly $383.97
CDN Bin Truck roll out 6x weekly $460.77
CDP Bin Truck roll out 7x weekly $537.60
BIN TRUCK ROLL OUT
STREET SWEEPING RATES (based on water meter size)
MISCELLANEOUS BIN ROLL OUT
300 GALLON CONTAINERS 4 CUBIC YARD BINS
95 GALLON CARTS 3 CUBIC YARD BINS
65 GALLON CARTS 2 CUBIC YARD BINS
Rates effective July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
BI-MONTHLY COMMERCIAL RATES
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
DRAFTAttachment 2 Santa Monica RRR 5-Year Rate Study
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Packet Pg. 509 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
SSC 1-65 gallon 1x weekly $126.83 SB2 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $430.50
SSD 2-65 gallon cart 1xweekly $253.66 SSZ Shared Container Service $81.82
SSE 3-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $380.49
SSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $163.64
SSG 2-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $327.28 RFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00
SSH 3-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $490.92 RFX Inactive Account $0.00
SSK 1-65 & 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $290.47 CRC Recycling Container $0.00
SX3 300 gallon container 1x weekly $376.10 SYC Yard Waste Container $0.00
RUC Residence Under Construction $126.83
MSC 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $126.83 MCA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $645.77
MSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $163.64 MCB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,291.54
$0.00 MCC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,937.31
MXQ 300 gallon Container 1x weekly $376.10 MCD 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,583.08
MXA 300 gallon Container 2x weekly $752.20 MCF 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,228.85
MXB 300 gallon Container 3x weekly $1,128.30 MCE 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,874.62
MXC 300 gallon Container 4x weekly $1,504.40
MXE 300 gallon Container 5x weekly $1,880.50 MDA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $861.02
MXD 300 gallon Container 6x weekly $861.25 MDB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,722.04
MDC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,583.06
MSQ 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $430.51 MDD 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $3,444.08
MBA 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $861.02 MDE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $4,305.10
MBB 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,291.53 MDF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $5,166.12
MBC 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,722.04
MBE 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,152.55 MBN Bin roll out 1x weekly $85.24
MBD 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,583.06 MBO Bin roll out 2x weekly $170.48
MBP Bin roll out 3x weekly $255.72
MFV Livable Unit Charge $0.00 MBQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $340.96
MFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00 MBS Bin roll out 5x weekly $426.20
MLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $37.86 MBR Bin roll out 6x weekly $511.44
MSY City Bin on City Property Per Bin $155.56
MSZ Share Bin/Cart Service $81.82 MCJ Bin truck roll out 1x weekly $85.24
MCK Bin truck roll out 2x weekly $170.48
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate MCL Bin truck roll out 3x weekly $255.72
MCM Bin truck roll out 4x weekly $340.96
MCN Bin truck roll out 5x weekly $426.20
MCO Bin truck roll out 6x weekly $511.44
MULTI-FAMILY CART/BIN RATES
MISCELLANEOUS
SINGLE FAMILY RATES SINGLE FAMILY RATES
BI-MONTHLY SINGLE/MULTI FAMILY RATES
Rates effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
DRAFTAttachment 2 Santa Monica RRR 5-Year Rate Study
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Packet Pg. 510 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
CSA 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $121.43 CBA 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $425.11
CSB 1-65 gallon cart 2x weekly $248.26 CBB 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $855.62
CSC 1-65 gallon cart 3x weekly $375.09 CBC 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,286.13
CSE 1-65 gallon cart 4x weekly $501.92 CBD 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,716.64
CSF 1-65 gallon cart 5x weekly $628.75 CBG 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,147.15
CSD 1-65 gallon cart 6x weekly $205.43 CBE 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,577.66
CSG 1-65 gallon cart 7x weekly $239.67 CBF 2 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $3,008.17
CTA 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $158.24 CDA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $640.37
CTB 1-95 gallon cart 2x weekly $321.88 CDB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,286.14
CTC 1-95 gallon cart 3x weekly $485.52 CDC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,931.91
CTF 1-95 gallon cart 4x weekly $649.16 CDE 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,577.68
CTG 1-95 gallon cart 5x weekly $812.80 CDH 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,223.45
CTD 1-95 gallon cart 6x weekly $292.34 CDF 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $3,869.22
CTE 1-95 gallon cart 7x weekly $341.07 CDG 3 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $4,514.99
CXA 300 gallon container 1x weekly $370.70 CEA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $855.62
CXB 300 gallon container 2x weekly $746.80 CEB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,716.64
CXC 300 gallon container 3x weekly $1,122.90 CEC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,577.66
CXD 300 gallon container 4x weekly $1,499.00 CED 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $3,438.68
CXG 300 gallon container 5x weekly $1,875.10 CEE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $4,299.70
CXE 300 gallon container 6x weekly $620.92 CEF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $5,160.72
CXF 300 gallon container 7x weekly $700.59 CEG 4 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $6,021.74
CSX City bin on City Property Per Bin $155.56 CCN Bin roll out 1x weekly $85.24
CLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $37.86 CCO Bin roll out 2x weekly $170.48
CSZ Non-Semi Auto Service 2x/weekly $98.95 CCP Bin roll out 3x weekly $255.72
CCQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $340.94
CCS Bin roll out 5x weekly $426.16
RCS .75" Per Unit $0.00 CCR Bin roll out 6x weekly $511.50
RCT 1.00" Per Unit $0.00 CCT Bin roll out 7x weekly $596.64
RCU 1.5" Per Unit $0.00
RCV 2.00" Per Unit $0.00
RCW 3.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDJ Bin Truck roll out 1x weekly $85.24
RCX 4.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDK Bin Truck roll out 2x weekly $170.46
RCY 6.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDL Bin Truck roll out 3x weekly $255.74
CDM Bin Truck roll out 4x weekly $340.99
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate CDO Bin Truck roll out 5x weekly $426.20
CDN Bin Truck roll out 6x weekly $511.45
CDP Bin Truck roll out 7x weekly $596.73
BIN TRUCK ROLL OUT
STREET SWEEPING RATES (based on water meter size)
MISCELLANEOUS BIN ROLL OUT
300 GALLON CONTAINERS 4 CUBIC YARD BINS
95 GALLON CARTS 3 CUBIC YARD BINS
65 GALLON CARTS 2 CUBIC YARD BINS
Rates effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
BI-MONTHLY COMMERCIAL RATES
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
DRAFTAttachment 2 Santa Monica RRR 5-Year Rate Study
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Packet Pg. 511 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
SSC 1-65 gallon 1x weekly $140.78 SB2 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $477.86
SSD 2-65 gallon cart 1xweekly $281.56 SSZ Shared Container Service $90.82
SSE 3-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $422.34
SSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $181.64
SSG 2-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $363.28 RFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00
SSH 3-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $544.92 RFX Inactive Account $0.00
SSK 1-65 & 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $322.42 CRC Recycling Container $0.00
SX3 300 gallon container 1x weekly $417.47 SYC Yard Waste Container $0.00
RUC Residence Under Construction $140.78
MSC 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $140.78 MCA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $716.79
MSF 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $181.64 MCB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,433.58
MCC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,150.37
MXQ 300 gallon Container 1x weekly $417.47 MCD 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,867.16
MXA 300 gallon Container 2x weekly $834.94 MCF 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,583.95
MXB 300 gallon Container 3x weekly $1,252.41 MCE 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $4,300.74
MXC 300 gallon Container 4x weekly $1,669.88
MXE 300 gallon Container 5x weekly $2,087.35 MDA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $955.72
MXD 300 gallon Container 6x weekly $861.25 MDB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,911.44
MDC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,867.16
MSQ 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $477.86 MDD 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $3,822.88
MBA 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $955.72 MDE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $4,778.60
MBB 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,433.58 MDF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $5,734.32
MBC 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,911.44
MBE 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,389.30 MBN Bin roll out 1x weekly $94.62
MBD 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,867.16 MBO Bin roll out 2x weekly $189.24
$0.00 MBP Bin roll out 3x weekly $283.86
MFV Livable Unit Charge $0.00 MBQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $378.48
MFE No Charge/2nd Meter $0.00 MBS Bin roll out 5x weekly $473.10
MLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $42.02 MBR Bin roll out 6x weekly $567.72
MSY City Bin on City Property Per Bin $172.67
MSZ Share Bin/Cart Service $90.82 MCJ Bin truck roll out 1x weekly $94.62
MCK Bin truck roll out 2x weekly $189.24
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate MCL Bin truck roll out 3x weekly $283.86
MCM Bin truck roll out 4x weekly $378.48
MCN Bin truck roll out 5x weekly $473.10
MCO Bin truck roll out 6x weekly $567.72
MISCELLANEOUS
MULTI-FAMILY CART/BIN RATES
SINGLE FAMILY RATESSINGLE FAMILY RATES
Rates effective July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028
BI-MONTHLY SINGLE/MULTI FAMILY RATES
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
DRAFTAttachment 2 Santa Monica RRR 5-Year Rate Study
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Packet Pg. 512 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)
CSA 1-65 gallon cart 1x weekly $135.38 CBA 2 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $472.46
CSB 1-65 gallon cart 2x weekly $276.16 CBB 2 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $950.32
CSC 1-65 gallon cart 3x weekly $416.94 CBC 2 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $1,428.18
CSE 1-65 gallon cart 4x weekly $557.72 CBD 2 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $1,906.04
CSF 1-65 gallon cart 5x weekly $698.50 CBG 2 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $2,383.90
CSD 1-65 gallon cart 6x weekly $205.43 CBE 2 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $2,861.76
CSG 1-65 gallon cart 7x weekly $239.67 CBF 2 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $3,339.62
CTA 1-95 gallon cart 1x weekly $176.24 CDA 3 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $711.39
CTB 1-95 gallon cart 2x weekly $357.88 CDB 3 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,428.18
CTC 1-95 gallon cart 3x weekly $539.52 CDC 3 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,144.97
CTF 1-95 gallon cart 4x weekly $721.16 CDE 3 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $2,861.76
CTG 1-95 gallon cart 5x weekly $902.80 CDH 3 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $3,578.55
CTD 1-95 gallon cart 6x weekly $292.34 CDF 3 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $4,295.34
CTE 1-95 gallon cart 7x weekly $341.07 CDG 3 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $5,012.13
CXA 300 gallon container 1x weekly $412.07 CEA 4 cubic yard bin 1x weekly $950.32
CXB 300 gallon container 2x weekly $829.54 CEB 4 cubic yard bin 2x weekly $1,906.04
CXC 300 gallon container 3x weekly $1,247.01 CEC 4 cubic yard bin 3x weekly $2,861.76
CXD 300 gallon container 4x weekly $1,664.48 CED 4 cubic yard bin 4x weekly $3,817.48
CXG 300 gallon container 5x weekly $2,081.95 CEE 4 cubic yard bin 5x weekly $4,773.20
CXE 300 gallon container 6x weekly $620.92 CEF 4 cubic yard bin 6x weekly $5,728.92
CXF 300 gallon container 7x weekly $700.59 CEG 4 cubic yard bin 7x weekly $6,684.64
CSX City bin on City Property Per Bin $172.67 CCN Bin roll out 1x weekly $94.62
CLK Lock Charge/Per Bin $42.02 CCO Bin roll out 2x weekly $189.24
CSZ Non-Semi Auto Service 2x/weekly $109.83 CCP Bin roll out 3x weekly $283.86
CCQ Bin roll out 4x weekly $378.45
CCS Bin roll out 5x weekly $473.04
RCS .75" Per Unit $0.00 CCR Bin roll out 6x weekly $567.77
RCT 1.00" Per Unit $0.00 CCT Bin roll out 7x weekly $662.28
RCU 1.5" Per Unit $0.00
RCV 2.00" Per Unit $0.00
RCW 3.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDJ Bin Truck roll out 1x weekly $94.62
RCX 4.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDK Bin Truck roll out 2x weekly $189.21
RCY 6.00" Per Unit $0.00 CDL Bin Truck roll out 3x weekly $283.87
CDM Bin Truck roll out 4x weekly $378.49
TBD Compacted Waste Per Bin 2x Bin Rate CDO Bin Truck roll out 5x weekly $473.08
CDN Bin Truck roll out 6x weekly $567.70
CDP Bin Truck roll out 7x weekly $662.37
BIN TRUCK ROLL OUT
STREET SWEEPING RATES (based on water meter size)
BIN ROLL OUT MISCELLANEOUS
4 CUBIC YARD BINS300 GALLON CONTAINERS
3 CUBIC YARD BINS95 GALLON CARTS
RESOURCE RECOVERY & RECYCLING DIVISION
Rates effective July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028
BI-MONTHLY COMMERCIAL RATES
2 CUBIC YARD BINS65 GALLON CARTS
DRAFTAttachment 2 Santa Monica RRR 5-Year Rate Study
10 of 10
7.A.f
Packet Pg. 513 Attachment: Draft Report of Santa Monica Five-Year Solid Waste Rate Study, 2023-2028 [Revision 1] (5616 : Solid Waste Rate Study)