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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.A 07/15/2019L Agenda Item #4.AIg5$ DATE: July 15, 2019 TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager 61E/) FROM: Jason Beatty, P.E. — Assistant Director, Public Works and Utilities Department Patrick Carter,'Management Analyst II, Public Works and Utilities Department SUBJECT: Resolution Adopting Zero Waste Principles and Goal of 90% Reduction in Per Capita Solid Waste Disposal RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt a Resolution Adopting Zero Waste Principles and Goal of 90% Reduction in Per Capita Solid Waste Disposal. BACKGROUND An advisory group to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, the AB 939 Local Task Force (LTF), has created a Zero Waste resolution which it recommends the County and all Sonoma County cities adopt to create a countywide Zero Waste framework. The resolution was created through input from stakeholders including the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency (SCWMA), 350 Sonoma, North Bay Jobs with Justice, Sierra Club Redwood Chapter, Compost Coalition of Sonoma County, Zero Waste Sonoma County, North Bay Labor Council, Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority, Sonoma County Conservation Action, Recology Sonoma -Marin, Sonoma County Resource Recovery, and other local businesses and engaged citizens. The Zero Waste Resolution drew from examples of Zero Waste resolutions adopted by jurisdictions around the Bay Area, including Zero Waste Marin, Oakland, San Jose, Alameda, Palo Alto and San Francisco. Zero Waste principles include the promotion of the highest and best use of materials, emphasis of closed loop systems of production and consumption, and progress toward the goal of reducing waste generation and landfill disposal by more than 90% by improving downstream reuse and recycling of end -of -life products and materials, pursuing upstream redesign to reduce the volume and toxicity of discarded products and materials and promote less wasteful lifestyles, fostering and supporting the use of discarded products and materials to stimulate and drive local economic workforce development, and preserving land for sustainable develop and green industry infrastructure. DISCUSSION A similar Zero Waste resolution was presented to the Council at the June 15, 2019 City Council meeting and was not approved at that time. Feedback was given on 1) altering the title to more accurately reflect the goal the resolution would seek to accomplish, 2) defining the baseline to which a 90% waste reduction goal would be measured, 3) and removal of bullet 31. of the previous resolution, which promoted changing land use policies to encourage processing facilities, as that conflicted with previous Council direction. This feedback is incorporated into the resolution attached to this packet. PUBLIC OUTREACH The Zero Waste resolution was created by the LTF and adopted by the SCWMA in public meetings. The City of Sebastopol adopted the resolution in October 2018, of which an article was written by the Press Democrat'. If policies and ordinances supported by this Resolution are considered by the City Council in the future, additional public outreach will occur. FINANCIAL IMPACTS Adoption of the Zero Waste Resolution causes no direct financial impacts for the City. The resolution contains goals and examples of actions which may be taken by the City to reduce waste. Financial impacts of specific actions will be analyzed when such actions are proposed in the future. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution (updated) 2. Original Resolution, June 17, 2019 i https://www. press democrat.coolnews18851069-IS 1fsebastopoI-is-first-to-embrace 2 Attachment 1 -- RESOLUTION ADOPTING ZERO WASTE PRINCIPLES AND GOAL OF 90% REDUCTION IN PER CAPITA SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma is a member of the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency (SCWMA) which is a joint powers authority; and WHEREAS, the mission of the SCWMA is waste diversion required by State law AB939; and WHEREAS, the SCWMA's programs include household hazardous waste, composting, wood waste recycling, planning and education; and . WHEREAS, the AB939 Sonoma County Local Task Force on Integrated Waste Management (LTF) is an advisory body created by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to advise the Board of Supervisors as well as the SCWMA; and WHEREAS, for waste reduction purposes, the baseline utilized is the 14.2 pounds of waste produced per person per day in 2003 in Sonoma County, including Petaluma; and WHEREAS, by 2016 the waste produced per person per day had been reduced to 4.6 pounds in Sonoma County, including Petaluma; and WHEREAS, the LTF recommended that the Board of Directors of the SCWMA adopt a resolution establishing a goal of Zero Waste; and WHEREAS, the SCWMA on September 18, 2018 adopted by Resolution a goal of Zero Waste by 2030, and directed SCWMA staff to present the Resolution to the member jurisdictions for their consideration; and WHEREAS, this recommendation builds on all previous waste reduction efforts including but not limited to those pursuant to the County Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) and those pursued by the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG), and the SCWMA, as well as state initiatives and requirements; and WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma has met and exceeded the 50% diversion goal set by the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) by substantially reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting before landfilling, and is now working toward the statewide goal of 75% recycling, composting, or source reduction of solid waste by 2020; and WHEREAS, the US EPA has estimated 50% of all Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are caused by the extraction, production, transportation, and use of goods, including food, products and packaging, and that Zero Waste principles minimize GHG production and therefore support Sonoma County's Climate Initiative; and WHEREAS, in 2016, Sonoma County residents and businesses sent 420,865 tons to the landfill, generating approximately 103,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Center for Climate Protection Greenhouse Gas Report for 2016) from decomposing organic matter; and WHEREAS, the Short -Lived Climate Pollutants Reduction Act of 2016 (SB 1383) requires a 20% reduction of edible food waste by 2025 and a 40% reduction in methane levels by 2030; and WHEREAS, the substantial recycling progress to date has been slower than expected and, since 2012, waste disposal per person per day has increased by 35%; and WHEREAS, the Sonoma County Central Landfill, a very valuable resource worth preserving, has a remaining capacity of 29 years; and WHEREAS, the Redwood Landfill utilized by the City of Petaluma currently has a remaining capacity of 13 years; and WHEREAS, Zero Waste principles, in accordance with CalRecycle's (California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery) Zero Waste Hierarchy, promote the highest and best use of materials, emphasize a closed loop system of production and consumption, and move in logical increments toward the goal of reducing waste generation and landfill disposal through: • Improving "downstream" reuse and recycling of end -of -life products and materials to ensure their highest and best use; • Pursuing "upstream" re -design strategies to reduce the volume and toxicity of discarded products and materials and promote less wasteful lifestyles; • Fostering and supporting the use of discarded products and materials to stimulate and drive local economic workforce development; and • Preserving land for sustainable development and green industry infrastructure; and WHEREAS, a resource recovery -based economy will create and sustain more productive and meaningful jobs than a disposal -based economy; and WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma will assume a leadership role by setting Zero Waste as a goal. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Petaluma as follows: The City of Petaluma hereby encourages the pursuit of Zero Waste principles as a long-term goal in order to eliminate waste and pollution in the manufacture, use, storage, and recycling of materials. This goal can be achieved through action plans and measures that significantly reduce waste and pollution. These measures will include encouragement of residents, businesses, and agencies to judiciously use, reuse, and recycle materials, and motivation of businesses to manufacture and market less toxic and more durable, repairable, reusable, recycled, and recyclable products. C! 2. The City Council of the City of Petaluma hereby adopts the Zero Waste principles as defined by Zero Waste International Alliance as guiding principles for all municipal operations, outreach, and programs and actions within the community. 3. The City Council of the City of Petaluma sets the goal of a 90% reduction from 2003 baseline levels, to the goal of 1.4 pounds of waste per person per day, and commits to: a. Empowering waste reduction actions as a jurisdiction and a member of the SCWMA; b. Reducing the total pounds of waste produced per person per day as determined through the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery Electronic Annual Report process, currently 4.6, by at least 10% each year; c. Instituting and/or expanding cost-effective high diversion and Zero Waste goals and programs for all government facilities, events, and projects; d. Educating the public regarding the environmental and community benefits of reducing wasteful consumption and increasing diversion through reuse, repair, composting, and recycling; e. Strongly encouraging all residents, businesses, and agencies to participate in composting and recycling programs and to reduce and reuse; f. Updating the City's Green Purchasing, Environmentally Preferable Procurement (EPP), and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies; g. Supporting adoption and implementation of the countywide Construction and Demolition Reuse and Recycling Ordinance; h. Supporting equitable pay and safe working conditions for material management workers; i. Developing a sound financial model that can sustain high diversion and Zero Waste principle programs and enable long term delivery of quality services to the community. Attachment 2 RESOLUTION ADOPTING A GOAL OF ZERO WASTE BY 2030 WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma is a member of the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency (SCWMA) which is a joint powers authority; and WHEREAS, the mission of the SCWMA is waste diversion required by State law AB939; and WHEREAS, the SCWMA's programs include household hazardous waste, composting, wood waste recycling, planning and education; and WHEREAS, the AB939 Sonoma County Local Task Force on Integrated Waste Management (LTF) is an advisory body created by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to advise the Board of Supervisors as well as the SCWMA; and WHEREAS, the LTF.recommended that the Board of Directors of the SCWMA adopt a resolution establishing a goal of Zero Waste by 2030; and WHEREAS, the SCWMA on September 18, 2019 adopted by Resolution a goal of Zero Waste by 2030, and directed SCWMA staff to present the Resolution to the member jurisdictions for their consideration; and WHEREAS, this recommendation builds on all previous waste reduction efforts including but not limited to those pursuant to the County Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) and those pursued by the Solid Waste Advisory Group (SWAG), and the SCWMA, as well as state initiatives and requirements; and WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma has met and exceeded the 50% diversion goal set by the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) by substantially reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting before landfilling, and is now working toward the statewide goal of 75% recycling, composting, or source reduction of solid waste by 2020; and WHEREAS, the US EPA has estimated 50% of all Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are caused by the extraction, production, transportation, and use of goods, including food, products and packaging, and that Zero Waste principles minimize GHG production and therefore support Sonoma County's Climate Initiative; and WHEREAS, in 2016, Sonoma County residents and businesses sent 420,865 tons to the landfill, generating approximately 103,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Center for Climate Protection Greenhouse Gas Report for 2016) from decomposing organic matter; and WHEREAS, the Short -Lived Climate Pollutants Reduction Act of 2016 (SB 1383) requires a 20% reduction of edible food waste by 2025 and a 40% reduction in methane levels by 2030; and 0 WHEREAS, the substantial recycling progress to date has been slower than expected and, since 2012, waste disposal per person per day has increased by 35%; and WHEREAS, the Sonoma County Central Landfill, a very valuable resource worth preserving, has a remaining capacity of 29 years; and WHEREAS, Zero Waste principles, in accordance with CalRecycle's (California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery) Zero Waste Hierarchy, promote the highest and best use of materials, emphasize a closed loop system of production and consumption, and move in logical increments toward the goal of reducing waste generation and landfill disposal by more than 90% through: • Improving "downstream" reuse and recycling of end -of -life products and materials to ensure their highest and best use; • Pursuing "upstream" re -design strategies to reduce the volume and toxicity of discarded products and materials and promote less wasteful lifestyles; • Fostering and supporting the use of discarded products and materials to stimulate and drive local economic workforce development; and • Preserving land for sustainable development and green industry infrastructure; and WHEREAS, a resource recovery -based economy will create and sustain more productive and meaningful jobs than a disposal -based economy; and WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma will assume a leadership role by setting Zero Waste as a goal. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Petaluma as follows: 1. The City of Petaluma hereby encourages the pursuit of Zero Waste principles as a long-term goal in order to eliminate waste and pollution in the manufacture, use, storage, and recycling of materials. This goal can be achieved through action plans and measures that significantly reduce waste and pollution. These measures will include encouragement of residents, businesses, and agencies to judiciously use, reuse, and recycle materials, and motivation of businesses to manufacture and market less toxic and more durable, repairable, reusable, recycled, and recyclable products. 2. The City Council of the City of Petaluma hereby adopts the Zero Waste principles as defined by Zero Waste International Alliance as guiding principles for all municipal operations, outreach, and programs and actions within the community. 3. The City Council of the City of Petaluma sets the goal of Zero Waste by 2030 and commits to: a. Empowering waste reduction actions as a jurisdiction and a member of the SCWMA; b. Reducing the total pounds of waste produced per person per day, currently 4.6, by at least 10% each year; 7 c. Instituting and/or expanding high diversion and Zero Waste goals and programs for all government facilities, events, and projects; d. Educating the public regarding the environmental and community benefits of reducing wasteful consumption and increasing diversion through reuse, repair, composting, and recycling; e. Strongly encouraging all residents, businesses, and agencies to participate in composting and recycling programs and to reduce and reuse; f. Updating the City's Green Purchasing, Environmentally Preferable Procurement (EPP); and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies; g. Supporting adoption and implementation of the countywide Construction and Demolition Reuse and Recycling Ordinance; h. Adopting land use policies to facilitate the siting and permitting of processing and end market infrastructure that will be needed to manage the volume of material from higher levels of diversion; i. Supporting equitable pay and safe working conditions for material management workers; j. Developing a sound financial model that can sustain high diversion and Zero Waste principle programs and enable long term delivery of quality services to the community.