City of Alameda
Prepared by:
City of Alameda and HF&H Consultants
Prepared on:
November 2025
Creating a sustainable,
safe urban environment.
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025
Z ero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 B
City of Alameda
Contents
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Section 1: Introduction 8 Section 2: Current Challenges and Successes 13 Section 3: A New Path Forward 16 Section 4: Proposed Programs 30 Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Attachment A: 2018 ZWIP Update Program Progress 51 Attachment B: Residential Survey Results 64 Attachment C: Proposed Program Descriptions 94 Attachment D: Cost and Diversion Analysis 117 Acknowledgements
City Council
City Manager’s Office
Public Works Staff:
Erin Smith - Public Works Director
Liz Acord - Public Works Coordinator
Emily Antenen - Management Analyst
Laurenteen Brazil - Program Specialist
Marc Green - Program Specialist Arielle
Llewellyn - Program Specialist
Community Action for
Sustainable Alameda
Chamber of Commerce
Downtown Alameda Business
Association
West Alameda Business Association
Alameda Unified School District
Village of Love
Alameda Point Collaborative
Dignity Village
Alameda’s Commercial and
Multi-Family Community
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 1
City of Alameda
Executive
Summary
Introduction
Purpose
High impact
solutions developed
through deep and
lasting community
engagement
Manifold benefits
distributed
equitably across
the community
T argeted programs
focused on reuse
and behavior
change
The overarching vision of the
2025 ZWIP Update can be
summarized in the following three
pillars, which serve to deepen
the community’s engagement in
existing programs and develop
new ones tailored for portions
of the community that have
historically received less focus:
Through numerous efforts and
programs, the City of Alameda
(City) has positioned itself as a
leader in sustainability As an island
community, the City understands the
unique challenges and privileges of
their geographic position and strives
to ensure the City’s actions support
the City’s general mission statement
to create a “sustainable urban
environment that is safe ” Through
the development of numerous plans,
as further described in Section
1 A, the City has set an ambitious
goal of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions through improvements
to transportation, buildings, energy
use, and waste management A
focus on reducing waste has been a
recurring theme in meeting the City’s
environmental goals In meeting
these goals, and in recognition of
the unique and diverse communities
living within the City, equity has
increasingly been at the forefront of
the City’s efforts Utilizing an equity
lens in the development of programs
and policies is recognized as a key
factor to ensure widespread support
of new programs and long-term
success This success is also driven
through long-term investments
and the City’s commitment to its
zero waste goals as demonstrated
by the continuous updates to its
Zero Waste Implementation Plan
(ZWIP), originally developed in 2010
This report serves as the second
update to the ZWIP (2025 ZWIP
Update) and aims to review the City’s
waste diversion from the landfill as
compared to its prior diversion goals,
develop policies and programs
to move the City further toward
zero waste, and conduct sufficient
community outreach to ensure such
policies and programs are aligned
with the community’s desires and are
implemented equitably among the
City’s diverse population
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 2
City of Alameda
The City’s current diversion
rate, as of 2023, is 80%. If
the programs and policies
outlined in this plan are fully
implemented, it is expected
to add an additional 4.46%
to the City’s diversion rate.
T o achieve this, programs
will need to be effectively
implemented, and the City
will need to fund consistent
efforts towards long-
term behavior change to
achieve and maintain these
performance levels, as
further described here.
Projected
Outcome
The expected diversion from each
of the programs and policies in this
plan does not bridge the entire gap to
reach the City’s 89% diversion goal
However, the programs and policies
drive the City closer to this diversion
goal while simultaneously supporting
key values and themes set forth in the
City’s General Plan including equity,
access, and the empowerment of
residents and communities
This plan aims to strengthen the
foundational elements of a zero-
waste community established by
the 2010 and 2018 ZWIPs, deepen
community engagement to achieve
widespread adoption of zero waste
practices, and connect with critically
underserved groups in the City’s
community This approach will require
the City to evaluate programs and
recommend changes to respond to
the City’s changing social, economic,
and political culture, and to capitalize
on new diversion opportunities
Additionally, this plan will be
implemented at the same time as
a number of substantial State-level
policies, such as new Extended
Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws
and continued implementation of
existing state laws like Senate Bill
(SB) 1383,which, combined with the
efforts described later in this plan,
move the City much closer to that
89% goal The impacts of these
state policies are expected to be
significant, with packaging EPR
targeting a 65% recovery of plastic
and packaging waste, textile EPR
establishing an extensive take-
back and collection infrastructure
for clothing and apparel, and full
enforcement of SB 1383 focused
Executive Summary
Z ero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 3
City of Alameda
As a result of the focus on equity and access for historically underserved portions of the community and this highly dynamic regulatory environment, the 2025 ZWIP Update does not
include a goal date at which the City will achieve 89% diversion While previous ZWIPs included a specific goal date, this ZWIP does not propose a goal date as at this stage of Alameda’s Zero Waste journey the programs and practices presented herein will need to be continued (and measured) on an ongoing basis How will
it work?
Through the
development of
numerous plans,
the City has set
an ambitious
goal of reducing
greenhouse gas
emissions through
improvements to
transportation,
buildings, energy
use, and waste
management.
on the remaining organics in the
disposal stream As the state
implements these programs, the
City will be expected to participate
and will have opportunities to
enhance those programs, specific
to Alameda, along the way While
there is some expectation of funding
from industry for the EPR programs,
it is likely that the City will incur some
costs associated with implementing
these programs Consistent funding
of these efforts will be important
to realizing the circular economy
opportunities that are presented by
these new policies
As a result of the focus on equity and
access for historically underserved
portions of the community and
this highly dynamic regulatory
environment, the 2025 ZWIP
Update does not include a goal
date at which the City will achieve
89% diversion It is recommended
that staff communicate annually to
the community and City Council
about the status of each program,
current diversion status and any
recommended changes This
will help staff and City Council
cooperatively navigate the dynamism
that is expected at this stage in
Alameda’s Zero Waste efforts It will
also help ensure the City continues
to make progress toward the 89%
diversion goal and carries out the
Council-approved programs from
the 2025 ZWIP Update Additional
recommendations for how to ensure
transparency and accountability
through annual updates are included
in Section 4 A 3
The success and effectiveness of
each program and policy in this plan
relies on City Council’s adoption of
this 2025 ZWIP Update in addition
to appropriately funding each
program through the City’s biennial
budgeting process Individual
programs recommended by the
2025 ZWIP Update will be brought to
City Council separately for approvals
and funding as needed through the
budgeting process
DIVERSION RA TE GOAL
89%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 4
City of Alameda
Strategy to Achieve
ZWIP Goals
A key element of the City’s success in increasing its
diversion rate from 2018 to 2022 is the City’s prioritization of expanding the community’s access to, and participation in, zero waste programs These efforts have been largely successful for certain segments of the population,
mainly those with existing means and motivations to
implement zero waste practices The City’s remaining path to reaching the 89% diversion goal relies on additional participation from different segments of the community, particularly those that previously had low engagement or face unique barriers to participation in the City’s zero waste efforts The 2025 ZWIP Update focuses on these priority populations that include the City’s small businesses,
unhoused community, low-income community, multi-
family dwelling unit residents, and small construction
projects. While these community groups may not make
up the largest portion of the City’s population, the lack of deep engagement with these communities has led to
missed diversion opportunities As the City approaches
its 89% diversion goal, the incremental impact of new
programs and polices becomes smaller; however,
the importance of implementing these programs and
engaging the priority populations described here cannot be understated Equitable participation and engagement
from all sectors of the community establishes the zero
waste culture and foundation the City needs to push
beyond a potential diversion plateau Additionally,
developing strong relationships and trust among all
sectors of the community allows the City to more easily capitalize on new diversion opportunities that arise,
whether it is through the implementation of state policies or a shifting local landscape
Ensuring the entirety of the City’s community is
participating relies on an on-going investment both in
and from the community, through an equity-focused
lens Additional information about the unique barriers
and reasons these groups were selected as priority
populations is included in Section 3 A 1 This 2025 ZWIP Update is primarily focused on the aforementioned
members of the community that are not currently
participating in the City’s zero waste programs A robust community engagement strategy, as further described
below and in Section 3 B of this report, identified education and access as key barriers to participation by these
communities Individualized approaches were developed
as part of the 2025 ZWIP Update to address these specific barriers This approach not only supports the 2025 ZWIP Update’s equity goals but also unlocks new diversion
potential through increased participation
Equitable Participation
Equitable participation and engagement from all sectors of the community establishes the zero waste culture and foundation the City needs to push beyond a potential diversion plateau.
Executive Summary
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 5
City of Alameda
Looking Upstream
For the priority populations listed above, long-lasting engagement will require a strategic focus on behavior
change and upstream solutions that reduce the amount
of waste generated overall prior to entering the waste
stream While downstream management of waste, such
as mandatory composting and recycling collection, are
important for diversion, the City will need to go above and beyond these standard diversion programs to
bridge the remaining gap towards its diversion target
and drive lasting change Even when fully implemented, downstream solutions reach a threshold at which they
are limited in the amount of waste they can continue
to capture Shifting to upstream solutions that prevent single-use materials from being generated or used in
the first place is necessary to unlock remaining diversion potential Lasting impact comes from transforming
how people think, consume, and dispose of materials
By fostering a shift in mindset—encouraging mindful
consumption and reuse—people become more
intentional in their actions, making sustainable choices part of their daily routines Behavioral change also has the potential to ripple through communities, influencing broader societal norms and ultimately creating a culture of sustainability This behavior change contributes to a collective effort that can drive significant environmental change The 2025 ZWIP Update therefore focuses on
behavior change and reuse as two key strategies in the
development of recommended programs
In addition to individual and collective behavior change at the local level, upstream solutions on a broader scale are necessary to address the true root cause of waste
production In an effort toward a more circular economy, the State of California (State) has increasingly introduced EPR policies that aim to shift the responsibility for waste and pollution to the producers of the products As
discussed above, the programs proposed in this plan will not meet the City’s full diversion target However, State- level policies and EPR can help bridge the gap by shifting the composition of the waste stream to materials designed for recyclability, reducing confusion for consumers,
supporting source reduction and reuse, restoring
confidence in the recycling system, and providing financial support for diversion programs Specific EPR policies,
such as Senate Bill (SB) 54 and SB 707, and related
legislation such as Assembly Bill (AB) 1201 and SB 343, are discussed in Sections 3 A 2 and 4 A 2
In addition to individual
and collective behavior
change at the local level,
upstream solutions
on a broader scale are
necessary to address
the true root cause of
waste production
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 6
City of Alameda
Education and outreach at the community level is critical to the success of zero waste programs The City has
historically engaged with key community organizations
to support its zero waste programs, such as Community
Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) and Alameda’s
Business Associations and partnered with agencies
like the Alameda County Waste Management Authority
(StopWaste) These partnerships have been integral
to achieving the City’s diversion efforts thus far In this next phase of zero waste programming, the City must
continue to foster these existing relationships while
expanding efforts to engage with those outside of these communities Considering the unique nature of each of
the priority populations presented above, individualized outreach tactics must be implemented This 2025
ZWIP Update explores more innovative and tailored
education approaches such as Community-Based Social
Marketing (CBSM), which focuses on identifying barriers and opportunities, and targets specific audiences and
behaviors to drive lasting behavior change Additionally, education is most representative when affected
communities are proactively engaged and given a platform to make their voices heard
T o ensure effective and equitable solutions were
developed as part of this 2025 ZWIP Update, a
significant amount of community engagement activities
were conducted These efforts focused on creating
opportunities to share resources and ideas between
different portions of the community, identifying barriers for the City’s priority populations, and developing creative solutions to such barriers Community engagement
activities included holding community meetings, facilitating focus groups, surveying the general public, participating in equity scans, and presenting to City Council The details of these community engagement efforts are further
described in Section 3 B
Community
Engagement
Residential
Survey
Engagement
Meetings
Focus
Groups
City
Council
Equity
Scans
Key themes from these community
engagement activities included:
• Increasing education and outreach
• Supporting specific sectors (e g , multi-family
properties and small businesses)
• Promoting reuse
• Reducing illegal dumping
• Improving City zero waste leadership
• Ensuring accountability
This extensive community engagement is a
demonstration of the 2025 ZWIP Update’s commitment
to equity and engagement to foster long-term
community participation As part of the implementation
of the 2025 ZWIP , on-going engagement with
key community stakeholders and City Council is
recommended, as further described below
Community Engagement
Executive Summary
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 7
City of Alameda
programs The full list of proposed programs and the
potential diversion and resource needs for each program are detailed in Section 4 and summarized in Attachment D Funding Approach
If the City Council adopts the 2025 ZWIP Update, thereby providing general approval for the proposed programs,
a budget for each selected program will need separate
approval as part of the City’s budgeting process The City has a number of potential revenue sources to consider for future budgeting including the City’s franchise agreement, Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling
Initiative of 1990 (Measure D) funding, and the General Fund Additional funding sources and considerations are further described in Section 4 C of this report The 2025 ZWIP Update assumes that the City will continue to use
a mix of funding sources to implement the proposed zero waste programs and each funding plan will be analyzed
and discussed during the biennial budget process for
consideration by City Council
Staffing Approach
The 2025 ZWIP Update anticipates the Department of
Public Works Zero Waste Program as the designated
lead department to oversee and monitor development
of the programs and monitor progress towards the
diversion target However, the City will rely on substantial cooperation and support from other departments
including Planning, Building, and T ransportation, Housing and Human Services, and Economic Development, in
addition to procuring external support from third-party contractors and partnering with community groups,
such as CASA See Section 4 B, Staffing Summary, for
additional information on anticipated staffing requirements to implement the proposed programs
Proposed Programs and Policies
Based on the public input received, assessment of
historical performance, and guidance from City staff,
twelve programs and policies were proposed to support
the City in increasing its diversion rate are proposed
and meeting its equity and engagement goals Some
programs have been designed as shorter-term pilot
studies in order to determine effectiveness prior to scaling In addition to the diversion increase expected at these program’s full maturity, enhancements to or scaling of
the pilot programs in the future could lead to diversion increases beyond the 4 46% Other programs focus on
on-going efforts by the City and will require continuous resourcing in order to remain effective The status and effectiveness of each program and policy should be
monitored within the first to third year of implementation to determine if the program should be continued Annually, as the City develops its budget for the upcoming year,
an evaluation of the current programs can be presented
to the City Council with a recommendation for how to
improve, maintain, or discontinue the program These
recommendations would come with any budget request
or modifications required to implement the changes
Figure ES- 1 presents the total start-up costs, on-going costs, and the maximum potential diversion for the 12
programs proposed in Section 4, at the programs’ full
maturity Costs represent the funds needed in addition
to any current budget the City already allocates to these Zero Waste Plan Summary
Number of
Proposed
Programs
12 T otal On-Going Annual
Costs Per Y ear
(all programs)
$1,527,000
T otal Diverted
T ons Per Y ear
(all programs)
T otal Change
in Diversion %
(all programs)
6,829 4.46%
T otal One- Time Costs
(all programs)
$1,072,000
FIGURE ES-1. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PROGRAM COSTS AND DIVERSION
THREE PRIORITY PROGRAMS
1 Enhancing the bulky item collection program
2 Managing illegal dumping
3 Supporting low-income & unhoused communities
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025
01 section
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 9
City of Alameda
Introduction
A Why Zero Waste?
01 Alameda’s
Commitment to
Climate Resiliency
Over the past several decades, the City of Alameda (City) has established itself as a leader in sustainability and zero waste programs. In 1997, Alameda became the first city in the County of Alameda (County) to implement single-stream recycling.
Just five years later in 2002, the City began implementing food scraps composting. Since then, the City has continued to demonstrate how communities can enjoy the manifold
benefits of reducing waste, including reductions in litter and pollution, healthier ecosystems and waterways, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions through strategic policy and
program implementation.
As an island community, the City is particularly vulnerable to the threat of rising seas and groundwater levels resulting from increased global temperatures In 2008, the City adopted its first Local Action Plan for Climate Protection with a goal of reducing City-wide greenhouse gas emissions to 25% below 2005 levels by the year 2020 Within this plan, waste prevention and recycling were identified as key strategies for reaching the City’s climate goals In 2019, the City adopted its first Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP), which set the ambitious goal of reducing emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible The City recently conducted a Mid-Cycle CARP Update, approved by City Council approval in April, 2025, with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing quality of life, and building a resilient, thriving City In the most recent CARP , waste reduction continues to be an integral component to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the City’s overall climate goals The CARP covers climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, and greenhouse gas reduction and serves as an umbrella for other City plans and initiatives1 In 2023, the City prioritized the second update to the ZWIP , and engaged HF&H Consultants, LLC (HF&H) to conduct the 2025 ZWIP Update The 2025 ZWIP Update seeks to build upon the aforementioned plans to create solutions that align with the City’s historic environmental and equity goals
1 Initiatives and plans under the CARP umbrella include: the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, General Plan Safety Element, Oakland Alameda Adaptation Committee, Equitable Building Decarbonization Plan, Urban Forest Plan, T ransportation Choices Plan, Active T ransportation plan, and the Zero Waste Implementation Plan When CARP is referred to, it includes these initiatives Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 10
City of AlamedaCity of Alameda
FIGURE 1: 2010 AND 2018 ZWIP GOALS
B Establishing Zero Waste Goals
County and State-Wide Goals
The State of California (State) and the Alameda (County) in particular have both been nation-wide leaders in
implementing successful solid waste policies The City’s zero waste efforts have been informed by various County and State-wide waste diversion policies and programs,
including the following:
¥ Assembly Bill (AB) 939, passed in 1989, established a 50% diversion target for each jurisdiction in the
State by 2000
¥ Senate Bill (SB) 1383, the Short-Lived Climate
Pollutions Reduction Act, was passed in 2016 and
set State-wide goals for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions While SB 1383 did not set jurisdiction-
level diversion targets, the SB 1383 regulations,
effective January 1, 2022, created a multitude of new
requirements for jurisdictions’ recycling programs with the goal of eliminating organic material from landfills ¥ The California Green Building Standards Code
(CALGreen), and its subsequent adoption into the City’s Municipal Code, established a 65% diversion target for
regulated construction and demolition projects
¥ The Alameda County Source Reduction and
Recycling Initiative of 1990 (Measure D) established
a County-wide diversion target of 75% by 2010
¥ Utilize a whole-system approach
to policy and program design
¥ Reduce the overall amount of consumption
¥ Minimize waste and maximizing recycling
¥ Support producer responsibility
¥ Support zero waste culture
¥ Provide technical assistance to
commercial and multi-family properties
¥ Create a food recovery program and
enhance organics management
¥ Update the construction and
demolition debris (C&D) ordinance
¥ Expand the City’s high diversion
franchise agreement
Introduction
2018 Goals2010 Goals
City Zero Waste Goals
In response to County and State-wide policies and the
findings and recommendations in the City’s Local Plan
for Climate Protection, the City established the first Zero Waste Implementation Plan (ZWIP), which was adopted
by the City Council in 2010 The 2010 ZWIP set the City on a path to continue meeting State and local diversion targets while also initiating a long-term, systematic,
approach to achieving zero waste This approach took
into consideration that true zero waste is an aspirational goal, and some materials will continue to require disposal options As such, the plan established a goal of achieving 89% City-wide diversion or 1 2 pounds per day of disposal per person, by 2020 In order to achieve this goal, the plan identified key initiatives to focus on, as shown in Figure 1 By 2016, the City had surpassed the diversion targets
set by both AB 939 and Measure D However, despite
these efforts, the City was still shy of reaching its 89% diversion goal by approximately 10% In response to this shortfall and with SB 1383 on the horizon, the City initiated a comprehensive review and update of the original ZWIP
in 2018 (2018 ZWIP Update) to establish a roadmap to
meet SB 1383 compliance and achieve the City’s 2020
diversion target
The 2018 ZWIP Update identified five key strategies
necessary to meet State requirements and reach 89%
diversion, as shown alongside the 2010 ZWIP goals
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 11
City of Alameda
02 03
04 ++
01 The results of the analysis conducted as part of the 2018 ZWIP Update concluded that the City was not on track to obtain 89% diversion by 2020 Rather than amend the goal or timeline, which was proposed as an option, the City Council adopted the 2018 ZWIP Update with the intent of implementing the identified strategies and continuing progress towards the zero waste goal without tying the goal to a specific date
This 2025 ZWIP Update proposes a plan to continue progress toward the City’s original 89% diversion goal without reinstating a specific timeline for reaching that goal While previous ZWIPs incorporated definitive timelines and end dates, the 2025 ZWIP Update is structured to maintain flexibility to adapt to the changing needs of the City over time Each proposed program, throughout its development and at program maturity, has the potential to be expanded, reconfigured, maintained, or discontinued depending on its success Annual evaluations will allow the City to pivot funding and focus on the programs and policies most appropriate for the current state of the City’s social, economic, and political environment Therefore, due to the dynamic nature of implementing the proposed programs, this 2025 ZWIP Update does not propose to meet the zero waste goal by a specific date
Section 1 provides an introduction and background of the 2025 ZWIP Update and outlines the organization and key assumptions and limitations of the report.
Section 2 provides a summary of the City’s current progress towards zero waste, including successes and challenges in implementing the adopted strategies from the 2018 ZWIP Update and opportunities for increasing the City’s overall diversion.
Section 3 describes how the development of the 2025 ZWIP Update was strategically designed to overcome barriers to achieving zero waste and key program areas for development. Section 3 additionally outlines the 2025 ZWIP Update’s purpose and vision and how this differs from previous ZWIP iterations.
Section 4 summarizes a final list of proposed programs and policies, including implementation considerations, diversion, and costs. Attachment C provides a more detailed description of the proposed programs.
Attachments to this report provide additional details to the information in the body of the report. Please see the attachments for more details about program progress, survey results, proposed program descriptions, and cost and diversion analysis.
C Report Organization
The 2025 ZWIP Update is organized into multiple sections:
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 12
City of Alameda
Education and outreach
at the community level is
critical to the success of
zero waste programs.
D Key Assumptions and Limitations
The following key assumptions were made in producing this report:
1. Data Sources
• HF&H has not independently audited cost or performance data provided by the City and the City’s franchise hauler, Alameda County Industries (ACI), and HF&H assumes that data to be accurate. • The most recently available CalRecycle data for disposal (2022) at the time this analysis was conducted was used as the basis for comparison of progress from 2018. CalRecycle has since published disposal data from 2023; however, this data was not available until after the cost and diversion analyses for the 2025 ZWIP were completed and 2023 data has therefore not been included in the analysis.
2. Cost and Diversion Analysis
• The costs and diversion analysis figures presented in this report are estimates, and the manner in which the programs are implemented will impact actual costs and diversion. • City staff costs are based on hourly wage rates and include an additional 40% to account for the City’s estimated overhead costs.
• All costs are estimates based on the information and data provided during this process, and selected programs will be budgeted by the City for budget approval by the City Council.
3. The report relies on representations made by City staff and management, which were assumed to be accurate.
4. The final focus areas and proposed programs were selected by City staff based on analysis of potential diversion related to community needs, and HF&H does not guarantee implementation of these programs will meet the City’s diversion target.
5. The State has and will continue to pass laws and regulations that impact diversion goals and requirements for local jurisdictions. Aspects of the 2025 ZWIP Update may need to be re-evaluated in response to substantive legislative or regulatory changes.
02 section
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 14
City of Alameda Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 14
Current Challenges
and Successes
02 The 2018 ZWIP Update included five strategies for the City to achieve its zero waste goal, as shown in Figure 1 above Each strategy contained multiple program
components, many of which were implemented by the
City The 2018 ZWIP Update did not identify quantitative metrics for all programs; therefore, the programs were
qualitatively evaluated on a scale of completeness
compared to what was recommended in the 2018 ZWIP
Update Qualitative measurements were determined
based on perceived success of the programs (determined
through City staff interviews) and how fully specific tasks were implemented Quantitative data was also evaluated
where available Please see Attachment A for a full
evaluation of the City’s progress toward implementing
each of the strategies, including summary status and
a detailed checklist of each action item identified in the 2018 ZWIP Update Additionally, Attachment A highlights challenges faced during implementation, such as the
COVID- 19 pandemic, unique challenges with the multi-
family sector, lack of clear action steps, and resource limitations It also highlights opportunities identified, including those related to the multi-family sector, bulky item collection, source reduction, business support, and construction and demolition debris (C&D) diversion
Current Program Progress
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 15
City of Alameda
Diversion Trends
As described in Section 1, the City set the goal of achieving an 89% diversion, or 1 2 pounds disposed per person per day (PPD), rate by 2020 2 The City has not yet reached its 2020 target but has seen an increased diversion over time from 2018 to 2024 The City had a diversion rate of 77% (2 5 PPD) in 2018, which increased to 81% diversion (2 1 PPD) by 2022 The increase in diversion from 2018 to 2022 is a testament to the City’s efforts in implementing waste reduction and recycling programs since the 2018 ZWIP Update At the time of writing this report, the latest available data from CalRecycle showed that the City’s diversion rate had dropped to 80% in 2023 3 This decline demonstrates how sensitive the diversion progress is to changes in social, cultural, economic, and political atmospheres, as well as how small amounts of waste tonnage not diverted can strongly impact the diversion rates at this stage in the progress towards Zero Waste or 89% diversion Reduced momentum due to shifting priorities, inconsistent efforts in zero waste programs and outreach, changing consumer habits (as seen following the COVID 19 pandemic), and global market disruptions such as China’s National Sword policy4, can all dramatically impact diversion rates Since the substantive drafting of this report, new data from CalRecycle for 2024 shows the City’s diversion rate recovering to 81% In order to continue this increasing diversion trend, the City will need to continue resourcing current zero waste efforts while also investing in strategic enhancements, new programs, and deeper community engagement
FIGURE 2. DIVERSION RA TE EQUIVALENT (2018-2023)
Please see Attachment A for additional diversion figures, explanation of the diversion calculation approach, and description of the City’s overall disposal and diversion progress
2 The City measures diversion according to CalRecycle’s calculations of per capital disposal, measured as pounds of waste disposed per person per day (PPD) This is then converted into a diversion percentage equivalent Explanation and examples of the diversion equivalent calculation are included in Attachment A 3 While the diversion figure for 2023 is included in this section, data published by CalRecycle in 2022 was the most recently available public data from CalRecycle at the time the analysis for this report was conducted, and therefore 2022 data has been used for the purposes of cost and diversion analysis in Section 4 The City has submitted a disposal tonnage modification request to CalRecycle, which may increase the City’s 2023 diversion number to 79%, if approved 4 China’s National Sword policy, implemented in 2018, restricted the import of waste, particularly of plastic and paper, into China The policy set strict contamination standards for recyclable materials and banned certain types of waste, which decreased the recycling market capacity previously available to the United States Diversion Rate (2018-2023)
Diversion %
Diversion Zero Waste Goal
95%
90%
85%
80%
89% 89% 89% 89% 89% 89% 89%
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
77% 78% 79% 79%
81% 81%80%
75%
03 section
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 17
City of Alameda
2025 ZWIP Update Purpose and Vision
03 A New Path Forward
Vision
Multi-Family properties face unique barriers that have been challenging to address for the City and many jurisdictions For example, the use of shared service makes educating individual tenants more complicated compared to single-family homes with clear points of contact High turnover of tenants also makes it difficult to provide consistent on-going education and often results in significant amounts of waste during move-in and move-outs Additionally, in recent years, the City has seen more development of multi-family complexes and an influx of young professionals and others moving to the island Engaging the increasing multi-family population and new residents that may not yet have strong ties to the City’s historic culture will be critical The City previously conducted technical assistance to the commercial and multi- family sectors in response to recommendations from the 2018 ZWIP Update While this assistance was largely successful, the unique barriers faced by multi-family properties warrants continued investment
Multi-Family Properties
As discussed in Section 1 A, the City has made a strong commitment to climate resiliency and environmental protection, as seen in its Local Action Plan for Climate Mitigation, CARP initiatives, ZWIP , General Plan, and other City policies Additionally, a shared priority among all these plans is supporting under-served and under-represented communities and the active engagement of these populations in all levels of City decision making This objective remains at the forefront of the City’s General Plan, CARP , and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives T o align with these environmental and equity goals, the 2025 ZWIP Update aims to integrate zero waste activities within all facets of the City’s community As a result, the 2025 ZWIP Update focuses on establishing meaningful connections with people in the community who have previously been left out of planning processes or faced barriers to participation in zero waste programs The priority populations include:
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 18
City of Alameda
T aking part in the City's zero waste programs can be especially difficult for low-income individuals, due to various financial and logistical obstacles Focus group discussions conducted during the development of the 2025 ZWIP Update uncovered that while the benefits of zero waste are recognized, the time commitment required to engage in these programs can be a barrier when juggling other priorities, such as work or childcare Logistical challenges, such as limited transportation options for dropping off materials for disposal or reuse, or inadequate information about how to use existing programs can also hinder participation Furthermore, programs that involve upfront costs, like switching to reusables, create an initial financial barrier
Low-Income Community
Small Businesses
Unhoused Community
Small Construction
Projects
The unhoused community faces significant structural socioeconomic barriers that make proper disposal and diversion of waste more difficult Most pronounced is the fact that, most often, zero waste programs are designed for solid waste ratepayers Engaging with the City’s Housing and Human Services Department throughout the development of the 2025 ZWIP Update has helped build the collaboration needed to address the unique challenges for this community However, the City will need to build connections with the unhoused community in a manner that fosters trust, addresses barriers, and economically empowers the community
The City regulates construction and demolition projects in order to comply with the requirements of CALGreen The City requires projects valued at and over $100,000” Logistically, permits with a job value of at least $100,000 must have a Waste Management Plan for review and approval to proceed to a final occupancy inspection Small projects under this threshold have not been included in the City’s C&D diversion program and have therefore had less opportunities to receive education and increase their diversion There is an opportunity to expand requirements to small construction projects, but it is important to note that small projects have different operational constraints compared to large projects For example, these projects produce a lower volume of materials and have less room on project sites for multiple debris boxes Therefore, flexible options will be needed for this sector in order to increase diversion
Small businesses often have fewer resources than larger businesses to implement new programs and have historically received less focused support on zero waste initiatives For example, the City’s previous technical assistance efforts from the 2018 ZWIP Update focused on large businesses, because higher volumes of waste produced by large generators meant increased diversion potential per education effort This left small businesses with the requirements to comply with City ordinances but without additional targeted support to aid them in implementing the requirements
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 19
City of Alameda
The City has successfully implemented a number of recycling and composting efforts and achieved an impressive 81% diversion rate in 2022; however, the City’s diversion rate declined in 2023 and there is still a gap in meeting its zero waste goals In this next phase, the City needs to move beyond standard diversion programs in order to address this gap True zero waste must be foundational at the community level, and therefore the 2025 ZWIP Update focuses on upstream solutions like reuse and behavior change.
Behavior Change.
In addition to identifying who in the community needs to be engaged, the 2025 ZWIP Update identifies how this will be done.
Purpose and Vision
The 2025 ZWIP Update vision focuses on
meaningful engagement with the community in
order to drive long lasting behavior change The
proposed programs will be only as successful
as their implementation in the community, and
targeted education and engagement is necessary
Generalized education and outreach approaches
applied uniformly across the community will
not be effective at supporting the unique needs
and barriers of each community and material
stream The 2025 ZWIP Update envisions using
more innovative approaches to education and
outreach, specifically Community-Based Social
Marketing (CBSM), which can be used to identify
and implement the most effective messaging and
approaches to change targeted behaviors for
specific audiences As demonstrated by the City’s
reduction in diversion from 2022 to 2023, these
programs are extremely susceptible to changes in
social, cultural, economic, and political landscapes
T o withstand this volatility, it is essential that the City develop tools to continuously engage with all
sectors of the community, establish a culture of
zero waste throughout the City, and consistently
resource new and existing programs Although the
programs in the 2025 ZWIP Update alone are not
likely to result in the City meeting its 89% diversion
target, the 2025 ZWIP Update establishes the
foundational elements to build upon in order to
continue progress in the long-term It is also worth
noting that the focus on equity and improved
access described in this 2025 ZWIP Update will
also have synergistic benefits, providing more
diversion from the implementation of state-level
programs like SB 54 (packaging), SB 707 (textiles),
and SB 1383 (organics)
While the 2018 ZWIP Update mentions potential
future consideration of downstream solutions
like mixed waste processing (i e , processing the
collected landfill stream to extract recyclable
and compostable materials), the 2025 ZWIP
Update generally prioritizes behavior change and
upstream solutions to reduce overall disposal and
the amount of recoverable materials in the landfill
stream However, the 2025 ZWIP Update does
contemplate that, in addition to a focus on behavior
change, the collected C&D stream and illegally
dumped material stream will undergo additional
processing to increase diversion, as described
in Attachment C Each of these programs have
unique circumstances that warrant the addition
of mixed waste processing If the City decides to
pursue other forms of mixed waste processing
in the future, it must be implemented carefully
and not at the expense of its progress made from
behavior change programs
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 20
City of Alameda
Reuse.
While the City has successfully implemented downstream diversion programs such as mandatory recycling and composting, the most effective way to reduce waste is to stop it from being generated at the source By promoting reuse, the City can encourage residents and businesses to repair, repurpose, and donate items instead of discarding them This not only reduces the demand for raw materials and energy used in manufacturing new goods, but it also alleviates the strain on downstream solid waste management Reuse practices foster a more sustainable community by creating a culture of conservation, extending the lifespan of products, and reducing overall waste generation, all of which contribute to long-term environmental benefits and cost savings for the community The City has begun these efforts through encouraging use of reusables in its food ware ordinance, and the 2025 ZWIP Update builds on these efforts to support implementation of this ordinance and reuse markets as a whole
High impact
solutions developed
through deep and
lasting community
engagement
Manifold benefits
distributed
equitably across
the community
T argeted programs
focused on reuse
and behavior
change
The 2025 ZWIP
Update vision focuses
on meaningful
engagement with the
community in order
to drive long lasting
behavior change.
Overall, the City’s 2025
ZWIP Update vision above
can be summarized in the
following three pillars:
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 21
City of Alameda
Emerging Context
The City’s ability to achieve the 2025 ZWIP Update vision will be impacted by emerging environmental, regulatory, and technological context The 2025 ZWIP Update is designed to be adaptable and needs to be re-evaluated on a consistent and on-going basis as context changes Examples of emerging areas that require on-going monitoring include:
Equity and Climate Impacts.
The City has seen a new sense of urgency in two key areas: climate change and equity As climate emergencies increase and the City remains vulnerable as an island community, more connections are being drawn to zero waste programs and climate mitigation (e g , methane emissions from landfills and fossil fuel extraction for plastics manufacturing) Additionally, it is recommended to implement these programs in a manner that distributes their benefits equitably across the community Identifying disproportionate impacts to marginalized communities of waste and climate change is critical to how the City shapes its programs This will require engagement of underserved and underrepresented communities and those who have historically faced barriers in participation in the City’s zero waste programs The City will need to continue to evaluate the 2025 ZWIP Update throughout its implementation to ensure these priority populations are represented and supported Additionally, as climate emergencies increase and ecological landscapes shift over time, the City will need to evaluate the 2025 ZWIP Update to ensure the City’s environmental priorities are addressed
Legislative Landscape.
The regulatory landscape in California around zero waste has continued to evolve over the last few decades as California aims to be on the forefront of emerging issues For example, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) was signed into law on June 30, 2022, and is the most comprehensive extended producer responsibility (EPR) law for single-use packaging and single-use plastic food ware in the nation If properly implemented, SB 54 will make a positive impact on communities, local governments, and the environment The SB 54 statute requires all packaging and food ware in the State to be recyclable or compostable by 2032 and includes required producer targets for source reduction, recycling rates, and reuse and refill Jurisdictions are required to collect in their program any materials determined recyclable or compostable by CalRecycle Producers must join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) that is responsible for paying all costs of implementation, enrolling producers, creating programs, increasing recycling rates, and reducing pollution in disadvantaged communities Purpose and Vision
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 22
City of Alameda
A primary goal of SB 54 is to shift the responsibility for pollution and the costs to manage materials to the producers of the materials, rather than consumers or jurisdictions The SB 54 regulations are still in development at the time of this 2025 ZWIP Update, and the bill’s implementation shall be informed by the final regulations The definitions of recyclability and compostability under SB 54 rely on AB 1201 and SB 343, two bills aimed at improving “truth in labeling” by reducing misleading claims of recyclability and compostability by setting specific standards for products to be labeled as such T ogether, these laws reduce consumer confusion, improve material sorting, and enhance compliance with broader zero waste goals, empowering local jurisdictions to implement clearer and more effective recycling and composting programs In addition to packaging and truth in labeling, the State continues to pursue solutions across the State’s material streams SB 707, the Responsible T extile Recovery Act of 2024, introduces a pioneering EPR framework for textiles For local jurisdictions, SB 707 will ideally alleviate the burden of managing textile waste by shifting responsibilities to producers, thereby reducing costs and enhancing the effectiveness of local recycling programs Additionally, the law supports the development of upcycling and recycling infrastructure, benefiting local businesses and communities
These bills represent a foundational shift in the policy framework around single-use waste and problematic materials, and the City needs to be prepared to shift with it The City will need to be prepared for the implementation of specific policies; however, in the bigger picture, the City has the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve by adopting upstream solutions that SB 54 and future policies will support The City will need to monitor legislation and determine whether the 2025 ZWIP Update should be revisited in light of changing policy approaches or regulatory requirements
T echnology and Social Engagement.
With ever emerging and changing technologies and methods for communication (e g , AI, social media platforms) the City will need dynamic approaches to public engagement Proposed programs will need mechanisms for adapting over time to meet current approaches T echnology can also be used to measure the success of programs For example, cameras mounted on recycling collection vehicles may be used in the future to track progress toward a targeted behavior (e g , proper source separation) in a Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) campaign In addition to communication and programmatic changes, changing technology can impact diversion rates through new sorting and processing technology, as well as upstream changes in product design The City will need to continuously evaluate its approaches to meet shifting technological and social landscapes
The City has seen
a new sense of
urgency in two
key areas: climate
change and
equity. As climate
emergencies
increase and
the City remains
vulnerable as an
island community,
more connections
are being drawn
to zero waste
programs and
climate mitigation.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 23
City of Alameda
Focus Areas
and Priority
Programs
With the 2025 ZWIP Update vision
and context in mind, HF&H and
City staff identified four program
focus areas, shown below, to guide
the community engagement
meetings described in Section 3 B
Subsequently, City staff presented an
update on the status of the ZWIP to
City Council on October 15, 2024, as
described in Section 3 B This update
included community engagement
efforts conducted, the four areas of
focus, and three proposed priority
programs The priority programs
identified by City staff focused on
increasing diversion and meeting
the 89% diversion target while
achieving equity goals, and included
enhancing the bulky item collection
program, managing illegal dumping,
and supporting the low-income and
unhoused communities City staff
sought feedback from City Council
on the presented draft focus areas
and priority programs The input
received on these focus areas
and priority programs informed
the selection of the 12 proposed
programs in Section 4
BEHA VIOR CHANGE
WASTE REDUCTION
FOCUS AREAS
PRIORITY PROGRAMS
REUSE
CONSTRUCTION &
DEMOLITION
Provide targeted assistance
to the multi-family sector
to increase diversion
Provide resources to
small businesses to
achieve zero waste
Increase access to bulky
item collection services
Rebrand the zero waste
program to increase awareness
and promote behavior change
Demonstrate leadership by
improving zero waste practices
at City facilities and events
Provide support for the
unhoused community
Reduce instances of
illegal dumping
Support businesses in
complying with the City’s
food ware ordinance
Support “bring-your-
own” initiatives
Promote and increase
access to reuse markets
Support construction
projects to implement best
practices for waste diversion
Support, incentivize, and
promote deconstruction
practices
01 02 03
Managing illegal
dumping
Enhancing the bulky item
collection program
Supporting the low-income
and unhoused communities
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 24
City of Alameda
Community Engagement
Audiences were presented with the list of focus areas shown in Section 3 A 3, for which they could discuss and share support, concerns, and considerations Participants could also raise additional commentary for programs not explicitly expressed in the focus areas A few of the areas that received the highest public support included:
• Increase Public Education. There was widespread support and call for increased public education, with tailored messaging that is accessible to all in the community
• Support Multi-Family Sector. Participants highlighted that the multi-family sector faces unique challenges, and specific education is needed to help remove barriers
• Support Businesses with Zero Waste Practices and Reusables There was a desire to support local businesses in complying with the food ware ordinance and transitioning to reusable food ware • Enhance Use of Bulky Program. There was significant support for the existing bulky program; however, participants stated that additional education is needed to ensure the program is used effectively • Reduce Illegal Dumping. There is a desire to reduce illegal dumping in the City, and participants drew a connection between improving the bulky program as a method to reduce illegal dumping
COMMUNITY
MEETINGS
BUSINESS COMMUNITY
PRESENT A TIONS
CITY OPERA TIONS
MEETINGS
Joint CARP and ZWIP
Workshop (6/25/24)
Businesses and Commercial
Generators (7 /10/24)
Community-Based
Organizations: In-person
(7 /15/24) and Virtual (8/26/24)
Y outh and Families
Meeting (7 /17 /24)
Chamber of Commerce
Government Relations
Committee (8/14/24)
Downtown Alameda
Business Association (DABA)
Monthly Mixer (8/21/24)
West Alameda Business
Association (WABA)
Monthly Mixer (8/28/24)
Executive Assistants,
Purchasing, and Community
and Economic Development
Staff (8/20/24)
Operations, Maintenance,
Streets, and Capital
Improvement Staff (8/20/24)
Purpose and Vision
The development of the 2025 ZWIP Update was heavily influenced by community engagement, aiming to foster the City’s zero waste culture and address barriers limiting participation The 2025 ZWIP Update reflects a community- driven approach to creating more effective and equitable zero waste programs and incorporates the following stakeholder engagement activities
Engagement Activities
Community Meetings
The City conducted 10 meetings and presentations with diverse stakeholders between June and August of 2024 The targeted audiences and meeting dates are listed in Figure 3 below FIGURE 3. SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 25
City of Alameda
Focus Group Discussions
Focus group discussions are unique from more general community meetings in that they provide a targeted approach to engaging communities that may have historically lacked equitable representation in decision making processes An intimate discussion with limited members (generally 10- 15 members at a maximum) of a unique community creates an environment where participants can share candid responses, ascertain vignettes, and develop a common understanding or collective ownership of a communal problem
During the development of the 2025 ZWIP Update, the City held two focus group discussions in July of 2024 The first was held for property managers of multi-family homes, business parks, or other commercial developments, and the second was held for housing insecure and low-income communities During both focus group discussions, participants were presented with the overarching goals and focus areas of the City’s zero waste plan They were then encouraged to share ideas, concerns, and questions around the City’s goals and plans Key themes from each focus group are presented below Property Managers
• Cost Concerns. Many managers expressed concerns about the cost of managing waste, particularly when material was illegally dumped on their property or when tenants did not follow proper waste management practices • T enant Compliance. Participants highlighted that it can be difficult to motivate or require tenants to abide by proper waste management practices due to lack of accountability and turnover Housing Insecure and Low-Income
• Education. Many participants expressed a lack of engagement from the City and ACI on available zero waste services and why these programs are important Particularly, a lack of information on bulky recycling services, including how to use the service properly and the benefits of the service, was highlighted as an area of improvement • Increased Access to Programs. Participants expressed interest for more resources to assist them in utilizing existing zero waste programs For example, they expressed interest in support for seniors who are unable to use the service properly (e g , how to measure the 3 cubic yards) and the benefits The development of
the 2025 ZWIP Update
was heavily influenced
by community
engagement, aiming
to foster the City’s
zero waste culture
and address barriers
limiting participation
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 26
City of Alameda
Survey
A statistically valid survey was
conducted in September 2024
to gauge Alameda residents’
attitudes toward zero waste The
survey included a random sample
of 350 residents and demographic
characteristics were monitored
Fifty-four percent of respondents
were from single-family homes,
38% from multi-family properties,
and 8% from another type of
home Some trends highlighted by
the survey results are listed below
More details and survey trends are
included in Attachment B
Motivations.
Responses showed that environmentalism is an important driver that motivates individuals to support zero waste initiatives The top three reasons participants cited as important for participation in the ZWIP programs were related to environmental protection
Barriers.
The most commonly reported barrier to properly sorting waste into recycling and composting bins was that “it is confusing ” Sixty-five percent of the respondents felt they did not understand how to properly sort their materials There was also lack of awareness about ZWIP programs, as only 31% of respondents had seen, heard, or read about the ZWIP Once given more information about the ZWIP , 88% of respondents were supportive This reinforces that more consistent branding and education campaigns by the City will be helpful for gaining community awareness and support for zero waste programs Program Effectiveness.
When presented with a list of programs from the 2018 ZWIP Update, respondents marked their perception of how effective that strategy is at helping the City achieve its zero waste goals The top three and bottom three strategies are shown below
Strategies ranked most effective:
• Bulky item collection service
• Mandatory recycling and composting service
• Providing education to businesses on recycling/ composting Strategies ranked least effective:
• Encouraging customers to bring reusable cups and containers to businesses
• Requiring straws and utensils to be provided only upon request • Providing education to residents on recycling/ composting The three highest ranked strategies were all programs that were fully implemented by the City after the 2018 ZWIP Update. This demonstrates the success of that implementation and understanding of the programs within the community. The lowest ranked strategies include two related to reuse and source reduction of food ware. This shows that further education and outreach may be needed on the effectiveness of source reduction as a next level diversion strategy beyond the existing compost and recycling programs. With this consideration in mind, the 2025 Update proposes focusing on education and technical assistance first, to help shift public opinion and build the support needed to implement more robust source reduction and reuse policies in the future.
Purpose and Vision
Making
Progress
The three highest
ranked strategies
were all programs
that were fully
implemented by
the City after the
2018 ZWIP Update.
This demonstrates
the success of that
implementation and
understanding of
the programs within
the community.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 27
City of Alameda
Equity Scans
The City conducted two rounds
of “Equity Scans” of key programs
to ensure that these programs
were grounded in equity through a
collaborative stakeholder process
The City’s equity scans, based
on the process developed by the
San Francisco Department of the
Environment, included gathering
a varied group of stakeholders to
analyze programs or policies to
determine potential improvements
to the equity of access and
implementation of programs During
the scans, the desired result, data
needs, key stakeholders, strategies
for equity, and implementation
strategies were discussed The first
Equity Scan session focused on
programs related to on-call cleanups,
illegal dumping, and support for
the unhoused community, with
staff representing the City’s Zero
Waste Program, Building and Code
Enforcement, and Housing and
Human Services Departments
Major themes from the first Equity Scan session focused on bulky item collection, illegal dumping, and support for unhoused communities included:
• Leverage Current Agreement to Expand Education Around On-Call Cleanup: No changes are needed to the process of collecting bulky items from residents, but the City needs to focus on utilizing ACI to increase participation by multi-family customers through additional outreach A survey conducted by ACI or the City to determine how the program is getting utilized based on customer type, area, and material type will also help sharpen the City’s focus in future years
• Develop Tracking and Enforcement of Illegal Dumping: Raising awareness among City departments on the programs currently available will help determine if any additional resources are needed Furthermore, the program would benefit from a stronger enforcement mechanism to help incentivize residents to use the available on-call cleanup services from ACI • Collaborate Around Unhoused Support: Participants gained further understanding around the existing encampment cleanups and services and where there may be opportunities for synergy around City collection services and diversion opportunities T o encourage use of the facilities instead of illegal dumping, Zero Waste Program staff will determine whether access to the available material drop-off facilities can expand to those without identification or a physical address There may also be an opportunity to co-locate a Zero Waste Day near an encampment cleanup and to expand the event to include hazardous waste collection and a community garage sale or swap where all community members are welcome to participate Participants acknowledged the need to take a holistic approach and emphasized that zero waste support needs to be combined with other City support services such as mental health and hygiene services
• Install Steps for Program Accountability: City staff determined that there needs to be a system for feedback and accountability to the public and elected officials Staff envisioned developing a board or public committee that hosts quarterly meetings and solicits feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders that may not be currently engaged or are underrepresented Engaging with the City’s Housing and Human Services
Department throughout the development of the 2025 ZWIP
Update has helped build the collaboration needed to address the unique challenges for the unhoused community.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 28
City of Alameda
The second Equity Scan reviewed the City’s food ware ordinance and included City Zero Waste Program staff, Economic Development Department staff, and representatives from DABA, WABA, and the Alameda Chamber of Commerce Major themes from the second Equity Scan included:
• Improve Internal City Collaboration Prior to Outreach to Businesses: Participants voiced issues with receiving mixed messaging from different City representatives and departments and asked that the City improve internal messaging to present requirements during the initial business licensing and inspection processes Zero Waste Program staff can also look further into internal opportunities for funding that businesses can access, such as the City’s Façade Improvement Grant, as they research available funding opportunities in the City and the region Lastly, the City staff recognized that internal events and facilities must comply with the food ware ordinance and that the City needs to serve as a model for its business community
• Enhance Outreach Materials and Coordinate Approach: On the topic of the Zero Waste Program rebrand, participants asked that educational materials are updated to clearly answer what covered businesses need to do, how to do it, and how to pay for the changes The representatives from each of the business associations also offered to provide feedback and insight into the educational materials and to directly contact businesses to find success stories and those that need further assistance Furthermore, City staff noted that there may be some opportunities to utilize CBSM when designing the education materials and how it is best distributed to the community • Develop a Foundation of Reuse Culture: Participants expressed that a regional approach and/ or strong support from customers for reusables could help ease the transition to reusable food ware Additionally, many businesses are unaware of how to practically implement a cost-effective reusable program that customers are willing to participate in This highlights the need to build momentum around the use of reusables through education, pilot programs, and modeling of best practices prior to broadly encouraging this change For full
descriptions and
implementation steps
for each program,
see Attachment C:
Proposed Program
Descriptions
City Council Meetings
On October 15, 2024, City staff presented an update and sought City Council feedback on key components of the 2025 ZWIP Update. This presentation included:
• Background on the 2025 ZWIP Update’s objective, structure, and progress • A summary of engagement activities conducted
• The focus areas and proposed priority programs described in Section 3 A 3 • Key points of feedback received from City Council at the October 15, 2024 meeting included the following:
There was overall support for the 2025 ZWIP Update and City Council did not indicate any major changes needed for the proposed focus areas and priority programs • There is an opportunity for cross-connection between the CARP and ZWIP efforts • On-going education and outreach is a priority to include in the ZWIP • The City wishes to lead by example with waste reduction efforts • Ensuring there is capacity and availability for the bulky program is a priority, and there was a desire to focus on bulky item collection rather than centralized bulky item drop off events • The multi-family sector is a beneficial point of focus • Additional efforts are needed to address illegal dumping, including potential enforcement options • There is a desire to engage youth and schools in zero waste programming5 5 It is anticipated that engagement with schools will initially come from ACI, who provides services to the Alameda Unified School District A schools program was therefore not included as a new recommended program under the 2025 ZWIP Update The City will continue to monitor ACI’s implementation of the schools program as part of the franchise agreement oversight and consider future changes to school programming as needed The City may also consider an education campaign for schools as part of the annual CBSM campaigns described in Program #3 in Section 4 A 1 Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 29
City of Alameda
T akeaways
Key takeaways from the overall engagement process for the 2025 ZWIP Update include:
Community
Engagement
T akeaways
Increase education and outreach to empower
residents to successfully implement zero waste
practices, using clear and coordinated messaging.
Remove barriers to participation in current
recycling programs and increase opportunities
for diversion of materials.
Provide additional support to specific communities,
such as multi-family properties, small businesses,
and low-income and unhoused communities.
Reduce illegal dumping and identify program
overlaps that support this goal, such as enhancing
the bulky item program.
Improve coordination between City departments
and demonstrate zero waste leadership by the City.
Use a combination of incentives, feedback,
and enforcement to ensure accountability.
Provide more opportunities for reuse.
04 section
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025
City of Alameda
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 31
04 Proposed
Programs
A Programs and Policies
Based on the public input received, assessment of
historical performance, and guidance from City staff,
the following programs and policies are proposed
These programs were selected to investigate untapped
diversion potential, meet the City’s overaching equity
goals, and establish opportunities to adapt to changes
at the state and local levels Some programs have been
designed as shorter-term pilot studies, while others
focus on on-going engagement Each program should
be reviewed periodically, at a minimum between years
one and three of the program, for effectiveness and the potential to implement future program features This list is intended to be a high-level summary of the programs
Attachment C provides a more detailed description of
each program, including background, assumptions, and
key steps for program implementation
Proposed Programs Summary
PROGRAM 1: CONDUCT A CITY ZERO WASTE REBRAND
T arget Audience/Community: City-Wide General
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
As part of the recommendations from the 2018 ZWIP Update, the City planned to conduct a rebrand of the current Zero Waste Program under the Public Works Department as a new initiative called “Zero Waste Alameda ” This rebrand was not conducted, as described in Attachment A, but the City now has the opportunity to initiate these efforts Compelling and consistent branding allows initiatives to be immediately recognized as part of the City’s zero waste efforts and requirements This branding along with robust public education creates a positive public impression and aims to increase participation, reduce confusion, and ultimately support behavior change
This program will include hiring a design firm to develop a new brand profile for the program (e g , logo, colors) and template materials, as well as developing robust public education and outreach materials This program proposes that the City update current education materials and the Zero Waste Program webpage with the new branding, as well as develop a suite of new public education and outreach materials (e g , brochures, guides, flyers, videos) that can be distributed as part of the other recommended programs The program will also include collaborating with third parties, such as working with ACI to update their education materials and identifying influential community organizations for collaborations on education campaigns and messaging The program may be rebranded as “Zero Waste Alameda,” as previously recommended in the 2018 ZWIP Update, or as another name determined by City staff and the selected design firm Regardless of the selected name, it is critical that the branding be used consistently and persistently in order to ensure recognition and retain momentum of the City’s efforts One- Time Start Up Cost $242,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear ---
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear ---
Diverted T ons per Y ear 1,496
Change in Diversion 0.98%
For full
descriptions and
implementation steps
for each program,
see Attachment C:
Proposed Program
Descriptions
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 32
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 2: CONDUCT A MUL TI-FAMIL Y DWELLING BULKY PROGRAM CBSM CAMPAIGN T arget Audience/Community: Multi-Family Properties
T arget Materials Diverted: Bulky Items
Description:
Bulky item collection programs are a helpful tool to divert waste, encourage behavior change, and address illegal dumping and improper disposal of materials Under the City’s new franchise agreement (updated as a result of recommendations from the 2018 ZWIP Update), the City’s bulky item collection program was expanded to allow single-family and multi-family residents to place bulky items out once per year for collection by the City’s franchise hauler, ACI However, despite prior education efforts by ACI and the City, the program has been underutilized, with an overall participation rate of approximately 40% and nearly 90% of usage by single- family residents This participation rate is not out of line with other regional programs, suggesting there is opportunity for the City to collaborate with other jurisdictions to share ideas and solutions for increasing bulky program utilization Community stakeholders reported that multi-family residents are not utilizing the bulky item collection service because they are not aware of the program, and more robust messaging is needed in order to reach these residents The multi-family sector in particular is an important sector to support and target for bulky item collection programs, considering the unique challenges that sector faces (e g , high tenant turnover, high volumes of waste during move-in and move-outs, communication barriers with property managers) This program proposes that the City conduct a Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) campaign targeted at increasing awareness of and participation in the bulky item collection program at multi-family properties This campaign will also serve as the first CBSM plan developed as part of the City’s ongoing CBSM program described below in Program #3 This campaign will follow CBSM principles, including identifying barriers to participation, selecting behaviors to target, and conducting a pilot study The CBSM pilot program is intended to produce a set of tested, educational treatments that can be applied to other buildings in the City with similar conditions; however, the pilot program may need to identify treatments for several different types of barriers in order to scale the education tools across the City, as each property has different barriers Potential educational tools may include door hangers, postcards, digital media, in-person engagements, and community events Results from the campaign may also indicate a need for other programmatic changes such as when bulky item pickup is offered or how to schedule a pickup Following the pilot program, the City will conduct on-going education for multi-family properties, using the identified educational approaches Particularly considering the issue of high turnover at multi-family properties, new tenants will need to be educated using on-going CBSM strategies to support effectiveness of education efforts The program anticipates that the City will engage a third-party contractor with experience in CBSM programs to conduct the CBSM campaign Additionally, considering the goal of the program is to increase participation in the bulky item collection program, this program assumes that increased participation will exceed the capacity of the current bulky item collection route The City will need to evaluate the results of the program and meet and negotiate with ACI regarding adding a second bulky item collection route This potential new cost is reflected in the on-going annual cost per year for this program, and such costs will be lower if not adding a new route One- Time Start Up Cost $186,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $565,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.45
Diverted T ons per Y ear 1,473
Change in Diversion 0.96%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 33
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 3: CONDUCT ANNUAL CBSM CAMPAIGNS
T arget Audience/Community: Multi-Family Properties/City-Wide (audience may vary annually) T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
Education is critical to achieving culture change at the community level However, with numerous types of educational approaches and sectors with distinct needs, there is a high likelihood for education to be ineffective unless specifically tailored and adapted to the audience CBSM tools, as described above, can be used to identify barriers and benefits in various sustainability programs, such as participation in recycling initiatives
This program proposes that the City conduct on-going CBSM campaigns to identify the barriers and benefits to participation in waste reduction programs and offer targeted education to various communities across the City The first CBSM campaign will be targeted at Multi-Family properties, as described above in Program #2 The focus of these campaigns will shift year to year based on the specific needs of each target audience identified through CBSM processes; however, the program proposes to place an initial focus on educating the multi-family sector T argeting the multi-family sector will help increase diversion and address the unique barriers and benefits of the sector described above, as well as create positive ripple effects to all other programs by increasing participation and fostering a culture of sustainability with residents of the City There was significant support during the stakeholder engagement process for enhanced education and support for the multi-family sector, and specific feedback was provided on program features that will be most effective for that sector Other sectors the City can consider targeting with a CBSM campaign include low-income communities, schools, and small businesses Regardless of the target program, a variety of CBSM strategies can be used to drive behavior change, such as social norms, public commitments, and visual prompts Throughout all of the CBSM approaches, providing multilingual materials and using visuals to explain the process can help overcome language barriers and make the information more accessible to all
The program will include conducting an annual evaluation of the prior year’s CBSM campaign to inform the design of the next year’s campaign and a standard operating budget of $250,000 to pay for the staffing and direct costs of implementing the identified campaign The size of the CBSM campaigns may vary depending on the behaviors targeted and the operating budget may cover one or multiple CBSM campaigns each year The City may consider conducting these annual CBSM campaigns after the completion of the multi-family bulky program campaign (Program #2), in order to minimize strain on City staff resources and provide an opportunity to apply lessons learned from the pilot program to refine future CBSM strategies, ensuring a more effective approach for the broader program implementation The program anticipates that the City will engage a third-party contractor with experience in CBSM programs to conduct the program
One- Time Start Up Cost ---
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $413,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.02
Diverted T ons per Y ear 2,260
Change in Diversion 1.48%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 34
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 4: DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR PERMITTED CITY EVENTS T arget Audience/Community: City-Permitted Events
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
With numerous attendees, high volumes of food service, and multiple parties involved in oversight, a single event can generate significant amounts of waste in a short amount of time Under State law, events and venues are required to implement basic waste reduction programs (AB 2176) and recover edible food if over a certain size (SB 1383) The City’s special events application includes the requirements to comply with the City’s food ware ordinance and arrange for collection of solid waste, recyclable materials, and organic materials through ACI However, there is an opportunity for the City to take a further leadership role in improving diversion at events and venues in the City The City can implement upstream practices such as encouraging source reduction and increasing education, as well as downstream practices such as improving sorting stations and donating items to aid in compliance This program proposes that the City implement a zero waste program for special events requiring a City permit to operate (approximately 42 per year) in order to set an example and serve as a role model for the community These efforts will include developing policies and guides, which may address areas such as source reduction, use of sustainable vendors, education and signage, acceptable food ware alternatives, encouragement for reuse, suggested features (e g , water hydration stations to refill water bottles), food recovery, downstream management of waste, clean-up programs, and reporting In particular, including more robust reporting requirements will be critical to allow the City to monitor program progress over time and identify specific areas of improvement Additionally, the City will provide infrastructure and education materials, monitor events, and provide on-going support with zero waste event practices In alignment with the goals of the 2025 ZWIP Update, it is recommended that the program place a focus on reuse as a key strategy to improve diversion In order to ensure the program is implemented effectively, the City will need to monitor events and enforce the requirements if not met Such monitoring may include having City staff on-site both before the event to inspect event set up and ensure proper systems are in place and after the event to evaluate how the event was implemented The City will have the ability to enforce the program, through mechanisms like education, penalties, or permit revocation in the case of repeated violations, in order to ensure accountability for the program One- Time Start Up Cost $34,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $17,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.1 4
Diverted T ons per Y ear 5
Change in Diversion Less than 0.01%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 35
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 5: DEVELOP ZERO WASTE POLICIES FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS T arget Audience/Community: City Departments
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
In order to demonstrate the importance of zero waste behavior, the City has the opportunity to lead by example within its own departments and facilities In recent years, the City has started the process to update its Environmentally Preferrable Purchasing Policy, particularly to align with the recycled paper procurement requirements under the State’s SB 1383 regulations While these are beneficial first steps, the City has the opportunity to develop a more targeted and holistic model, with more dynamic monitoring, to successfully increase diversion and demonstrate culture change This aligns with priorities in the community, as the City setting the example was a theme heard during the stakeholder engagement process for this 2025 ZWIP Update This program proposes that the City develop internal staff policies to encourage zero waste and support implementation of the policies through trainings and monitoring The guidelines would be developed in a manner that allows for variation by department, based on specific needs This will include the Zero Wase Program staff conducting interviews with each department and developing department-specific action plans to implement policies and actions applicable to that department For example, some departments may require a dishwasher for reusable food ware programs whereas other departments may focus on solutions such as removing desk-side trash containers to encourage use of sorting stations and reusable materials A list of example policy components has been included in Attachment C
The program will include incentives to encourage participation (e g , funding, recognition, competitions) as well as selection of a “sustainability ambassador” in each department, to improve internal buy-in to the programs T o set departments up for success, the program includes trainings for department staff (including janitorial staff) on the new requirements These trainings will occur in the first year of the program and annually thereafter This training will allow Zero Waste Program staff to educate other department staff as well as provide outreach materials and tangible resources (e g , containers) for their department to use on an on-going basis Annual reporting on the status of the action plan by each department, as well as on-going monitoring and audits will allow Zero Waste Program staff to provide recommendations for improvement to each department and identify where additional support or accountability may be needed
One- Time Start Up Cost $37,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $23,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.1 1
Diverted T ons per Y ear 746
Change in Diversion 0.49%
The City has the opportunity to develop a more targeted and holistic model, with more dynamic monitoring, to successfully increase diversion and demonstrate culture change.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 36
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 6: PROVIDE SMALL BUSINESSES SUPPORT AND RESOURCES T arget Audience/Community: Small Business
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
Local businesses are vital members of the community in Alameda and continue to be critical to the success of City-wide zero waste efforts In response to recommendations in the 2018 ZWIP Update, the City previously contracted with a third-party contractor to conduct technical assistance to commercial generators and the multi-family sector This assistance placed an initial focus on targeting “large generators” with high volumes of waste While this focus on large generators had a positive impact on diversion, it left small businesses without support to implement programs like the mandatory food ware ordinance Additionally, the technical assistance focused mainly on mandatory composting and recycling requirements without a focus on reuse and general zero waste programs A theme heard throughout the community engagement process for the 2025 ZWIP Update was that more engagement with and support for local businesses will be needed during implementation of zero waste programs This program proposes that the City provide additional resources and support specifically to small businesses to implement zero waste practices within their business operations This will include reinitiating technical assistance visits conducted by a third- party contractor These visits will be targeted at small businesses rather than large generators, with a greater focus on zero waste practices and reuse The City can develop a “Zero Waste Start-Up Kit” to provide to local businesses as part of this assistance This kit can be provided to new businesses to ensure they are proactively implementing zero waste practices, as well as to current businesses that need to come into compliance with requirements such as the food ware ordinance or that wish to expand their zero waste practices This kit may include components such as: informational videos, checklists, signage, internal containers, trainings, and more It is recommended that this technical assistance include general outreach such as providing education materials, as well as in-person engagement, and staff would continue to explore ways to engage with businesses in their opening phase (versus post-opening) Developing relationships with small businesses will be critical to success, and providing in person outreach can support this goal The City can also develop positive relationships by providing recognition for the businesses that are succeeding at zero waste practices, such as being featured on the City’s website or social media or receiving awards or decals that can be displayed in the businesses’ windows This type of recognition not only rewards local businesses for their commitment but also demonstrates a culture of zero waste to the broader community, fostering a culture of sustainability One- Time Start Up Cost $84,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $33,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.06
Diverted T ons per Y ear 57
Change in Diversion 0.04%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 37
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 7: DEVELOP A GRANT PROGRAM FOR T AKE AWA Y REUSABLES CUPS T arget Audience/Community: Small Business
T arget Materials Diverted: Disposable Food Ware
Description:
In October 2017, the City demonstrated its commitment to reducing plastic pollution and diverting waste by developing a disposable food ware ordinance that requires businesses to use only reusable or compostable fiber-based food ware, and in 2022 adopted additional provisions requiring single-use food ware accessories and condiments to be provided upon request With a multitude of different types of food ware items at restaurants, each with different uses and types of alternatives available, making the switch to reusables does not happen instantaneously One strategy that can be used is a phased in approach, which more narrowly targets one material type initially, in order to build habits around reuse For example, “bring your own” (BYO) campaigns have emerged across the State to encourage reuse of targeted items such as reusable bags and reusable to-go cups While to-go cups are often designed as “recyclable” or “compostable,” many end up in landfills or are littered into the environment Additionally, paper cups are often lined with polyethylene plastic, making them difficult to compost Small plastics such as lids and straws that accompany cups are also not recyclable and clog machinery at recycling facilities Switching to reusable cups helps mitigate these issues and is a tangible first step that consumers can take to shifting to zero waste practices This program uses a phased-in approach to promoting reusables, with an initial focus on developing a grant program to provide funding to small businesses to transition to reusable to-go cups This approach aligns with the feedback received during the engagement process, which included strong support for reusables from stakeholder meetings but lower support for reusables from survey results This variation in support indicates that a slower transition to reusable policies that focuses first on developing broad based support for the idea of reuse infrastructure may be necessary for widespread effectiveness The proposed grant program will include awarding 10 grants of $5,000 each per year over a span of five years to small businesses in the City This funding can be used by small businesses to develop reusable cup programs, such as partnering with reusable cup return services For example, 12 businesses in the City are partnering with Okapi Reusables, a reusable cup return service This program proposes that the City develop education and outreach materials about the grant program, including outreach to the businesses as well as education materials that businesses can display for customers regarding the program After the first and third year of the program, the City will evaluate the program to determine whether it should be expanded to other reusable materials or service types One- Time Start Up Cost $150,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $57,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.02
Diverted T ons per Y ear 3
Change in Diversion Less than 0.01%
This program proposes that the City develop education
and outreach materials about the grant program, including outreach to the businesses as well as education materials that businesses can display for customers regarding the program
REUSABLES
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 38
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 8: EXPAND C&D PROGRAM
T arget Audience/Community: Small Construction and Demolition Projects T arget Materials Diverted: C&D
Description:
While the City has set largely successful C&D diversion programs and standards through requirements in the municipal code, waste management plans, and the use of the Green Halo reporting system, the City has the opportunity to divert even more waste not regulated under the current program In addition to meeting the diversion requirement of 65% set forth under CALGreen, the City currently requires construction and demolition projects valued at and over $100,000” Permits with job values of at least $100,000 or more must create a WMP utilizing GH for review and approval Such project applicants must also consider deconstruction, to the maximum extent feasible, to prioritize reuse of the materials C&D is a high tonnage material with potential to impact the City’s waste stream and increase diversion T o increase diversion, this program proposes expanding such requirements to smaller C&D projects (approximately 100 new projects), increasing the amount of education to support projects, and monitoring compliance The City will maintain the diversion requirement of 65%, in alignment with CALGreen requirements, but expand the diversion and WMP requirement to all projects, including small projects with a cost under $100,000 It is important to note that small construction projects have unique features and barriers compared to larger projects, such as generating less material and having less space at project sites for large debris boxes This program proposes to include a “Fast T rack” option for the WMP process for small construction projects that decide to have ACI collect their mixed C&D box For example, the project permittee could open a WMP in the City’s software system at the beginning of the project, and it would then be ACI’s responsibility to ensure material is delivered to a facility that diverts at least 65% of C&D and to subsequently report diversion to the City via their quarterly reports This approach allows small projects to meet diversion requirements with less administrative and logistical burden While the 2025 ZWIP Update generally prioritizes upstream solutions over downstream solutions like mixed waste processing, the C&D stream is unique, and processing of mixed C&D is a commonly used practice in the industry under CALGreen One downside of the fast-tracked system that relies on ACI to ensure and report diversion is that there are less direct touch points between the small projects and the City Therefore providing additional technical assistance and education will be critical, as described below T o support projects in complying with and implementing best practices, this program proposes that the City develop public education and outreach materials and provide targeted technical assistance to all newly regulated projects It is recommended that a main focus of the education be on deconstruction6 and reuse at the project sites, in alignment with the 2025 ZWIP Update’s reuse and behavior change approach Following this education-first approach, the City will have authority to enforce requirements of the program, pursuant to the Municipal Code The City will need to continue to monitor compliance with the program
One- Time Start Up Cost $16,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $84,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.73
Diverted T ons per Y ear 228
Change in Diversion 0.1 5 %
6 “Deconstruction” is an alternative to demolition that involves the careful disassembly of buildings to salvage materials to maximize reuse and recycling Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 39
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 9: CONDUCT ENFORCEMENT FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING
T arget Audience/Community: City-Wide General
T arget Materials Diverted: Illegally Dumped Materials
Description:
Illegal dumping of waste is a common problem that many jurisdictions face, with potentially significant consequences When waste is improperly discarded, it often ends up in public spaces such as streets, parks, or waterways, leading to pollution, potential health hazards, aesthetic degradation, and strain on public resources The City uses the “See-Click- Fix” system, which allows the public to report instances of illegal dumping to the City and provides a method for the City to track illegal dumping metrics This system is mainly utilized to process service requests; however, it has potential to help monitor dumping trends and gather the necessary data to focus the City’s enforcement efforts The City has also invested in clean-up efforts in the City, including through the City’s contract with ACI and through bi-monthly encampment cleanups that provide opportunities for those experiencing homelessness to access social services and disposal resources
This program proposes that the City enhance its monitoring of illegal dumping, including installing cameras and signage at key illegal dumping hot spots and conducting follow-up enforcement in response to violations identified Alameda Municipal Code updates would likely be required as part of this proposed enforcement Based on analysis of illegal dumping hot spots from the City’s current data, the program anticipates that 20 cameras will be installed, including lighting and informational signage about reducing illegal dumping The City will review footage when complaints are received to capture information about the instance of illegal dumping, confirm whether enforcement is necessary, and conduct follow-up enforcement as needed
In addition to enforcement and monitoring, illegally dumped materials that are collected will be processed to recover reusable and recyclable materials While the program’s main focus is on behavior change in alignment with the 2025 ZWIP Update goals, once materials have already been illegally deposited the City can further support its diversion goals by processing this unique material stream that would otherwise be disposed This program is designed to be implemented in tandem with the bulky item program described in Program #2 to provide education regarding collection alternatives to common illegally dumped materials The success of the bulky program is anticipated to improve issues with illegal dumping, particularly at multi-family properties, as it will increase the likelihood of these materials being properly collected rather than illegally dumped The costs of these two programs are also linked, as the resources ACI uses to collect both bulky and illegally dumped items are shared As use of the bulky program increases, ACI will have less capacity to address illegal dumping, and the City will need to consider if an additional route for collecting these items will be necessary (this potential cost is included in Program #2) Alternatively, if illegal dumping is significantly reduced through this program, additional capacity may be available for increased Bulky Item Collections utilizing ACI’s current resources This combination of education and accountability is critical to creating a holistic approach to reducing illegal dumping One- Time Start Up Cost $11,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $325,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.48
Diverted T ons per Y ear 522
Change in Diversion 0.34%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 40
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 10: PILOT AN EDUCA TION & RESOURCE PROGRAM FOR THE LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY T arget Audience/Community: Low-Income Community
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
The City has a strong commitment to supporting low-income communities, as part of its General Plan and other initiatives The City conducted stakeholder engagement specifically with the low-income community as part of the 2025 ZWIP Update, and a clear theme was that this community wishes to be included in the City’s zero waste efforts but faces specific barriers to participate Creating more educational opportunities and increasing access to programs is needed to support behavior change around zero waste programs This program proposes that the City issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a third-party to develop and implement a strategy for increasing reuse and recycling opportunities for the City’s low-income community The program developed would initially be implemented as a pilot program, requiring further evaluation prior to large-scale implementation An example of this type of partnership is the City of Alameda Housing Authority’s partnership with LifeSteps, who provides educational and support services (workshops, educational services, after school programs, community building, and case management) for low-income and senior populations The RFP for the zero waste program can incorporate similar elements and should include coordination with the City Housing Authority for more information on lessons learned from the LifeSteps program This program should focus on identifying opportunities to increase the affordability of and access to zero waste programs (e g , hosting free repair and upcycling workshops and offering additional bulky item disposal options)
One- Time Start Up Cost $58,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear ---
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear ---
Diverted T ons per Y ear ---
Change in Diversion ---
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 41
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 11: PILOT A CASH FOR TRASH PROGRAM
T arget Audience/Community: Unhoused Community
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
The City and its community partners have made a strong commitment to supporting the unhoused community within Alameda In 2021, City Council adopted “The Road Home: A 5 Y ear Plan to Prevent and Respond to Homelessness in Alameda” (“Homelessness Strategic Plan”), which identified challenges and strategies to addressing housing insecurity in the City One of the key needs identified in the Homelessness Strategic Plan was providing accessible and flexible financial resources With significant life barriers, the unhoused community often does not have the capacity or access to resources to properly manage waste Providing solid waste services is an important piece of the puzzle, but it does not address the underlying socioeconomic conditions that are contributing to a growing unhoused population The City has the opportunity to explore holistic solutions that provide economic empowerment to the unhoused community, while improving waste diversion practices
This program proposes piloting a “Cash for T rash” program, similar to the program conducted in the City of San Jose The Cash for T rash program includes establishing one or more drop-off sites where unhoused residents can collect and return bags of trash and receive compensation for each bag of trash collected The City will develop an RFP for a third- party organization to conduct a one-year pilot program for the initiative and subsequently evaluate whether the program should be extended As an initial step in the RFP development, the City will need to develop guidelines and create an outline for what the program entails Considering the intersectional nature of this program, collaboration between departments will be essential, including between the Zero Waste Program, Health and Human Services Department, and Water Department It is also recommended that the City engage with other communities that have done similar programs to understand lessons learned and inform the guidelines for the City’s program For example, the City of San Jose noted in its program report that taking time to train staff and providing flexibility in resource allocation were critical to the success of the program
One- Time Start Up Cost $142,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear ---
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear ---
Diverted T ons per Y ear ---
Change in Diversion ---
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 42
City of Alameda
PROGRAM 12: DEVELOP AND INCREASE RESOURCES FOR EXISTING REUSE MARKETS T arget Audience/Community: City-Wide/General
T arget Materials Diverted: All/General
Description:
While the City has implemented successful recycling and compost systems, reducing consumption and reusing materials at the source is the most effective method of reducing waste A focus on reducing consumption and reusing materials supports the City’s diversion goals and benefits the environment through reduced demand for resources in manufacturing new products Promoting reuse can help shift the way people think about consumption, fostering long-term behavior change and a broader culture of sustainability The City currently has existing services for reuse, such as ACI’s reusable materials collection under its franchise agreement with the City This program allows residents to separate, label, and set out reusable items for ACI to collect and deliver to a sorting and donation facility, as part of the annual bulky and on-call waste collection services Additionally, local community organizations support reuse through repair events and upcycling programs However, these markets are often underutilized if not properly advertised to the community or connected to each other Historically, the City has distributed StopWaste resources as an educational tool for businesses and residents regarding reuse, such as StopWaste’s “Re:Source” guide While this has been beneficial, there is an opportunity to go one step further by making resources specific to Alameda so residents and businesses are empowered to reuse locally
This program proposes that the City develop a comprehensive guide to existing reuse markets and businesses within the City The guide would serve as a resource for the Alameda community and build a network of reuse businesses This would require the City to build relationships with community organizations providing reuse and repair services and help build connections between different reuse markets
One- Time Start Up Cost $12,000
On-Going Annual Cost per Y ear $10,000
On-Going Full Time Equivalent Staff per Y ear 0.04
Diverted T ons per Y ear 38
Change in Diversion 0.03%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 43
City of Alameda
Implementation Considerations
In implementing the programs listed above, there are several considerations that will impact effectiveness.
The City will need to continue to prioritize funding and staff resources for these programs to ensure they are consistently implemented Having gaps in programs creates a lag in momentum that can set programs back and require even more resources to reinitiate in the future Fundamental culture change requires consistency, which can be more quickly eroded than it can be built This was a challenge in the implementation of the 2018 ZWIP Update, particularly within the single-use food ware and technical assistance programs which were heavily impacted by the change in local needs, health restrictions, and consumption habits resulting from the COVID- 19 pandemic This potential for erosion in progress is also demonstrated by the City’s reduction in diversion in 2023 The City has the opportunity in the 2025 ZWIP Update to improve consistency of implementation for maximum effectiveness On-Going Efforts
for Effectiveness.
Synergy of Programs. Considering the interconnected nature of the waste system, a number of the programs are interrelated and present an opportunity for synergy across programs For example, a successfully bulky item program can reduce illegal dumping, as discussed above and in Attachment C The sequencing of programs is also an important consideration for leveraging program connections For example, the City can first implement the CBSM program for multi-family bulky items (Program #2) prior to conducting any other CBSM campaign that targets the multi-family sector (Program #3), in order to focus City resources as well as apply the skills and lessons learned from the first pilot to the future programs Future CBSM campaigns, regardless of who they target, will also benefit from the practice of fully implementing the multi-family bulky campaign Alternatively, there may be instances where co- implementing programs could be beneficial in order to reduce delays For example, the City might issue an RFP for a contractor to conduct both the Cash for T rash program and the education program for low-income communities, as having a unified voice in the community can help build trust, particularly with vulnerable populations Proposed Programs
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City of Alameda
Impact of State
Legislation.
Program Evaluation
and Metrics.
For long-term program success, programs will need to be evaluated over time to identify whether adjustments are needed and to measure progress toward the City’s goals Collecting data throughout the programs is critical to having a basis for this evaluation, as well as using clear metrics to determine progress For example, effectiveness of education programs can be measured based on type of outreach distributed, number of people reached, sectors and audience reached, engagement, public feedback, and resulting diversion For metrics that have been historically difficult to measure, such as culture change, the City can conduct additional stakeholder engagement to better understand qualitative factors that may not be captured by diversion results alone This stakeholder engagement aligns with the 2025 ZWIP Update’s vision of reaching different parts of the community in a proactive and participatory process to foster equity and instill meaningful behavior change
Establishing accountability measures can also support on-going program success and momentum For example, City staff can evaluate the progress of the 2025 ZWIP Update annually and provide status report presentations to City Council and stakeholders This not only promotes transparency and accountability but also reinforces zero waste programs as an on-going priority in the community
As discussed in Section 4 B, the City will not be able to meet its full diversion goal through the proposed programs alone However, the implementation of the 2025 ZWIP Update programs will help the City further implement State-level policies, such as SB 1383 While the City has made significant efforts in implementing its SB 1383-related programming, the City has not achieved full participation The 2025 ZWIP Update’s goal of reaching deeper into the community and supporting priority populations will help establish the behaviors needed to enhance SB 1383 programming and support future diversion However, even if high-diversion programs are implemented to their fullest extent, there are certain unrecoverable materials in the waste stream that the City does not have control over This is where State policies like EPR that regulate material upstream at the producer level come into play As discussed in Section 3 A 2, recent EPR legislation such as SB 54 and SB 707 and “truth in labeling” laws like AB 1201 and SB 343 are examples of upstream solutions that can support the City’s local diversion programs and restore the community’s confidence in the recycling system For example, according to StopWaste’s 2023-2024 Waste Characterization Study, over 50,000 tons of textiles were disposed of in the County in one year, making up 6% of the single-family, 5 3% of the multi-family, and 5% of the commercial disposal streams Reducing the amount of textiles in the waste stream and shifting responsibility to producers through emerging policy like SB 707’s textile EPR program is an example of a State-level strategy that can have the local impact of reducing disposal while alleviating strain on local recycling programs Similarly, StopWaste estimates that 20% of the County’s disposal stream consists of materials regulated under SB 54, including packaging and single-use plastic food ware, demonstrating the significant potential for increased diversion if the recycling targets set forth under SB 54 are met It is recommended that the City both continue to enhance its implementation of existing State- mandated programs as well as actively support and participate in new EPR programs implemented at the State level to help bridge the gap in diversion not met by local programs Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 45
City of Alameda
Program Monitoring
Upon the City’s initial implementation of the programs described in the 2025 ZWIP Update, the City and its staff must commit to monitoring the progress of each program and sharing the results to ensure success This process will help identify opportunities for improvement and allow for adjustments based on community input and needs HF&H recommends that City staff monitor each program on a monthly basis and provide a status report to the Council and community annually Although the City has established a “big picture” diversion goal of 89%, the annual update should include a more detailed report of the programs, including how they have met the City’s diversion and equity goals The following components should be presented to the Council and the community annually.
The development of
the 2025 ZWIP Update
was heavily influenced
by community
engagement, aiming
to foster the City’s
zero waste culture
and address barriers
limiting participation
¥ Completed Action Steps. Acknowledgement of
which steps the City has completed to implement or
maintain the program, including any challenges and
success
¥ T onnage and Diversion. Amount of materials
collected and disposed or recycled, and the resulting
diversion percentage
¥ Participation. Number of times a resident, business,
or other user participates in the program
¥ Community Engagement. Results of other qualitive
measures periodically used to assess how the City’s
equity goals are being met (e g , community surveys,
technical assistance reports/narratives)
¥ Legislative Changes. Regulatory changes that have
the potential to impact the City’s zero waste programs
and diversion
¥ Potential Program Adjustments. Staffing and
budget options for Council to consider and provide
input on prior to approving the City’ annual budget
City staff should also actively maintain the City’s Zero Waste and Program Services website to include the program status information presented to Council and any other relevant information about the programs It is recommended to present the annual report to Council prior to the City’s annual budgeting process This allows Council to be informed prior to any adjustments made to the City’s budget resulting from the status of these programs Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 46
City of Alameda
B Cost and Diversion Analysis
For each program identified in Section 4 A of this 2025 ZWIP Update, HF&H used various City and industry metrics and assumptions to estimate the expected cost and staffing needs to implement and maintain the program, and the anticipated diversion resulting from the implementation of each program HF&H has provided the complete diversion and cost model analysis, developed in excel, to City staff This should allow City staff to monitor actual financial and operational performance compared to the assumptions used in the cost and diversion model As it becomes clear that assumptions have shifted during the reality of the implementation, staff can make real-time adjustments to priorities and annual adjustments to budget based on those realities
Each section below describes certain cost and staffing considerations, and potential diversion related to each program and policy Each program considers one-time and on-going resources necessary for successful program implementation, as applicable If a program is considered short term, no on-going resources have been allocated, which is reflected in the figures below
Cost Summary
For each program, HF&H estimated the one-time start-up costs to implement the program and annual costs to continue programs on an on-going basis Figure 4 summarizes these costs, which are inclusive of City staff wages, third-party contractor costs, infrastructure costs, education and outreach material costs, and other identified expenses Due to varied implementation schedules of each program, in a given fiscal year, there may be on-going program activities conducted in addition to implementation tasks As a result, during the City’s budgeting process, the City should consider the implementation schedule of each program to determine if both implementation costs and on-going costs need to be budgeted for in a single fiscal year
FIGURE 4. PROGRAM AND POLICY COST ESTIMA TES
ESTIMA TED COSTS 7
Program One- Time
Implementation Costs
On-Going Annual
Costs ($ per Y ear)
1 Conduct a City Zero Waste Rebrand $242,000 ---
2 Conduct a Multi-Family Dwelling Bulky CBSM Campaign 8 $186,000 $565,000 3 Conduct Annual CBSM Campaigns --- $413,000
4 Develop Guidelines for Permitted City Events $34,000 $17,000 5 Develop Zero Waste Policies for City Departments $37,000 $23,000 6 Provide Small Businesses Support and Resources $84,000 $33,000 7 Develop a Grant Program for T ake Away Reusable Cups $150,000 $57,000 8 Expand C&D Program $16,000 $84,000
9 Conduct Enforcement for Illegal Dumping $111,000 $325,000 10 Pilot an Education and Resource Program for the Low-Income Community $58,000 --- 11 Pilot a Cash for T rash Program $142,000 ---
12 Develop and Increase Resources for Existing Reuse Markets $12,000 $10,000 To t a l $1,072,000 $1,527,000
7 Each program will have a unique implementation schedule As a result, there may be an overlap in implementation costs and on-going annual costs during a fiscal year 8 Includes additional costs to ACI and rate payers See Attachment C for additional information Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 47
City of Alameda
Staffing Summary
As demonstrated in Attachment C, the programs and policies selected each require an increase in City staff time for implementation and on-going monitoring and maintenance This on-going monitoring and maintenance ensures that not only are programs implemented by the City but also that resources and support are provided to the community, whose behavior change is critical for the City to realize its diversion goal Additionally, many of these programs require resources across departments, which increases the amount of staff time needed to coordinate cross-departmental interactions Delegation to StopWaste and other third parties, such as consultants, has the potential to greatly minimize staff burdens placed on the City Figure 5 below summarizes the additional City staffing needs for each program Additional staff resources maybe requested as part of budget actions to fund programs in the ZWIP Existing staff resources could be applied to some or all of these programs but it would result in reduction of service in other areas of the City’s Zero Waste program FIGURE 5. PROGRAM AND POLICY ST AFFING NEEDS
ESTIMA TED ADDITIONAL CITY LABOR
Program
One- Time
Implementation
Labor (FTEs)
On-Going
Annual Labor
(FTEs/Y ear)
1 Conduct a City Zero Waste Rebrand 0 1 3 ---
2 Conduct a Multi-Family Dwelling Bulky CBSM Campaign 0 02 0 1 4 3 Conduct Annual CBSM Campaigns --- 0 02
4 Develop Guidelines for Permitted City Events 0 1 0 0 1 4 5 Develop Zero Waste Policies for City Departments 0 29 0 1 1 6 Provide Small Businesses Support and Resources 0 07 0 06 7 Develop a Grant Program for T ake Away Reusable Cups 0 1 4 0 02 8 Expand C&D Program 0 1 1 0 73
9 Conduct Enforcement for Illegal Dumping 0 03 0 48
10 Pilot an Education and Resource Program for the Low-Income Community 0 05 --- 11 Pilot a Cash for T rash Program 0 1 0 ---
12 Develop and Increase Resources for Existing Reuse Markets 0 06 0 04 To t a l 1. 10 2.05
Diversion Summary
T o predict the effectiveness of each program toward the City’s diversion goal, HF&H developed a diversion analysis model This analysis is intended to assist the City in making decisions regarding the selection of programs In conducting the analysis, HF&H considered the diversion potential (measured by tons per year) and estimated the incremental additional diversion that may result from the implementation of each program In some cases, these estimates were made by comparing program results in the City to benchmarks developed from program results in other communities Upon each program’s start, initial diversion potential remains low and then increases as a program matures over time Program maturity brings not only an increase in participation from the community but an increase in the quality of participation Both of these factors increase a program’s diversion It is therefore important to consider that the level of participation will impact the ultimate diversion results For example, the level of increased diversion from Program 1 (Conduct a City Zero Waste Rebrand), assumes that the education materials developed as part of that program will result in increased participation in zero waste practices Figure 6 presents the potential diversion estimates during the program’s implementation and at full maturity
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 48
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FIGURE 6. PROGRAM AND POLICY ESTIMA TED DIVERSION
ESTIMA TED DIVERSION
POTENTIAL (TONS/YEAR)
CHANGE IN
DIVERSION (%)
Program Program
Start
Program
Maturity
Program
Start
Program
Maturity
1 Conduct a City Zero Waste Rebrand 299 1,496 0 20% 0 98% 2 Conduct a Multi-Family Dwelling Bulky CBSM Campaign 532 1,473 0 35% 0 96% 3 Conduct Annual CBSM Campaigns --- 2,260 --- 1 48%
4 Develop Guidelines for Permitted City Events 1 5 < 0 01% < 0 01% 5 Develop Zero Waste Policies for City Departments 149 746 0 10% 0 49% 6 Provide Small Businesses Support and Resources 19 57 0 01% 0 04% 7 Develop a Grant Program for T ake Away Reusable Cups 0 3 < 0 01% < 0 01% 8 Expand C&D Program 228 228 0 1 5 % 0 1 5 %
9 Conduct Enforcement for Illegal Dumping 746 522 0 49% 0 34% 10 Pilot an Education and Resource Program for the
Low-Income Community 28 --- 0 02% ---
11 Pilot a Cash for T rash Program 4 --- < 0 01% ---
12 Develop and Increase Resources for Existing Reuse Markets 38 38 0 03% 0 03% To t a l 2,046 6,829 1.34% 4.46%
The proposed programs are estimated to add an additional 4 46% to the City’s diversion rate, assuming 2022 figures, once each of the programs has reached full maturity While this falls short of the City’s 89% goal, the programs aim to establish the foundation for long-term behavior change to improve diversion over time and increase participation in future programs There are multiple factors that will be needed to bridge the gap to 89% As discussed above, consistent investment in zero waste programs is necessary to maintain momentum and put the City back on track with an upward growth trajectory in diversion Additionally, as discussed in the implementation considerations in Section 4 A 2 above, even after programs are implemented at the local level, there are still unrecoverable materials that enter the City’s waste stream due to product design at the producer level Policy solutions like State EPR programs and “truth in labeling” laws that have the ability to regulate materials upstream will support the City in bridging the gap in its diversion by improving the recyclability and compostability of materials and encouraging source reduction, reuse, and redesign practices It is important to note that the goals of the 2025 ZWIP Update are not only focused on diversion, but also on equity and community engagement Therefore, some programs that have limited diversion impact are still presented to invest in, in alignment with the City’s commitment to equitable solutions Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 49
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C Funding Approach
The City’s ability to implement and maintain the programs identified in the 2025 ZWIP Update is dependent on the available financial resources of the City and the participants in such programs It is likely the City will need to periodically revisit and adjust the funding strategies identified in this report as it proceeds with the implementation of each program The City currently relies on several funding mechanisms for the implementation and on-going support of its diversion programs, including those clearly defined in past zero waste plans and other City programs outside the scope of the zero waste plan These funding mechanisms include the following:
• ACI Franchise Agreement Reimbursements. Many of the City’s solid waste programs and diversion programs are supported by funding the City receives from ACI as stipulated in their franchise agreement for solid waste collection services
• Measure D Recycling Fund Revenues. The City receives a share of the recycling fund revenues generated through a disposal surcharge under Measure D The funds are designated for diversion program efforts City policy allocates such revenues for one-time costs
• Grants. The City has participated in grant funding offered by the State to help fund applicable programs Due to the one-time nature of grants, such grants monies are not used to support long-term zero waste programs and do not make up a large portion of the total funding needed to support past and current zero waste programs Past grant opportunities the City has received funding from include the SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant for the implementation of SB 1383 and the California Ocean Protection Council Grant for the ReThink Disposal Unpackaging Alameda Pilot However, it is important to note that historically these grants have accounted for only a small percentage of overall program costs • Permit Application Fees. The City receives funding from application fees for permitted C&D projects within the City • Code Enforcement Fees. The City collects fees for violations against the City’s municipal code These violations can include prohibited activities related to solid waste programs In addition to the above-mentioned funding mechanisms, the City’s general fund is a resource the City could choose to allocate funding from to support the goals and programs of this 2025 ZWIP Update While the City’s general fund has not been used for zero waste programs due to the availability of Measure D Recycling Funds revenues and Franchise Reimbursements, it remains an available funding source that the City may consider when implementing zero waste programs in the future
Each of the proposed programs and policies has the potential to be funded by one or more of these sources This plan recognizes the resources from these funding sources currently do not fund the entirety of the proposed programs and/ or may not be fully dedicated to zero waste activities The following Figure 7 identifies these potential sources The 2025 ZWIP Update assumes that funding recommendations for implementation of the 2025 ZWIP Update will be analyzed and discussed in the upcoming and subsequent biennial budget process for consideration by City Council, within the context of the City-wide budget and the operational and programmatic needs of all City departments Individual programs recommended by the 2025 ZWIP Update will be brought to City Council separately for approvals and funding as needed Proposed Programs
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FIGURE 7. POTENTIAL PROGRAM AND POLICY FUNDING MECHANISMS
PROGRAM
FUNDING SOURCE
Franchise
Agreement
Reimbursements
Measure
D Fund
Revenues
Grants
Permit
Application
Fees
Code
Enforcement
Fees
General
Fund
1 Conduct a City Zero Waste
Rebrand √ √
2 Conduct a Multi-Family
Dwelling Bulky CBSM
Campaign
√ √ √ √
3 Conduct Annual CBSM
Campaigns √ √ √
4 Develop Guidelines for
Permitted City Events √ √ √ √
5 Develop Zero Waste Policies
for City Departments √ √ √
6 Provide Small Businesses
Support and Resources √ √
7 Develop a Grant Program for
T ake Away Reusable Cups √ √ √
8 Expand C&D Program √ √ √ √
9 Conduct Enforcement for
Illegal Dumping √ √ √
10 Pilot an Education and
Resource Program for the
Low-Income Community
√ √ √
11 Pilot a Cash for Trash
Program √ √ √
12 Develop and Increase
Resources for Existing
Reuse Markets
√ √ √
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 51
City of Alameda
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025 A
attachment
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 52
City of Alameda
The following table shows the overall implementation status of each of the five strategy areas from the 2018 Zero Waste Implementation Plan (ZWIP) Update, including an overall status bar and implementation summary The City made progress in many areas, while others require further effort For further detail, a table showing the implementation status of the individual action items under each strategy is included in Section 2 below Status Key. The following status bar has been included for each category to visually demonstrate the extent of completion The red, leftmost end of the spectrum indicates that the strategy was not implemented The blue, rightmost end of the spectrum indicates the strategy was fully completed A triangular status marker has been used to show the extent of completion within this range
Implementation Status
STRA TEGY 1. SUPPORT ZERO WASTE CUL TURE
Description: This strategy focused on “culture change” and shifting the City’s culture toward zero waste in order to reduce disposal This included recommendations for “zero waste culture activities and initiatives” and outreach and education Status:
Status
Notes:
The City provided initial educational material regarding mandatory compost and recycling services to all collection service customers The City’s franchise hauler, Alameda County Industries (ACI), conducts on-going outreach to collection customers, but this education is largely focused on mandatory service requirements rather than broader zero waste culture Additional education on zero waste programs is needed • The City has utilized established communication channels for education such as Community Action for Sustainable Alameda (CASA) and the Alameda County Solid Waste Management Authority (StopWaste) • The City did not conduct the recommended rebrand of the Zero Waste Alameda program • The City has encouraged additional diversion and reuse services from external sources For example, the City partnered with Rethink Disposables to launch the “Unpackaging Alameda” campaign, a pilot study that supported selected Alameda businesses with switching to reusable food ware Additionally, CASA, a key partner of the City, conducted a reusable foodware pilot program in partnership with Dispatch Goods Recently, 12 food businesses in the City have partnered with OKAPI Reusables for reusable cup exchange services 1 Program Status Summary
Attachment A:
2018 ZWIP Update
Program Progress
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STRA TEGY 2. CONDUCT TECHNICAL ASSIST ANCE TO COMMERCIAL / MUL TI-FAMIL Y SECTOR Description
This strategy recommended providing targeted technical assistance to businesses and multi-family properties on waste diversion programs The strategy recommended that the City focus this assistance first on “large generators” that had the highest diversion potential
Status:
Status
Notes:
• With the adoption of the 2018 ZWIP Update, City Council approved contracting for technical assistance for the commercial and multi-family sectors, with a focus on the City’s largest generators of waste In subsequent City Council actions, funding and contracting for this strategy has continued • The City successfully completed technical assistance for large generators, focused on collection and diversion of organic waste and recyclable materials The City engaged a contractor, SCS Engineers (SCS), to conduct technical assistance to commercial businesses According to SCS’s report, from October 2018 through July 2023, SCS conducted 931 site visits to commercial businesses, 246 site visits to multi-family dwellings, as well as other assessments, trainings, emails, and phone calls
• The consultant reported a positive correlation between the outreach conducted and increased diversion of recyclables and organics From October 2018 through July 2023, 107 generators increased their diversion by increasing their service for recycling, organics, or both, in response to the SCS’s recommendations • SCS conducted more visits to commercial business compared to the multi-family sector, due to the strategic decisions to focus on large commercial generators and a smaller number of major multi-family property management companies Additional focus on the broader multi-family sector is recommended • T echnical assistance efforts thus far have been focused mainly on collection and diversion, and increased education on reuse and the City’s food ware ordinance would be beneficial • The City faced challenges implementing its food ware ordinance due to COVID- 19, as described below, but is now actively enforcing the ordinance
STRA TEGY 3. CREA TE FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM AND ENHANCE ORGANICS MANAGEMENT Description This strategy recommended implementing programs to reduce disposal of organic waste, such as partnering with local organizations for recovering edible food and expanding methods for managing organic waste Status:
Status
Notes:
Food Recovery:
• Through a structured agreement(s), the City has delegated the majority of its food recovery program activities to StopWaste, including conducting outreach and inspections, providing education resources, tracking food recovery metrics, and conducting capacity planning for SB 1383 compliance City staff have reported this to be an effective partnership
• The City has not conducted local food recovery activities such as collaborating with local non-profits and volunteers and conducting technical assistance
• The City has not yet included food recovery as a focus in existing technical assistance and hauler education Organics:
• The City procured and spread 1,600 cubic yards of finished compost within the City in 2023 and maximized the amount of compost it can receive from ACI per the franchise agreement The City met its procurement target for 2024 and is on track to meet its procurement target for 2025 through a combination of its compost hub program, the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department, and a brokerage agreement with Agromin • The City implemented a compost hub program, which has been successful and popular with the community • The City’s amended franchise agreement included strategies for enhanced organic waste management, as described in Strategy 5 below
• Some suggestions in the 2018 ZWIP Update regarding organics were not implemented because they conflicted with the City’s ultimate needs and requirements for the new franchise agreement, particularly with suggestions that would require changes to collection routes (e g , adding split-cart service and an edible food collection route)
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 54
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STRA TEGY 4. UPDA TE CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS (C&D) RECYCLING ORDINANCE AND
CONDUCT OUTREACH
Description This strategy recommended updating the City’s ordinance regulating C&D to support higher diversion, enhancing C&D program processes, and conducting targeted education and outreach regarding C&D diversion Status:
Status
Notes:
• The City successfully updated, and is actively enforcing, its C&D ordinance • The City has streamlined processes by requiring the use of software, GreenHalo, and updating building permit forms
• There has been effective collaboration between Public Works staff and Building Department staff For example, Public Works staff provided resources for building inspectors regarding GreenHalo, and there is regular conversation regarding the C&D program during interdepartmental meetings • The City has not yet conducted targeted education and outreach on C&D diversion • The City included provisions in the ordinance encouraging deconstruction1 and reuse practices, but such provisions are not mandatory, and the City has not planned further deconstruction programs STRA TEGY 5. EXPAND HIGH DIVERSION PROGRAMS WITHIN THE CITY’S FRANCHISE AGREEMENT Description
This strategy recommended expanding the City’s franchise agreement with ACI to include additional requirements to support diversion, such as education and outreach, diversion targets, incentives, reporting requirements, and other provisions that support the City’s zero waste goals
Status:
Status
Notes:
The City completed and implemented an amendment to the franchise agreement with ACI, including new services to support diversion, such as:
• Multi-family bulky item collection
• Free City drop box service
• Contamination monitoring
• Additional route for recycling carts
• Addition 0 5 route for organics bins
• Bundled cardboard service
• Multi-family motor oil and cooking oil service
• Multi-family move-in and move-out kits
• Large event and venue services
• Provision of bulk compost and mulch
• Compost giveaways
• Enhanced reporting requirements
• Increased public education and outreach
• Full-time recycling coordinator
• The amended franchise agreement includes minimum diversion requirements for ACI, which are phased in from 65% in rate period one to 89% in rate period ten
• The City will need to continue to monitor the agreement to ensure that services are accessible to the public and provided in accordance with the franchise agreement, data on diversion programs is accurately reported, and minimum diversion standards are met
1 “Deconstruction” is an alternative to demolition that involves the careful disassembly of buildings to salvage materials to maximize reuse and recycling The City currently requires diversion of 65% of C&D materials, typically through recycling of mixed C&D materials Deconstruction would involve additional separation of the recycling stream into materials that could be reused (e g , metal, wood)
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Challenges
The City invested significant resources into supporting the multi-family sector, such as hiring a SCS, providing education through ACI, and working with large properties However, educating and supporting the multi-family sector remains a challenge for the City and for most jurisdictions across the state For example, multi-family complexes face the challenge of high tenant turnover, making it difficult to provide consistent on-going education on available programs and how to access them The City and its SCS specifically faced difficulties communicating with property managers in order to provide technical assistance
Multi-family Sector
Covid-19
Lack of Clear Metrics or
Action Steps
Funding and Staffing
Some recommendations in the 2018 WIP Update lacked clear action steps for implementation of the programs For example, the City struggled to implement and measure the strategy of “culture change” without specific action steps or metrics
Upon approval of the 2018 ZWIP Update, the City first sought funding for Strategy 2 (technical assistance), followed by funding for Strategy 5 (franchise agreement amendment) These two strategies were the only ones that were fully funded, and the City utilized its existing program budget to complete the remaining programs to the greatest extent possible under such constraints The COVID- 19 pandemic impacted the City’s ability to implement programs such as the reusable foodware ordinance Focusing on zero waste was less of a priority for local food service businesses dealing with the challenges of COVID- 19, and there were concerns about health risks of reusable foodware In response, the City paused the enforcement of the reusable foodware ordinance Multi-family and commercial technical assistance efforts were also impacted, as SCS was unable to conduct in-person site visits during the COVID- 19 pandemic Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 56
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Identifying
Opportunities
Based on the evaluation
above, the following areas
present opportunities for
additional focus.
¥ Multi-Family Sector. Due to the challenges mentioned above, the multi-family sector warrants specific attention The City in particular has an opportunity to increase communication with property managers and develop outreach programs that meet the unique needs of the multi-family sector ¥ Bulky Item Collection. While additional education was conducted regarding the new bulky item collection service under the amended franchise, many residents remain unaware of the program Implementation of multi-family bulky item programs has been a challenge for the City and other jurisdictions across the state, as described above The City has an opportunity to provide further education and potential additional collection opportunities for bulky items to ensure the program is being used and this material stream is diverted Investment in these programs has the potential to improve the City’s diversion rate and help the City move toward its goals
¥ Source Reduction. The City has the opportunity to re-initiate zero waste programs that were put on pause, such as promoting reusable food ware For example, CASA, a key partner of the City, conducted reuse campaigns and partnered with Dispatch Goods to provide and promote reusable food ware solutions However, these programs were paused during the pandemic The City has the opportunity to encourage these types of partnerships in the future Additionally, much of the City’s outreach has focused on downstream collection of materials, and the City now has the opportunity to place a greater focus on source reduction to improve diversion
¥ Business Support. The City has the opportunity to provide further support to businesses to implement zero waste programs and practices In addition to food ware ordinance education and enforcement, providing direct resources is a positive approach to increase the likelihood of participation ¥ C&D Diversion. The City has the opportunity to develop and expand upon C&D education and outreach to ensure that projects are implementing waste reduction best practices and comply with the ordinance This could be integrated into existing permit process steps, such as providing education and outreach during key inspection points (e g , electrical or foundation inspections) The City also has an opportunity to reduce waste at the source by implementing deconstruction and reuse programs for C&D materials
¥ On-Going Education. The City has the opportunity to develop robust and on-going education campaigns to support behavior change and ensure the effectiveness of programs There is an opportunity to leverage the hauler outreach requirements from the new franchise agreement as well as explore new education approaches such as Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM), which focuses on identifying barriers and opportunities and targets specific audiences and behaviors to drive meaningful behavior change Additional opportunities were identified through stakeholder engagement and input from City Council, as further described in Section 3 of the 2025 ZWIP Update Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 57
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2 Program Status Checklist
The following checklist provides supporting detail to the summary above and shows the status of individual action items identified in the 2018 ZWIP Update and the challenges and opportunities specific to each strategy Status Key
þ Completed
Ü In progress or partial
ý Not completed
Strategy Status 2018 Update
Recommended Action Notes
1. Support Zero
Waste Culture þ
Conduct outreach
regarding mandatory
collection ordinance
• Initial education efforts were conducted
• Information was provided in hauler newsletters and inserts • ACI provides on-going education regarding organics and recyclables collection services
þ
Provide tools to
improve diversion
• External resources were shared (e g , StopWaste education materials)
• The City encouraged reusable initiatives through CASA and other programs (e g , OKAPI reusable cup service)
• Additional tools would be beneficial
Ü
Implement Zero Waste
Alameda Program / community
zero waste practices
• The City did not conduct the Zero Waste Alameda rebrand • Some outreach was provided (e g , website, mailers, social media)
• More on-going education focused on zero waste programs and reuse is needed
Ü
Feature green
businesses online
• This goal was previously in development but was not completed • Clean Water Action supports a webpage with Oakland
businesses that are compliant with the food ware ordinance, and City staff expressed future plans to include something similar for the City
Ü
Collaborate with Public Works’
Clean Water Program (CWP)
• Collaboration on water pollution prevention program for students and other interdepartmental coordination has been effective
• CWP-specific collaboration to enhance zero waste efforts were not conducted
Challenges:
• Implementing and measuring “culture change” without
specific actions or metrics
• Delay in education program due to City Communications Plan approval timeline
• Lack of dedicated funding for outreach
Opportunities:
• Conduct the Zero Waste Alameda rebrand
• Leverage new hauler outreach requirements
• Expand interdepartmental communication
• Implement a combination of education and enforcement
• Expand education to focus on source reduction and zero waste programs
Program Progress
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Strategy Status 2018 Update
Recommended Action Notes
2. Conduct
T echnical
Assistance to
Commercial /
Multi-Family
Sector
þ
Conduct on-site waste
assessments
• T echnical assistance program was implemented by SCS, with a positive progress report
þ
T arget large waste generators • Large waste generator assistance was completed þ
Provide education on
contamination and diversion
• Education was provided, but additional support for the multi- family sector is recommended
þ
Educate businesses on food
ware ordinance and reusables
• Some education was provided, but additional focus in this area is recommended
Challenges:
• Unique challenges for multi-family sector:
• Communication with property managers
• Re-education during tenant turnover
COVID-19 impacts:
• Shifting priorities for business community (economic
recovery and public health) and difficulty implementing reusable foodware program
• Inability to conduct in-person site visits for technical assistance
Opportunities:
• Leverage hauler resources and education
• Build relationships with multi-family property managers • Provide additional resources to small businesses
Strategy Status 2018 Update
Recommended Action Notes
3. Create Food
Recovery
Program and
Enhance
Organics
Management
ý
Meet with franchised
hauler and local non-
profits recovering food
to design a program
• City did not meet with local non-profits to design a food recovery program
þ
Identify current and
potential food donors
• Identification of food donors was delegated to StopWaste ý Start an edible food
collection route by hauler
• This recommendation was not seen as practical or cost- effective for inclusion within the City’s new franchise agreement ý
Promote the program and
mobilize local volunteers
for food recovery
• City did not mobilize local food recovery volunteers
þ Track edible food collected • Metrics tracking was delegated to StopWaste ý
Identify additional food
recovery partners, and
promote local organizations
and volunteer opportunities
• City did not conduct this task
Ü
Start a food waste
prevention campaign for
residents and businesses
• StopWaste conducts education and provides resources
• Additional City-specific education would be beneficial ý
Begin a food waste to
animal feed program
• This recommendation conflicts with the franchise agreement and was therefore not implemented
ý
Pilot a split-cart collection
system for food waste
and solid waste
• This recommendation was not seen as practical or cost- effective for inclusion within the City’s new franchise agreement ý
Implement anaerobic digestion
for City’s food waste
• This recommendation conflicts with the franchise agreement and was therefore not implemented
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Challenges:
• There were staffing capacity limitations to conduct additional food recovery outreach
• There was a shortfall of the SB 1383 procurement target despite maximizing available compost
• Some 2018 recommendations were not aligned with
franchise services (e g , split-cart service, edible food recovery route)
Opportunities:
• Develop local partnerships in multiple sectors (e g , food, housing, urban farms)
- Example: Alameda Point Collaborative
• Explore City grant programs, such as equipment for food recovery organizations
• Develop relationships with brokers and regional procurement options
• Increase community programs
• Incorporate organic product requirements into vendor
relationships
Strategy Status 2018 Update
Recommended Action Notes
4. Update C&D
Ordinance
and Conduct
Outreach
þ
Update C&D ordinance • The C&D ordinance was updated in 2021 • City enforcement is active
þ
Require GreenHalo and
update building forms
• Completed
þ
Inform applicants of hauler
C&D roll-off service
• Completed
Ü
Train building department
staff on CALGreen
• There has been effective collaboration between Public Works and the Building Department For example, Public Works
provided resources for inspectors and there has been on-going communication at interdepartmental meetings
• The City did not conduct direct trainings for individual building department staff
ý
Expand requirements to cover
all project types and sizes
• The City did not pursue this change to the system due to the additional staff burden required to oversee the additional projects and low diversion potential
þ
Require facilities to have a
third-party verification
• Third-party verification is required and enforced through GreenHalo, with additional follow-up by City staff as needed Ü
Explore deconstruction
and reuse
• Deconstruction is encouraged but not required in the City’s ordinance
• Reuse is tracked in GreenHalo if reported by the user • Additional programs were not pursued
ý Develop online C&D Guide • C&D guide was not developed ý
Conduct targeted education
and outreach on C&D recycling
• Additional education is needed
Challenges:
• City staff reported limited resources for conducting targeted C&D outreach
Opportunities:
• Consider expansion of covered project types
• Establish C&D program metrics
• Integrate GreenHalo and other City software
• Support deconstruction and reuse
• Support small construction projects
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Strategy Status 2018 Update
Recommended Action Notes
5. Expand High
Diversion
Franchise
Agreement
þ
Partner with hauler on existing
terms prior to amendment
• City has a collaborative relationship with ACI
þ
Develop franchise agreement
with high diversion programs
The City’s Franchise Agreement with ACI was amended and commenced on July 1, 2021 It included several expanded services to increase diversion, such as:
• Multi-family bulky item collection
• Free City drop box service
• Contamination monitoring
• Additional route for recycling carts
• Addition 0 5 route for organics bins
• Bundled cardboard service
• Multi-family motor oil and cooking oil service
• Multi-family move-in and move-out kits
• Large event and venue services
• Provision of bulk compost and mulch
• Compost giveaways
• Enhanced reporting requirements
• Increased public education and outreach
• Full-time recycling coordinator
Ü
Expand the exclusive
franchise system
An immediate change to exclusivity was not practical The five-year phase-out of the current permitted hauler system is scheduled to be completed in 2027
Challenges
• Staff capacity is needed to manage contract requirements • Changing exclusivity immediately would require
administrative burden for minimal benefit due to small market share
Opportunities:
• Leverage increased hauler outreach staff
• Utilize hauler customer satisfaction surveys to track success • Continue to encourage the school program implementation by leveraging ACI’s service to schools
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 61
City of Alameda
3 Diversion Trends
As described in Section 1 of the 2025 ZWIP Update, diversion is a key metric in measuring the City’s progress toward its zero waste goals The City set the goal of achieving an 89% diversion rate by 2020, calculated as described below HF&H reviewed data from CalRecycle to identify overall disposal and diversion progress, as well as collection tonnage reports provided to the City by ACI to identify more specific trends by sector Diversion Measurement
The City measures diversion according to CalRecycle’s calculations of per capital disposal, measured as pounds of waste disposed of per person per day (PPD) CalRecycle also assigns a PPD disposal target, unique to each jurisdiction, that represents 50% diversion (CalRecycle Disposal T arget) Derived from the CalRecycle Disposal T arget, the City’s current PPD can be converted into a diversion equivalent according to the formula shown in Figure A- 1 FIGURE A-1. DIVERSION EQUIVALENT FORMULA
DIVERSION EQUIV ALENT FORMULA
CalRecycle Disposal T arget=50% Diversion
T otal Generation = CalReycle Disposal T arget ×2
Diversion Equivalent = 1 -
The following example demonstrates how the City’s current diversion of 76% was calculated from its 2023 disposal value of 2 6 PPD, using the above formula FIGURE A-2. DIVERSION CALCULA TION EXAMPLE
CURRENT DIVERSION CALCULA TION EXAMPLE
Cal Recycle Disposal T arget 5.5 PPD
T otal Generation 5..5 PPD x 2 = 11 PPD
Current Diversion (2023) 1 - = 76% The following chart is provided for reference of different PPD values and their corresponding diversion equivalent2
FIGURE A-3. DIVERSION EQUIVALENT CONVERSION CHART
DIVERSION CONVERSION CHART
Pounds
per day
disposal
2 9 2 8 2 7 2 6 2 5 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 1 9 1 8 1 7 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 Diversion
equivalent 74% 75% 75% 76% 77% 78% 79% 80% 81% 82% 83% 84% 85% 85% 86% 87% 88% 89% 2 The following diversion equivalent percentages are rounded to the nearest percent Program Progress
Current PPD
T otal Generation( )
2.6 PPD
11 PPD( )
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 62
City of Alameda
Overall Diversion (2018-2023)
The City has not yet reached its 2020 target of 89% diversion or 1 2 PPD, as demonstrated by the 2018-2023 diversion trends shown in Figures A-4 and A-5 below Other than a plateau during 2020-2021, the City saw a decrease in disposal and increase in diversion each year from 2018 to 2022 The City had a diversion rate of 77% (2 5 PPD) in 2018, which increased to 81% diversion (2 1 PPD) by 2022 As described above, the City faced challenges implementing certain programs due to COVID- 19, which may correlate with the diversion stagnation in the years 2020-2021 The overall increase in diversion from 2018 to 2022 is a testament to the City’s efforts in implementing waste reduction and recycling programs after the 2018 ZWIP Update was published However, there was a decrease in diversion from 81% in 2022 to 76% in 2023 This decrease in diversion in 2023 demonstrates that continued investment in zero waste programs is needed over time in order to see consistent progress In order to regain a downward trend in disposal and reach the City’s diversion goals, significant programmatic efforts are still needed
FIGURE A-4. DISPOSAL TRENDS 2018-2023
FIGURE A-5. DIVERSION TRENDS 2018-2023
Diversion Rate (2018-2023)
Diversion %
Diversion Zero Waste Goal
95%
90%
85%
80%
89% 89% 89% 89% 89% 89% 89%
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
77% 78% 79% 79%
81% 81%80%
75%
Disposal Pounds/Person/Day (PPD) (2018-2023)
Disposal (PPD)
Disposal Zero Waste Goal
2.5 2
1.5 1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3
2.6 2 .1
0.5 Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 63
City of Alameda
Sector-Specific Trends
HF&H analyzed collection tonnage data reported to the City by ACI to evaluate diversion trends in the following sectors:
single-family (SFD), multi-family dwellings (MFD), commercial businesses (COM), and industrial Figure A-3 below shows the change in annual diversion from fiscal years (FY) 2021 to 2024, based on materials collected by ACI for each sector Note that prior to 2021, ACI did not report single-family and multi-family data separately; therefore, 2021 has been used as the comparison point for sector diversion
FIGURE A-6. COLLECTED MA TERIALS DIVERSION BY SECTOR
The data shows an increased diversion rate for commercial, a decreased diversion rate for industrial, and relatively similar diversion rates for single-family and multi-family from 2021 to 2024 The data also shows single-family and multi-family to have nearly the same diversion rate of approximately 58% Upon further review, it was found that ACI determines the diversion rates for single-family and multi-family materials, which are co-collected, based on a calculated allocation rather than actual tracking of tonnage from each sector This may explain why the diversion rates are similar across sectors and across years Based on data from other regional jurisdictions, it is expected to see a diversion rate of around 55-75% for single-family and 20-50% for multi-family Based on these trends, HF&H suspects the City’s diversion to be higher for single-family and lower for multi-family than reported Therefore, focusing on the multi-family sector is still recommended This also demonstrates the need for the City to closely monitor reports provided by ACI to ensure data is accurate Robust reporting, especially for sector-specific data, will be necessary for the City to monitor programs moving forward
DIVERSION BY SECTOR
YEAR SFD MFD COM INDUSTRIAL
FY 2021-2022 58.6% 58.0% 16.7% 45.0%
FY 2022-2023 58. 1% 58. 1% 18.0% 39.9%
FY 2023-2024 58.8% 58..7% 19.0% 39.9%
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025 B
attachment
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 64
City of Alameda
(Note: Not All Results Will Sum to 100% Due to Rounding) Survey Methodology
Dates September 3-12, 2024
Survey Type Dual-mode Resident Survey
Research
Population City of Alameda Residents
T otal Interviews 431
Margin of
Sampling Error
(Full Sample) ±4.9% at the 95% Confidence Level
(Half Sample) ±7.0% at the 95% Confidence Level
Contact Methods
T elephone
Calls
Email
Invitations
Postcard
Invitations
Te x t
Invitations
Data Collection
Modes
T elephone Interviews Online Interviews
Languages English, Spanish, and Chinese
Alameda Resident Views
of Zero Waste Programs
Key Findings of a Survey Conducted
September 3-12, 2024
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 65
City of Alameda
Q6.
2%
29%
67%
2%
Y es, a great deal
Yes, some
No, have not seen,
heard or read
Don't know
T otal
Ye s
31%
Three in ten have heard of the
City’s Zero Waste plan, though they
do not know it in great detail.
ƀ Have you seen, heard, or read about the City of Alameda’s Zero Waste Implementation Plan?
Those most likely to have heard of
the Zero Waste plan in total are:
• Ages 65-74
• Live in buildings with 5-15 units
• Women ages 50+
• College-educated women
• Post-grad educated
Support for and Awareness of
Zero Waste Implementation Plan
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 66
City of Alameda
Q7 . Generally speaking, do you support or oppose this effort overall? 63%
25%
6%
3%
3%
Strongly support
Somewhat
oppose
Strongly oppose
Don't know
To t a l
Oppose
9%
T otal
Support
88%
The City’s Zero Waste program is a Council-approved policy aimed at reducing the amount of waste generated in Alameda. Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills limits the pollution that causes climate change, protects Alameda’s coastline and natural environment, and improves quality of life. Key elements of the zero- waste program include mandatory composting and recycling for all residents and businesses, education and outreach to help people and businesses reduce waste, and programs and policies to encourage reuse.
Nearly nine in ten support the
City’s Zero Waste program when
given a basic description of it.
Somewhat
support
Resident Views Survey
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 67
City of Alameda
Q7. Generally speaking, do you support or oppose this effort overall? 55%
69%
67%
64%
59%
60%
26%
24%
17%
29%
27%
25%
8%
8%5% 5%
8%
7%
7%
Men
Women
White
Residents
Latino
Residents
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Residents
All Residents
of Color
Strng. Supp. Smwt. Supp. Don't Know Smwt. Opp. Strng. Opp. To t a l Supp.
To t a l
Opp.
82% 13%
93% 5%
91% 5%
81% 15%
88% 10%
87% 11%
Support for the proposal is shared
broadly across gender and ethnicity.
ƀ Initial Support by Gender & Race/Ethnicity
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 68
City of Alameda
Q7 . Generally speaking, do you support or oppose this effort overall? Support also cuts across age
group, homeownership status,
and type of residence.
ƀ Initial Support by Age, Homeownership & Residence Type Strng. Supp. Smwt. Supp. Don't Know Smwt. Opp. Strng. Opp. T otal Supp.
To t a l
Opp.
18-39 70% 24% 95% 5%
40-64 56% 25% 10% 5% 81% 15%
65+ 67% 27% 94% 4%
Homeowners 58% 29% 8% 87% 10%
Renters 64% 21% 5% 5% 86% 10%
Single-Family
Home 58% 28% 8% 85% 11%
Multi-Unit
Building/
Apartment
67% 22% 5% 89% 7%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 69
City of Alameda
Q8a.
Supporters say they are motivated by
addressing climate change impact.
ƀ In a few words of your own, why do you SUPPORT Zero Waste Alameda? (Open-ended; Asked of Supporters Only, n=378)
Save the environment/Planet/
Climate change
Less waste/Zero waste/Conservation 48%
18%
For the future/Sustainability 16%
Better community/Better quality of life 13%
Right thing to do/Doing my part/
Mandates/Enforcement 10%
Makes things easier 10%
Cleaner city 7%
Pro recycling 6%
Needed/Important 5%
General support 5%
Something I've always done already 2%
Need more information 1%
Refused/No comment 2%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 70
City of Alameda
Q8b.
46%
22%
18%
17%
12%
10%
No mandates/No
government involvement
Ineffective
Unclear/Need more
information
Waste/Misuse of funds
More costs/Fees
More important issues
Opponents say they are against
government mandates.
ƀ In a few words of your own, why do you OPPOSE Zero Waste Alameda? (Open-ended; Asked of Opponents Only, n=39)
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 71
City of Alameda
Q9. Split Sample
Bulky pickup, Y ellow Pages
opt-outs, bin requirements, and
food recovery mandates are seen
as very effective strategies.
ƀ Here are some different elements of Alameda’s Zero Waste Implementation Plan. Please indicate whether you think it is an effective or ineffective way to help Alameda reach the goal of diverting 89% of waste from landfills.
Very Eff. Smwt. Eff. Don't Know Smwt. Ineff. Very Ineff. T otal Eff.
T otal
Ineff.
Offering one on-call bulky pickup
of household waste per residential
customer per year for free
64% 5%27% 91% 8%
Allowing residents to opt
out of receiving the Y ellow
Pages phone book
57% 22% 10% 8% 79% 10%
Requiring all businesses,
residences and multi-family
buildings to have recycling and
food waste collection bins
53% 36% 5% 5% 89% 9%
Requiring restaurants, grocery stores,
hotels, food vendors, special events
and public schools to redirect surplus
edible food to feed people in need
52% 30% 7% 8% 82% 15%
Providing education, outreach and
technical assistance to businesses
to help them recycle and compost
42% 40% 5% 9% 82% 13%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 72
City of Alameda
Q9. Here are some different elements of Alameda ’s Zero Waste Implementation Plan. Please indicate whether you think it is an effective or ineffective way to help Alameda reach the goal of diverting 89% of waste from landfills. Split Sample Encouraging people to bring their own
tableware to restaurants is seen as
less effective than other strategies.
Very Eff. Smwt. Eff. Don't Know Smwt. Ineff. Very Ineff. T otal Eff.
T otal
Ineff.
Reducing the use of single-
use plastics such as cups,
forks and take-out containers
from food businesses
42% 37% 9% 10% 79% 18%
Requiring that 95% of concrete
and asphalt and 65% of all other
construction debris hauled from a
project to be diverted from landfills
38% 24% 25% 10% 62% 13%
Providing education, outreach and
technical assistance to residents
to help them recycle and compost 31% 45% 17% 76% 20%
Requiring takeout businesses
to provide straws, single-use
cutlery, condiment packs and
chopsticks on request only
30% 46% 16% 6% 76% 22%
Encouraging customers to bring
their own reusable cups and
containers to food businesses
20% 37% 20% 22% 57% 42%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 73
City of Alameda
Q9. Here are some different elements of Alameda ’s Zero Waste Implementation Plan. Please indicate whether you think it is an effective or ineffective way to help Alameda reach the goal of diverting 89% of waste from landfills. Split Sample Element
Very Effective
Residence
All Res. Homeowners Renters
Offering one on-call bulky pickup of household waste per residential customer per year for free 64% 67% 66%
Allowing residents to opt out of receiving the Y ellow Pages phone book 57% 59% 56%
Requiring all businesses, residences and multi-family buildings to have recycling and food waste collection bins 53% 47% 62% Requiring restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, food vendors, special events and public schools to redirect surplus edible food to feed people in need
52% 47% 57%
Providing education, outreach and technical assistance to businesses to help them recycle and compost 42% 34% 45% Reducing the use of single-use plastics such as cups, forks and take-out containers from food businesses 42% 43% 41% Requiring that 95% of concrete and asphalt and 65% of all other construction debris hauled from a project to be diverted from landfills 38% 32% 47% Providing education, outreach and technical assistance to residents to help them recycle and compost 31% 35% 30%
Requiring takeout businesses to provide straws, single-use cutlery, condiment packs and chopsticks on request only 30% 35% 28% Encouraging customers to bring their own reusable cups and containers to food businesses 20% 20% 17%
Renters are more likely than
homeowners to view bin and food
recovery requirements as effective.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 74
City of Alameda
Q9. Here are some different elements of Alameda ’s Zero Waste Implementation Plan. Please indicate whether you think it is an effective or ineffective way to help Alameda reach the goal of diverting 89% of waste from landfills. Split Sample Reason
Very Effective
Unit Type
All Res. Single-Family
Home
Multi-Unit
Building/
Apartment
Offering one on-call bulky pickup of household waste per residential customer per year for free 64% 60% 73%
Allowing residents to opt out of receiving the Y ellow Pages phone book 57% 51% 64%
Requiring all businesses, residences and multi-family
buildings to have recycling and food waste collection bins 53% 50% 53% Requiring restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, food vendors, special events and public schools to redirect surplus edible food to feed people in need
52% 41% 65%
Providing education, outreach and technical assistance to businesses to help them recycle and compost 42% 44% 39% Reducing the use of single-use plastics such as cups, forks and take-out containers from food businesses 42% 45% 41% Requiring that 95% of concrete and asphalt and 65% of
all other construction debris hauled from a project to be diverted from landfills
38% 34% 39%
Providing education, outreach and technical assistance to residents to help them recycle and compost 31% 25% 39%
Requiring takeout businesses to provide straws, single-use cutlery, condiment packs and chopsticks on request only 30% 26% 34% Encouraging customers to bring their own reusable cups
and containers to food businesses 20% 22% 23%
Multi-unit residents are more likely
than those in single-units to view
food recovery as effective.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 75
City of Alameda
Q10. Please indicate how important each potential reason to participate in Zero Waste Alameda efforts is for you personally: either extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. *Split Sample Protecting the Bay and the
environment overall are top reasons
to participate in Zero Waste Alameda
Very Impt.Ext. Impt. Smwt. Impt. Not Too Impt. Don't Know Ext./
V ery Impt.
T o protect the Bay from
plastic pollution 63% 26% 7% 89%
*T o help protect the environment 61% 26% 11% 87%
It is our responsibility to
care for the planet
T o avoid the health impacts of
microplastics and PFAS, also known
of forever chemicals, used in plastics
*T o help reduce the pollution
that causes climate change
61% 23% 12% 84%
59% 25% 12% 84%
59% 23% 13% 82%
T o reduce the amount of
material sent to landfills 53% 30% 11% 6% 82%
T o set a good example
for future generations 47% 27% 19% 6% 74%
It is easy and convenient to do 37% 32% 19% 9% 68%
T o reduce garbage bills 28% 23% 29% 18% 51%
Motivations
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 76
City of Alameda
Q10. Please indicate how important each potential reason to participate in Zero Waste Alameda efforts is for you personally: either extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. *Split Sample Reason
Extremely/Very Important
Residence
All Res. Homeowners Renters
T o protect the Bay from plastic pollution 89% 88% 89%
*T o help protect the environment 87% 84% 89%
It is our responsibility to care for the planet 84% 82% 86% T o avoid the health impacts of microplastics and PFAS, also known of forever chemicals, used in plastics 84% 84% 84% *T o help reduce the pollution that causes climate change 82% 78% 84% T o reduce the amount of material sent to landfills 82% 83% 82% T o set a good example for future generations 74% 78% 69% It is easy and convenient to do 68% 73% 63%
T o reduce garbage bills 51% 53% 48%
Homeowners are more likely to say
setting an example and convenience
are important reasons to participate
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 77
City of Alameda
Q10. Please indicate how important each potential reason to participate in Zero Waste Alameda efforts is for you personally: either extremely important, very important, somewhat important, or not too important. *Split Sample Reason
Extremely/Very Important
Unit Type
All Res. Single-Family
Home
Multi-Unit
Building/
Apartment
T o protect the Bay from plastic pollution 89% 87% 92%
*T o help protect the environment 87% 81% 94%
It is our responsibility to care for the planet 84% 80% 90% T o avoid the health impacts of microplastics and PFAS, also known of forever chemicals, used in plastics 84% 80% 88% *T o help reduce the pollution that causes climate change 82% 80% 81% T o reduce the amount of material sent to landfills 82% 79% 85% T o set a good example for future generations 74% 72% 74% It is easy and convenient to do 68% 71% 66%
T o reduce garbage bills 51% 53% 50%
Multi-unit residents are more likely
to say taking care of the planet is an
important reason for participating.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 78
City of Alameda
Q11.
A majority say they are more
likely to order food if served
in compostable foodware.
ƀ Would you be more likely or less likely to order food or drinks in Alameda if you knew that they only used truly compostable foodware, that is, straws, forks, plates, cups and containers made of things like wood or paper? Much
more likely 27% T otal
More
Likely
55%
Support for Zero Waste
Strong
Support 69% 29%
Somewhat
more likely 28%
43%
Somewhat
less likely 2%
T otal Less
Likely 6%
Somewhat
Support
Much less
likely 4%
Makes no
difference 35% T otal
Oppose 6%
6% 51%
34% 60%
Don't know 3%
T otal More Likely
T otal Less Likely
No Difference/Don’t Know
Views of Foodware Practices
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 79
City of Alameda
Q12.
Compostable
66%
Reusable
22%
Don't
Know
12%
Two thirds of residents prefer
compostable foodware over
reusable foodware.
ƀ Generally speaking, would you prefer that food businesses package your order using compostable foodware, or reusable foodware that can be collected, washed and used again?
Non-college educated
women, women under
50, and nonChinese
Asian residents are
most likely to prefer
compostable foodware.
Latino residents, high
school educated residents,
and residents ages 65-74
are most likely to prefer
reusable foodware.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 80
City of Alameda
Q13.
Residents have the most
trouble with sorting plastics,
followed by food packaging.
38%Different plastics/Plastic containers
Food/Food containers
ƀ There are probably some items that you are unsure how to dispose of. What are the items that you most often find yourself Food packaging such as apple sauce
pouches, chip bags, or granola bar
wrappers. container for non-food)
Plastics. It is too confusing to
determine what is recyclable
and what is waste.
17%
11%Styrofoam/T ake out containers
Paper/Mail 11%
Pizza boxes/Dirty Cardboard 7%
Electronics/Batteries 6%
Recyclables based on symbols and numbers 5%
Milk containers/ Juice containers 4%
Aware/ Already know 4%
Aluminum/Foil 3%
Packaging material 3%
Lightbulbs 2%
Chemicals/Cleaning products 2%
Household items/Furniture 1% Plastic that is not 100% clean (i.e. has touched food, has a bit left in the
container for non-food)Other 6%
None/Nothing 5%
Don’t know/Unsure 2%
Refused/No comment 1%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 81
City of Alameda
Q20. Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with each statement. 77%
16%
5%
1%
1%
73%
16%
5%
2%
4%
Strongly
agree
Somewhat
agree
Somewhat
disagree
Strongly
disagree
Don’t
know
Clearly Labeled Easily Accessible
T otal
Disagree
7%
T otal
Disagree
6%
T otal
Agree
89%
T otal
Agree
93%
Nine in ten residents agree that
bins in their building are clearly
labeled and accessible.
ƀ “The trash, recycling and compost bins in my building are …” (Asked of Renters Only, n=163)
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 82
City of Alameda
Q16.
Residents are most likely to put
something in the trash if they’re
unsure how to dispose of it.
ƀ I am going to read a list of things you may do when you are uncertain of how to dispose of something at home. Please indicate if you are extremely likely, very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not at all likely to take this action when you don’t know how to dispose of something at home.
Ext. Lkly. Very Lkly. Smwt. Lkly. Not T oo Lkly. Don't Know Ext./V ery Likely
Put it in the garbage 29% 31% 26% 10% 60%
Look for information
on how to dispose the
item on its packaging
27% 25% 26% 21% 52%
Look for information about
how to dispose the item on
the City or ACI website
18% 21% 20% 38% 39%
Recycle it 14% 25% 26% 26% 9% 39%
Put it in the compost 9% 8% 14% 60% 9% 17%
Keep the item 11% 20% 60% 6% 15%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 83
City of Alameda
Q14.
Junk mail, plastic bottles, cereal boxes,
and food waste are the most common
items they dispose of correctly.
ƀ Here is a list of items. Please indicate how you typically dispose of it at home: do you typically put it in your curbside gray trash container, blue recycling container, or green compost container, or do you take it to a special disposal site? Junk mail
Plastic bottles
Cereal boxes
Food scraps, including
vegetables, fruit and meat
Spoiled food such as
wilted lettuce and dairy
Food that is past its
expiration date
Electronics such as broken TVs
Batteries
Food-soiled paper products
such as paper towels
Paint
Pizza boxes
Broken glass
Mattresses
Old furniture
Used cat litter
(% Correct Answer)
43% typically
place broken
glass in recycling.
57% do not have cat
litter to throw away.
30% place
pizza boxes
in recycling.
26% and 37% dispose
of mattresses and old
furniture respectively
through “other” means.
Gray=Trash Blue=Recycling Green=Compost Orange=Disposal Site 92%
91%
88%
86%
85%
76%
68%
68%
66%
66%
58%
45%
43%
38%
36%
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 84
City of Alameda
A third of residents dispose of
most items correctly; a majority
do so with half of the items.
Q14. Here is a list of items. Please indicate how you typically dispose of it at home: do you typically put it in your curbside gray trash container, blue recycling container, or green compost container, or do you take it to a special disposal site? 12% 34%54%
Residents most likely to fall
into this category:
• Live in buildings with 16+ units
• Are Non-Chinese Asian/
Pacific Islander Residents
• Have shared bins
• Are ages 30-39
• Live in a multi-unit building
Residents most likely to
fall into this category:
• Are ages 40-49
• Are Latino residents
• Are homeowners
• Are white residents
Residents most likely to fall
into this category:
• Are ages 18-29
• Are high school educated
• Are non-college educated men
• Are ages 75+
• Are women ages 50+
• Are Chinese residents
• Have individual bins
Fewer than
7 out of 15 Items
Disposed Correctly
7-11 out of 15 Items
Disposed Correctly
At least
12 out of 15 Items
Disposed Correctly
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 85
City of Alameda
93%
90%
89%
87%
85%
81%
74%
74%
73%
72%
61%
58%
53%
38%
36%
Gray=Trash Blue=Recycling Green=Compost
Q15.
When it comes to how they “should”
dispose of items, they’re right about
plastic, junk mail and food scraps.
ƀ Here is the same list of items. Please indicate how you are supposed to dispose of it at home: do you put it in your curbside gray trash container, blue recycling container, or green compost container, or 41% believe
broken glass
goes in recycling.
Plastic bottles
Junk mail
Food scraps, including
vegetables, fruit and meat
Cereal boxes
Spoiled food such as
wilted lettuce and dairy
Food that is past its expiration date
Food soiled paper products
such as used paper towels
Electronics such as broken TVs
Batteries
Paint
Pizza boxes
Mattresses
Old furniture
Used cat litter
Broken glass
Orange=Disposal Site
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 86
City of Alameda
Residents know how to
dispose of more than half the
tested items correctly.
Q15. Here is the same list of items. Please indicate how you are supposed to dispose of it at home: do you put it in your curbside gray trash container, blue recycling container, or green compost container, or do you take it to a special disposal site? 7% 44%49%
Residents most likely to fall
into this category:
• Live in buildings with 16+ units
• Have some college education
• Are non-college
educated men
Residents most likely to
fall into this category:
• Are ages 40-49
• Are white residents
• Are Latino residents
• Are women under 50
• Live in buildings
with 5- 15 units
• Are college graduates
Residents most likely to fall
into this category:
• Are Non-Chinese Asian/
Pacific Islander Residents
• Are women ages 50+
• Ages 65 or older
• Ages 18-29
• Are residents of color
Fewer than
7 out of 15 Items
Disposed Correctly
7-11 out of 15 Items
Disposed Correctly
At least
12 out of 15 Items
Disposed Correctly
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 87
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Items of Interest
Item
Broken Glass
• 43% typically throw broken glass in recycling and
41% believe recycling is correct, unaware that it’s
considered hazardous and therefore not accepted.
• 45% of respondents say they typically throw broken glass in the trash, while 36% believe the trash is correct disposal method. Meaning they are “accidentally” doing the right thing.
Food-soiled Paper
• 74% know to compost food-soiled paper,
but fewer (66%) do so regularly.
• 24% regularly throw food-soiled paper in the trash while only 16% believe it is the correct disposal method.
• This gap in behavior is not as wide as with other compost items.
The presence of compost bins in restaurant or commercial areas could be a determining factor.
Pizza Boxes
• 74% know to compost food-soiled paper,
but fewer (66%) do so regularly.
• 24% regularly throw food-soiled paper in the trash while only 16% believe it is the correct disposal method.
• This gap in behavior is not as wide as with other compost items.
The presence of compost bins in restaurant or commercial areas could be a determining factor.
Practices and Awareness
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 88
City of Alameda
Items of Interest
Item
Mattresses
• 43% say they typically dispose of mattresses at special disposal sites, while 58% believe this is the correct method. • However, 26% typically dispose of them through
“other” means and 27% say it “does not apply.”
• Given that few explicitly answered this incorrectly,
it is likely that many residents are simply donating
or reselling of their old mattresses
Old Furniture
• 38% say they typically dispose of old mattresses at special disposal sites, while 53% believe this is the correct method. • 37% typically dispose of old furniture through
“other” means and 17% say it “does not apply.”
• As with mattresses, it is likely that many are donating or re-selling old furniture rather than throwing them away.
Practices and Awareness
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 89
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Residents typically know how to
properly dispose of many items,
but fewer do so.
Q14 & Q15.
Item
How Residents
Typically Dispose
of an Item
Supposed to
Dispose of How
Residents Are an Item
Difference
(Typical vs. Correct
Disposal at Home)
Trash Container
Used cat litter 36% 38% +2%
Broken glass 45% 36% -9%
Recycling Container
Plastic bottles 91% 93% +2%
Cereal boxes 88% 87% -1%
Junk mail 92% 90% -2%
Compost Container
Food soiled paper 66% 74% +8%
Expired food 76% 81% +5%
Food scraps 86% 89% +3%
Pizza boxes 58% 61% +3%
Spoiled food 85% 85% 0%
T ake to Special Disposal Site
Mattresses 43% 58% +15%
Old furniture 38% 53% +15%
Electronics 68% 74% +6%
Paint 66% 72% +6%
Batteries 68% 73% +5%
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Q 17.
Confusion is the most common barrier
for residents sorting their waste.
ƀ Please indicate how much of a barrier each circumstance is to sorting your waste into recycling or compost: either a major barrier, a minor barrier, or not a barrier.
Major Barrier Minor Barrier Not a Barrier Don’t Know Major/Minor Barrier
It is confusing 25% 41% 32% 65%
It is inconvenient 16% 32% 49% 49%
It is messy or smelly 22% 26% 49% 48%
There is no place to store
the recycling or compost
inside your home
21% 16% 61% 37%
It is too expensive 12% 18% 61% 9% 30%
It doesn’t really
make a difference 9% 17% 62% 12% 26%
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Q17. Please indicate how much of a barrier each circumstance is to sorting your waste into recycling or compost: either a major barrier, a minor barrier, or not a barrier.
Circumstance
Major/Minor Barrier
All Res.
Residence Unit Type
Homeowners Renters Single-Family
Home
Multi-Unit Building/
Apartment
It is confusing 65% 68% 65% 62% 66%
It is inconvenient 49% 47% 50% 48% 48%
It is messy or smelly 48% 48% 50% 48% 51%
There is no place to store
the recycling or compost
inside your home
37% 34% 40% 36% 42%
It is too expensive 30% 28% 37% 28% 34%
It doesn’t really make
a difference 26% 23% 30% 22% 31%
Cost is a slightly larger barrier to
sorting for renters than homeowners.
Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 92
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Curt Below: [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMA TION CONT ACT:
Conclusions
Miranda Everitt: [email protected]
Denny Han: [email protected]
02 03
06 08
04 07 09
05 01
While relatively few
Alameda residents have
heard of the Alameda Zero
Waste Implementation
plan, they overwhelmingly
support the plan’s goals.
Support for conservation
and the desire to protect
the environment are highly
motivating; those who
oppose the plan object to
government mandates.
Redirecting edible food to
people in need, requiring
bins at all properties,
allowing Y ellow Pages opt-
outs, and offering bulky
pickups are considered
“very effective” elements
of Zero Waste.
They are divided on the
effectiveness of bringing
reusable foodware to
restaurants as part of the
Zero Waste plan.
Half say they would be
more likely to order from
a restaurant using truly
compostable foodware.
Asked directly, they prefer
restaurants to package
their food with compostable
foodware than provide
reusable containers.
While residents know
how to correctly dispose
of many common
items, there is room for
education on which types
of plastics are recyclable,
and on what to do with
broken glass and food
soiled paper products.
Most say they throw
something away when
they aren’t sure how to
dispose of it.
Residents are less
enthusiastic about
reusable foodware.
Confusion is most
common barrier to
residents sorting their
waste properly.
City of Alameda
Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025 C
attachment
Proposed Programs
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Based on the public input received, assessment of historical performance, and guidance from City staff, the following implementation strategies are proposed.
Attachment C:
Proposed Programs
Descriptions
1 Conduct a City Zero Waste Rebrand
Program Summary
As part of the recommendations from the 2018 ZWIP Update, the City planned to conduct a rebrand of the current Department of Public Works Zero Waste Program (Zero Waste Program) as a new initiative called “Zero Waste Alameda ” The City did not conduct this rebrand in response to the 2018 ZWIP Update but now has the opportunity to initiate a rebrand and develop educational materials that will be supportive of the recommended programs Compelling and consistent branding allows initiatives to be immediately recognized as part of the City’s zero waste efforts This branding along with robust public education creates a positive public impression and aims to increase participation, reduce confusion, and ultimately support behavior change This program proposes that the City rebrand the current Zero Waste Program in order to increase consistency and recognition of zero waste programs and drive behavior change This will include hiring a design firm to develop a new brand profile for the program (logo, colors, etc ) and template materials, as well as developing robust public education and outreach materials This program proposes that the City update current education materials and the Zero Waste Program webpage with the new branding, as well as develop a suite of new public education and outreach materials (e g , brochures, guides, flyers, videos) that can be distributed as part of the other recommended programs The new program may be rebranded as “Zero Waste Alameda,” as recommended in the 2018 ZWIP Update, or another name determined by City staff and the selected design firm Regardless of the selected name, it is critical that the new branding be used consistently and persistently in order to ensure recognition and retain momentum of the City’s efforts The proposed program also includes identifying third parties that may benefit from the branding, such as coordinating with the City’s franchise hauler, Alameda County Industries (ACI), to update their education materials Additionally, the City can identify and work with influential community organizations on collaborative educational posts or campaigns to amplify the new branding and messaging
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Action Steps
» Hire Design Firm to Conduct Rebrand. Develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) and select a design firm to conduct a rebrand of the City’s zero waste efforts to “Zero Waste Alameda.” » Update Current Education and Outreach. Update existing education materials and the City’s current Zero Waste Program webpage with the updated branding.
» Develop Education Materials. Develop new multi-media education and outreach materials using the new branding. » Collaborate with Third-Party Partners. Identify third parties that may require use of the City’s branding, such as ACI, in its customer education materials. Additionally, work to build partnerships with influential community organizations and individuals where shared messaging may be beneficial.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program in coordination with the Community Development Department, Information T echnology (IT) Department, Public Information Officer, and City Manager’s Office • This will be a one-time effort, with on-going education activities as part of current educational efforts and the other recommended programs
• A budget of $150,000 has been allocated for one-time costs for a design firm to conduct the rebrand • A budget of $75,000 has been allocated for developing new and updated education and outreach materials 2 Conduct a Multi-Family Bulky
Program CBSM Campaign
Program Summary
The City currently provides a bulky item collection program under the City’s franchise agreement with ACI The bulky item program was expanded under the new franchise agreement (updated in response to the 2018 ZWIP Update) to allow single-family and multi-family residents to place bulky items out once per year for collection by ACI Bulky item collection programs are a helpful tool to address illegal dumping and improper disposal of materials The multi-family sector in particular is an important sector to target for bulky item collection programs considering the unique challenges that sector faces For example, high turnover of tenants makes it difficult to provide consistent on-going education and often results in significant amounts of bulky item waste during move-in and move-outs Multi-family education faces numerous challenges due to varying factors, such as infrastructure, demographics, and language barriers Barriers in communication channels also create difficulties, such as reaching property managers regarding education and the inconsistent or lack of distribution of educational materials from property managers to tenants The use of shared service also makes educating individual tenants more complicated compared to single-family homes with clear points of contact and fewer points of responsibility for disposed materials Additionally, illegal dumping hot spots are often found near multi-family properties Particularly with high volume of move-outs, items are often placed on the street, hoping that someone else will pick them up to use or assuming they will be collected by the City When the items are not taken, illegally dumped materials can accumulate causing environmental and public health hazards Proposed Programs
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During the stakeholder engagement process for this plan, there was strong support for the bulky program However, despite prior education and outreach efforts by the City and ACI, the program has been underutilized thus far with an overall participation rate of approximately 40% and nearly 90% of usage by single-family residents This utilization rate is not out of line with other regional programs, but it provides a helpful indication of where the program could be further targeted Community stakeholders reported that multi-family residents are not utilizing the bulky item collection service because they are not aware of the program, and better messaging is needed in order to reach these residents It is critical that this messaging be targeted and effective for that audience in order to promote meaningful behavior change Community- Based Social Marketing (CBSM) is a tool that can be used to identify and implement the most effective messaging and educational approaches for specific audiences and drive such behavior change CBSM involves several key steps, including: i) selecting the behaviors to target; ii) identifying the barriers to and benefits of implementing that behavior; iii) developing strategies that may promote behavior change; iv) piloting test strategies at representative test sites; and, v) implementing and evaluating the program Using CBSM practices ensures outreach conducted within the City related to the zero waste program is specific to the community’s needs and therefore is effective in creating behavior change This program proposes that the City conduct a CBSM campaign targeting increased use of the bulky item collection program at multi-family properties This program anticipates that the City will hire a third-party contractor with experience in CBSM to conduct the initial CBSM program The campaign should incorporate multiple communication channels to effectively reach tenants and property managers, such as door hangers, postcards, digital media, in- person engagements, and community events T o drive behavior change, a variety of CBSM strategies should be used For example, if an identified barrier to participation was convenience and accessibility, a campaign could include convenience-based strategies, such as clearly marking drop-off locations making participation easy and accessible Educational materials, such as easy-to-understand guides or video tutorials could be distributed via multiple channels, including emails, flyers, and in common areas, explaining the steps for proper disposal By removing logistical barriers and simplifying the process, tenants are more likely to use the bulky item collection program, resulting in increased participation and less illegal dumping Other CBSM tools, such as social norms, public commitments, and visual prompts, can also be utilized, as explained in Program #3
Implementing these recommendations is beneficial not only for increasing diversion but also supporting other recommended programs For example, providing education on proper handling of bulky item waste can help reduce illegal dumping, as described above, which supports other programs (e g , Program #7) that aim to reduce illegal dumping Additionally, training staff in CBSM will have the long-term benefit of effectively implementing enhanced education and outreach campaigns, including the annual CBSM campaigns in Program #3 below The CBSM pilot program is intended to produce a set of tested, educational treatments that can be applied to other properties in the City with similar conditions; however, the pilot program may need to identify treatments for several different types of barriers in order to scale the education tools across the City, as each property has different barriers After the initial pilot program, it is recommended that education for the multi-family sector be continued on an on-going annual basis Particularly considering the issue of high turnover at multi-family properties, new tenants will need to be educated using on-going CBSM strategies to support effectiveness of education efforts Implementing these recommendations is beneficial not only for increasing diversion but also supporting other recommended programs For example, providing education on proper handling of bulky item waste can help reduce illegal dumping, as described above, which supports other programs
MANY BENEFITS
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Considering the goal of the program is to increase participation in the bulky item collection program, this program assumes that increased participation will exceed the capacity of the current bulky item collection route The City will need to meet and negotiate with ACI regarding adding a second bulky item collection route This potential new cost is reflected in the on-going annual cost per year for this program, and such costs will be lower if not adding a new route The City will evaluate the results of the multi-family program on an on-going basis to determine whether further expansion would be beneficial and when the additional route would need to be added to ACI’s services The City may consider tying the frequency of this program review to the City’s existing quarterly reviews of diversion reports provided by ACI Additionally, upon maturity of the multi-family bulky item collection program, the City may consider expanding the bulky program to commercial businesses Such costs of expansion to commercial customers have not been contemplated in this program Action Steps
» Collect Data and Engage Stakeholders. Review existing data from the City and ACI, conduct a survey of residents, and hold focus groups to gather data on barriers, opportunities, and potential strategies. » Conduct CBSM T rainings. T rain key staff on CBSM practices through attendance at one to two full-day CBSM trainings in order to ensure they are able to effectively implement and manage the program. » Develop CBSM Strategies. Determine which CBSM strategies and treatment options (“treatment intervals”) will be tested during the pilot program and select representative sites to be used in the pilot program. Establish clear benchmarks for evaluating behavior change, engagement levels, and overall program impact. » Pilot T est Strategies. Conduct a pilot at identified test site(s) using different CBSM strategies. Analyze established benchmarks for evaluating behavior change, such as conducting audits of each test site to determine whether there was behavior change and documenting results and findings.
» Evaluate the Pilot Program. After completing the pilot program, conduct an evaluation to determine whether there was increased participation and determine how widescale implementation should be conducted. » Implement On-Going Education Program. Implement on-going annual education at multi-family properties regarding bulky item collection.
» Evaluate Future Programs. Based on the multi-family program results, evaluate whether expansion of the bulky item program to commercial businesses would be feasible and beneficial. » Meet and Confer with ACI. If participation increases to the point of exceeding the current route capacity, meet and confer with ACI, per the franchise agreement, to discuss changes to the program to accommodate the additional bulky item collection requests.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program, including coordination with ACI. • The pilot program may be conducted with resources by City staff and/ or a third-party contractor. • Staff will undergo two CBSM trainings.
• A budget of $100,000 has been allocated for one-time costs of developing education materials and $50,000 per year thereafter for on-going material costs.
• Estimated costs for this program include the anticipated cost of adding an additional bulky item collection route at a cost of $500,000 per year. (Current costs for bulky item collection services are ratepayer funded. New costs may be added to current solid waste rates or funded through alternative means as described in Section 4 of this report).
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3 Conduct Annual CBSM Campaigns
Program Summary
Education is critical to achieving culture change at the community level However, with numerous types of educational approaches and sectors with distinct needs, there is a high likelihood for education to be ineffective unless specifically tailored and adapted to the audience CBSM tools, as described above, can be used to identify barriers and benefits in various sustainability programs, such as participation in recycling initiatives In particular, the multi-family sector may require enhanced education efforts due to the unique set of barriers and benefits to recycling that sector faces, such as high-turnover of residents, difficulty with communication channels, and high volumes of waste during move-in and move- outs, as detailed in Program #2 above
This program proposes that the City conduct on-going CBSM campaigns to identify the barriers and benefits to participation in waste reduction programs and offer targeted education to various communities across the City The focus of these campaigns will shift year to year, based on the specific needs of each target audience identified through CBSM processes; however, the program proposes placing an initial focus on educating the multi-family sector T argeting the multi- family sector will help address the unique barriers and benefits of the sector described above, as well as create positive ripple effects on all other programs by increasing participation and fostering a culture of sustainability with residents of the City There was significant support during the stakeholder engagement process for enhanced education and support for the multi-family sector, and specific feedback was provided on program features that will be most effective for that sector For example, education needs to reach multiple parties, including the property manager, on-site staff, and any third-party contracts (e g , janitorial services) CBSM, due to its on-going and dynamic nature, is especially necessary for multi-family properties as they face high turnover and need to be continuously educated Regardless of the target program, a variety of CBSM strategies can be used to drive behavior change, such as social norms, public commitments, and visual prompts For example, a campaign can incorporate commitment devices by encouraging residents and businesses to make a public pledge to use the target program These pledges could be made via a simple online form or during community events Participants could receive a sticker or certificate to display in their business, home, or apartment, to reinforce community norms Additionally, social norm messaging, such as highlighting the number of residents or businesses who properly use the program, can create a sense of collective responsibility Another effective strategy may be the use of reminders and prompts This might include sending personalized text messages or emails with reminders about the program and quick tips on how to participate Throughout all of the CBSM approaches, providing multilingual materials and using visuals to explain the process can help overcome language barriers and make the information more accessible to all
The City may consider commencing these annual CBSM campaigns after the completion of the multi-family bulky program campaign (Program #2), in order to minimize strain on City staff resources and provide an opportunity to apply lessons learned from the bulky item pilot program to refine future CBSM strategies, ensuring a more effective approach for the broader program implementation
The program will include conducting an annual evaluation of the prior year’s CBSM campaign to inform the design of the next year’s campaign Examples of evaluation metrics that may be used to determine the next campaign may include engagement, participation, diversion results, and community feedback This program proposes a standard operating budget of $250,000 to pay for the staffing and direct costs of implementing the identified annual campaign(s) The size of the CBSM campaigns may vary depending on the behaviors targeted and the operating budget may cover one or multiple CBSM campaigns each year This program anticipates that the City will hire a third-party contractor with experience in CBSM to conduct the program Proposed Programs
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Action Steps
» Design CBSM Programs. Engage a third-party contractor to design education campaigns, using CBSM concepts, which include identifying the targeted behavior, specific audience, and the barriers and benefits to participation in zero waste programs. The initial CBSM campaign will focus on waste reduction initiatives at multi-family properties. » Develop and Distribute Education Materials. Develop and distribute education materials using CBSM tactics that effectively address the targeted behaviors, barriers, and benefits identified through the process. These educational materials should be varied and may include media such as brochures, newsletters, videos, radio, social media, direct outreach, event booths, in-person engagements, and more. » Monitor CBSM Program. Continuously monitor the program to ensure education is being properly distributed and reaching the intended audience and track the success of the targeted behavior. Use this information to identify areas of improvement.
» Evaluate and Design CBSM Campaigns. Annually evaluate programs and determine City’s upcoming CBSM campaigns. Examples of evaluation metrics that may be used to determine the next campaign may include engagement, participation, diversion results, and community feedback.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program
• An annual budget of $250,000 will be dedicated to the design and implementation of CBSM programs, education campaigns, and materials This is a dedicated budget pool per year, and the cost per campaign and number of campaigns per year will vary based on the annual evaluation and design process • The first campaign will be focused on multi-family property recycling initiatives, due to the potential for increased diversion and the unique needs of that sector described above Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 101
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4 Develop Guidelines
for Permitted City Events
Program Summary
With numerous attendees, high volumes of food service, and challenges with oversight, a single event can generate significant amounts of waste in a short amount of time Under state law, events and venues are required to implement basic waste reduction programs (AB 2176) and recover edible food, if over a certain size (SB 1383) The City’s current special events application form includes information on the City’s food ware ordinance, including encouraging the use of reusables Additionally, the special events application describes the requirement for solid waste, recycling, and organic waste collection service through ACI, and asks applicants to describe how their waste will be handled at the event However, there is an opportunity for the City to take a further leadership role in improving diversion at events and venues in the City The City can implement upstream practices such as encouraging source reduction and increasing education, as well as downstream practices such as improving sorting stations and donating items Considering large events need to be permitted by the City, this provides a touch point for the City to educate event organizers and implement zero waste practices This program proposes that the City implement a zero waste program for special events requiring a City permit to operate (approximately 42 per year), including developing policies and guides, supplying infrastructure, monitoring events, and providing ongoing support to improve zero waste practices at events In alignment with the goals of the 2025 ZWIP Update, it is recommended that the program place a focus on reuse as a key strategy to improve diversion Additionally, events can implement activities such as clean-up programs to manage downstream impacts of their events This would involve event organizers conducting a community clean-up before and/ or after events to help give back to the community
The City’s first step to implementing these changes is to develop a clearly defined policy that outlines the zero waste requirements The requirements or guidelines may address areas such as source reduction, use of sustainable vendors, education and signage, acceptable food ware alternatives, encouragement for reuse, suggested features (e g , water hydration stations to refill water bottles), food recovery, downstream management of waste, clean-up programs, and reporting In particular, including more robust reporting requirements will be critical to allow the City to monitor program progress over time and identify specific areas of improvement In order to ensure the program is implemented effectively, the City will need to monitor events and enforce the requirements if not met Such monitoring may include having City staff on-site both before the event to inspect event set up and ensure proper systems are in place and after the event to evaluate how the event was implemented The City can use a combination of education and enforcement in order to align with the City’s education-based focus while still ensuring accountability in the case of repeated violations The City may consider issuing penalties in response to violations, and in the event of multiple violations, may consider revoking the permit of the special event The penalties from this enforcement can be used to fund mitigation of waste issues caused by the event, as applicable Proposed Programs
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Action Steps
» Develop Policies and Guides. Develop policies and guidance documents that outline requirements for City-permitted events to implement waste diversion practices and encourage reuse. » Develop Event Materials. Develop educational materials that event organizers can use during their events, such as signage for sorting stations or educational flyers about reuse, to the extent not already provided by ACI. » Monitor Events. Inspect events during set-up and after take-down to evaluate how effectively the requirements were implemented.
» Monitor Compliance. Conduct on-going permit reviews and audits to identify compliance issues. » Enforce Requirements. Conduct enforcement activities, including initial education followed by monetary penalties for continued violations.
» Evaluate the Program. Conduct an evaluation of the program after three years to compare progress of events year- over-year and determine whether modifications to the program are needed.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• Zero Waste Program staff will be responsible for the program, in coordination with the Finance Department, IT Department, and City Manager’s office
• There are approximately 40 City-permitted events
• A budget of $20,000 will be dedicated to producing initial education and outreach materials, and there will not be an on-going education and outreach material budget
5 Develop Zero Waste Policies
for City Departments
Program Summary
In order to demonstrate the importance of zero waste behavior, the City has the opportunity to lead by example within its own departments and facilities In recent years, the City began the process of updating its environmentally preferrable purchasing policy The City is required to meet recycled content paper requirements set forth under state law, SB 1383, and the City updated the municipal code and purchasing policy to reflect such requirements While these are beneficial first steps, the City has the opportunity to develop a more targeted and holistic model, with more dynamic monitoring, to successfully increase diversion and demonstrate culture change This aligns with priorities in the community, as the City setting the example was a theme heard during the stakeholder engagement process for this 2025 ZWIP Update Proposed Programs
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Examples of staff policies that could be implemented in the action plans include:
• Remove desk side trash containers in favor of centralized sorting stations • Install dishwashers to encourage reusable food ware or partner with reusable food ware services • Aim to purchase second-hand furniture prior to purchasing new, and donate reusable items at end of life rather than disposing
• Establish dedicated spaces for building reuse exchanges • Purchase reusable and refillable office supplies (refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, etc ) • Ensure items purchased are reusable or recyclable at end of life • Digitize office practices that would otherwise require supplies (e g , using electronic signatures and documents rather than printing hard copies)
• Default printer settings to print double sided and provide a scratch paper bin next to printers for paper reuse • Install signage to remind staff of zero waste practices • Update department employee onboarding materials to include the latest zero waste rules • Increase the percentage of recycled content paper in purchases and give a price preference to recycled content products
• Purchase from vendors who minimize packaging and/ or use recycled packaging This program proposes that the City develop internal staff policies to encourage zero waste and monitor department activities in order to achieve the aforementioned goals It is important to recognize that each department has unique functions and needs Therefore, this program includes the Zero Waste Program staff conducting interviews with each department and developing department-specific action plans, to allow variation by department based on specific needs For example, some departments may require a dishwasher for reusable food ware programs whereas other departments may focus on solutions such as removing desk-side trash containers to encourage use of sorting stations and reusable materials The program would encourage, but not require, use of reusable products and practices around reusing materials An example of encouraging reuse that may apply to City departments is purchasing used furniture or sharing furniture amongst departments first rather than purchasing new
In addition to developing policies, incentive approaches can be implemented For example, departments typically use their specified department funding to procure items; however, if implementing reusable programs, the City’s zero waste budget could be used to support implementation In order to incentivize culture change, the City can provide recognition of departments that are excelling at reuse practices, or the City can implement competitions between departments to encourage zero waste behaviors
T o set departments up for success, the program proposes that the City conduct trainings for department staff (including janitorial staff) on the new requirements These trainings will occur in the first year of the program and annually thereafter This training will allow Zero Waste Program staff to educate other department staff as well as provide outreach materials and tangible resources (e g , containers) for their department to use on an on-going basis T o make implementation more effective, this program proposes that the City identify a primary point of contact in each department that can serve as a “Sustainability Ambassador ” The Sustainability Ambassador would be responsible for communicating with Zero Waste Program staff and would be encouraged to promote the program within their department This allows not only more streamlined communication but also builds buy-in by having a known and trusted voice promote the program internally
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A policy is only as effective as its implementation, and monitoring of departments’ progress will be a key aspect of successfully executing this program Annual reporting by each department on the status of its department-specific action plan will allow the Zero Waste Program staff to collect data and more effectively monitor progress Additionally, on-going monitoring and audits will allow Zero Waste Program staff to provide recommendations for improvement to each department This will include the City reviewing annual reporting and conducting an annual audit of each department to determine the extent to which each department has implemented the requirements The action plans for each department can be used as a compliance checklist for the audits Following each audit, the City can use a combination of education, enforcement, and incentives, as described above, to support future compliance The City will follow up with the Sustainability Ambassador regarding the results of the audit and provide suggestions for improvement The program proposes that the City conduct an overall evaluation of the program in year three of implementation, in order to measure year-over-year changes and inform whether future adjustments to policies or implementation strategies would be beneficial
Action Steps
» Develop Policies and Guidelines. Develop internal staff policies to encourage zero waste, with room for customization for each department.
» Research Support Options. Research options for providing compliance support to departments, such as providing dishwasher support or services for reusable cups.
» Conduct General Staff T rainings. Conduct annual trainings for department staff on requirements and best practices, including training janitorial staff.
» Conduct T rainings on External Vendors. Conduct trainings for City staff that manage contracts with external vendors regarding environmentally preferrable purchasing practices and requirements. » Implement Incentives. Implement incentives to encourage participation and compliance with policies (funding support, recognition of excelling departments, etc.).
» Monitor Program. Monitor progress of each department, including conducting annual audits of each department and providing follow-up recommendations.
» Provide Compliance Support. In response to annual audits as well as general on-going monitoring, support departments with compliance such as providing additional education and resources, answering questions, and addressing issues as they arise.
» Evaluate Program. Conduct an evaluation of the program in year three to compare year-over-year changes.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• Zero Waste Program staff will be responsible for developing policies and implementing the program, in coordination with the Finance Department, IT Department, and the City Manager’s office. • No budget was allocated for one-time education costs, as initial materials will be developed as part of the City zero waste rebrand program (Program #1).
• A budget of $10,000 will be allocated for on-going education materials costs. • There are 15 City departments.
• Three trainings per year will be conducted for janitorial staff.
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6 Provide Small Businesses
Support and Resources
Program Summary
Local businesses are vital members of the community in Alameda and continue to be critical to the success of City-wide zero waste efforts A theme heard throughout the community engagement process was that more engagement with and support for local businesses will be needed during implementation of zero waste programs, particularly small businesses In response to recommendations from the 2018 ZWIP Update, the City engaged a contractor, SCS Engineers (SCS) to conduct technical assistance to commercial businesses Between October 2018 and July 2023, SCS conducted 931 site visits to commercial businesses and 246 site visits to multi-family dwellings, as well as other assessments, trainings, emails, and phone calls SCS reported a positive correlation between the outreach conducted and increased diversion of recyclables and organics That outreach first focused on targeting “large generators” and the content was largely focused on mandatory organics and recycling collection Large generators have received more focus, as they produce more waste and therefore have a higher diversion potential However, this has left small businesses with less support when such businesses already face barriers like limited resources compared to large generators Small businesses would benefit from additional support from the City
This program proposes that the City increase resources provided to small businesses to implement zero waste practices within their business operations This will include reinitiating technical assistance visits conducted by a third-party contractor These visits will be targeted at small businesses rather than large generators, with a greater focus on zero waste practices and reuse The City can develop a “Zero Waste Start-Up Kit,” to provide to local businesses as part of this assistance This kit can be provided to new businesses to ensure they are proactively implementing zero waste practices, as well as to current businesses that need to come into compliance with requirements, such as the food ware ordinance, or that wish to expand their zero waste practices This kit may include components such as informational videos, check- lists, signage, internal containers, trainings, and more City staff will continue to explore ways to engage businesses in their opening phase (versus post-opening) It is recommended that the technical assistance include general outreach such as providing education materials, as well as in-person engagement Developing relationships with the small businesses will be critical to success, and providing in person outreach can support this goal The City can also develop positive relationships by providing recognition for the businesses that are succeeding at zero waste practices This might include featuring successful businesses on the City’s website and social media or providing a “Zero Waste Business” certification or award that businesses can display to the public to demonstrate they are implementing zero waste practices This type of recognition not only rewards local businesses for their commitment but also demonstrates a culture of zero waste to the broader community, fostering a culture of sustainability The City will evaluate the program between years one and three to determine if changes are needed to improve effectiveness
Proposed Programs
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Action Steps
» Establish Baseline. Determine the baseline conditions of small businesses’ practices in order to have a point of comparison for on-going monitoring of the program.
» Develop Education and Outreach Materials. Develop education and outreach materials to be provided to small businesses during technical assistance and on an on-going basis. » Conduct T echnical Assistance. Work with a third-party contractor to reinitiate technical assistance efforts for small businesses and oversee the contractor’s efforts.
» Oversee T echnical Assistance and Evaluate Program. Oversee the contact for technical assistance and results of education campaigns and determine if alternative or additional resources are needed in response to shifting needs or new regulations.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program, with technical assistance provided by a third-party contractor.
• A budget of $175,000 has been allocated for one-time education and outreach materials costs. • A budget of $25,000 per year has been allocated for on-going education and outreach materials costs. • The program will target approximately 75 businesses considered “small businesses” within the City.
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7 Develop a Grant Program for
T ake-Away Reusables Cups
Program Summary
In October 2017, the City demonstrated its commitment to reducing plastic pollution and diverting waste by developing a disposable food ware ordinance that requires businesses to use only reusable or compostable fiber-based food ware, and in 2022 adopted additional provisions requiring single-use food ware accessories and condiments to be provided upon request In 2017, the City partnered with Rethink Disposable on the “Unpackaging Alameda” program – a two year pilot program to encourage reuse at food businesses in the City The program certified 80 Alameda businesses that switched from disposable to reusable food ware, estimating a reduction in 6, 199,840 pieces of single-use food ware, prevention of 2 34 tons of waste, and cost savings of a collective $139,231 per year However, the City has faced challenges in implementing the disposable food ware ordinance and program For example, the COVID- 19 pandemic set back efforts to implement reusable programs due to public health concerns and shifting economic priorities for local businesses Based on the community survey conducted during the stakeholder engagement process, there has been lower support for reusables as an effective method for reaching zero waste goals compared to other strategies When presented with a list of programs from the 2018 ZWIP Update, respondents marked their perception of how effective various strategies were at helping the City achieve its zero waste goals 57% of survey respondents reported that encouraging customers to bring their own reusable cups and containers to food businesses was an effective strategy, which was the lowest percentage of all strategies listed When asked if they would prefer compostable or reusable foodware, 66% said compostable, 22% said reusable, and 12% did not know In contrast, during stakeholder engagement meetings, there was strong enthusiasm for reusable programs and a desire to overcome barriers in implementation This indicates there is a clear gap in how reusable programs are being implemented and perceived in the City and that additional education and implementation efforts are needed It also suggests that a phased-in approach that focuses first on developing broad based support for the idea of reuse infrastructure may be beneficial for widespread effectiveness T o address these gaps, this program intends to implement education-focused and incentive-based campaigns first to create foundational support that may build into more robust reusables policies or requirements in the future With a multitude of different types of food ware items at restaurants, each with different uses and types of alternatives available, making the switch to reusables does not happen overnight One strategy that can be used is a phased in approach, which more narrowly targets one material type or service type initially in order to build habits around reuse For example, “bring your own” (BYO) campaigns have emerged across the state to encourage reuse of targeted items such as reusable bags and reusable to-go cups This program proposes that the City use this targeted and phased in approach, with an initial focus on reusable to-go cups While to-go cups are often designed as “recyclable” or “compostable,” many end up in landfills or are littered into the environment Additionally, paper cups are often lined with polyethylene plastic, making them difficult to recycle and compost Small plastics such as lids, straws, stirrers, and spill plugs that accompany cups are also not recyclable and clog machinery at recycling facilities Switching to reusable cups helps mitigate these issues and is a tangible first step that consumers can take to shifting to zero waste practices This program proposes using a phased-in approach to promoting reusables, with an initial focus on developing a grant program for small businesses to transition to reusable to-go cups While providing education is an important piece of the puzzle, providing tangible funding will make switching to reusables more feasible and accessible to small businesses The proposed grant program will include awarding 10 grants of $5,000 each per year over a span of five years to small Proposed Programs
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businesses in the City This funding can be used by small businesses to develop reusable cup programs, such as partnering with reusable cup return services For example, 12 businesses in the City have partnered with Okapi Reusables, which provides reusable cups for customers to borrow and then return to any café in the network within two weeks The proposed program includes the City developing education and outreach materials about the grant program, including outreach to the businesses as well as education materials that businesses can display for customers regarding the program After the first and third year of the program, the City will evaluate the program to determine whether it should be expanded to other reusable materials or service types For example, the City can consider expanding programs to support reusables for dine-in service, similar to the ReThink Disposable Unpackage Alameda Program described above Additionally, the City can continue to evaluate whether to bring forward an updated food ware ordinance that includes some mandatory provisions regarding reusable food ware, and how that implementation should be sequenced with other programmatic efforts
Action Steps
» Develop and Distribute Grant Application. Develop an application for small businesses to complete to be eligible for the grant program and distribute the application via the City’s website and in conjunction with existing outreach. » Select Applicants and Award Funding. Review applications, select grant recipients, and provide funding and other resources to support implementation of the reusable cup program. » Develop Outreach Materials. Develop education and outreach materials for local businesses on the grant program, both for the program and for businesses to display.
» Coordinate with County-Wide Efforts. Meet with StopWaste to coordinate with other County-wide efforts on reusables implementation.
» Evaluate Program for Expansion. Evaluate the results of the grant program after the first and third year and consider whether to expand programming to other types of food ware. For example, the City can determine whether to expand the program to cover reusable materials for dine-in customers, similar to the Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program, in coordination with the Finance Department and City Manager’s office
• T en grants per year will be awarded over a period of five years • Each grant will be worth $5,000
• A budget of $25,000 will be allocated for one-time education materials costs, and $5,000 per year will be allocated for on-going education materials costs
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8 Expand Construction and
Demolition Debris Program
Program Summary
While the City has set largely successful construction and demolition debris (C&D) diversion programs and standards through requirements in the municipal code, waste management plans, and the use of the Green Halo reporting system, the City has the opportunity to divert even more waste not regulated under the current program The City is compliant with California’s Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), which requires specified construction and demolition projects to divert from landfills 65% of C&D generated at the project site through reuse or recycling Additionally, pursuant to the City’s Municipal Code, any projects with a cost of over $100,000 are required to submit a waste management plan (WMP) to the City, which requires the construction project to detail how waste will be managed during the projects, including how the project will meet the City’s required diversion goal and demonstration that such target has been met Such project applicants must also consider deconstruction, to the maximum extent feasible, to prioritize reuse of the materials T o increase diversion, this program proposes expanding such requirements to smaller C&D projects (approximately 100 new projects), increasing the amount of education to support projects, and monitoring compliance The City will maintain the diversion requirement of 65% percent, in alignment with CALGreen requirements, but expand the diversion and WMP requirement to all projects, including small projects with a cost under $100,000 It is important to recognize that small C&D projects have unique challenges that set them apart from large-scale C&D projects There is often limited space at the project location and lower volumes of materials being generated for disposal and processing As a result, solutions like source separating materials into separate roll-off containers for disposal and diversion may be more challenging Smaller C&D projects should be encouraged to use deconstruction to the maximum extent feasible, as stated in the Municipal Code, but in most cases it will be most practical to meet the diversion requirement by having ACI collect the mixed C&D and deliver the material to a verified facility to process their materials This will help the project meet diversion requirements, while minimizing the number of containers that need to fit on the premises T o meet the needs and constraints of small C&D projects, this program proposes that the City implement a “Fast T rack” for permitting for small C&D projects The project contractor would establish a WMP with the City, including their basic information, and indicate whether they plan to source separate or use ACI to deliver the materials to a mixed C&D facility If the project elects to use ACI, it will then be ACI’s responsibility to deliver the materials to an approved facility that diverts at least 65% of waste and then report diversion to the City ACI will need to provide separate diversion rates for these small projects with its quarterly diversion reports No changes to the franchise agreement would be required as the City has the authority under the current provisions to require such reporting adjustments While the 2025 ZWIP Update generally prioritizes upstream solutions over downstream solutions like mixed waste processing, the C&D stream is unique, and processing of mixed C&D is a commonly used practice in the industry under CALGreen One downside of the fast tracked system that relies on ACI activities is that there are less direct touch points between the small projects and the City, and therefore providing additional technical assistance and education will be critical, as described below
T o ensure proper implementation of this change, this program includes enhanced technical assistance to small C&D projects through on-site assistance at the start of the project Additionally, the City will provide educational materials, such as a C&D guide detailing requirements and best practices, that can be referenced throughout the project A primary focus of this technical assistance should be encouraging reuse and deconstruction Proposed Programs
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As a final step to this program, the City will closely monitor the overall compliance of C&D projects under the updated program and begin to enforce upon non-compliant projects in accordance with the Municipal Code However, considering that many projects will use the Fast T rack system, the City will also need to monitor ACI’s obligations and ensure that material delivery and reporting requirements are fulfilled The City can use its existing contract management tools to ensure accountability
The City should evaluate the program after year one to identify changes in diversion and the number of enforcement actions taken and determine if additional technical assistance or other program changes would be beneficial Action Steps
» Update Municipal Code to Regulate More Projects. Update the City’s Municipal Code to lower the threshold for covered construction and demolition projects from $100,000 to $0 and make any other updates necessary to align with the new program processes specific to the smaller C&D projects. » Meet and Discuss Requirements with ACI. Meet and negotiate with ACI regarding new requirements and the Fast T rack permitting system for small construction projects. » Update WMP Requirements. Align WMP forms and guidelines with any changes made to the City’s Municipal Code for the new program.
» Develop Outreach Materials. Update existing education materials to align with the City’s standards and develop additional outreach resources. This may include a brochure detailing best practices to reuse and recycle C&D materials. » Provide Enhanced T echnical Assistance. Provide additional support to each new project under the $100,000 threshold during the permit and WMP process to ensure the appropriate party(ies) for each project are aware of how to fulfill the new requirements. This will include one on-site assistance visit as well as distribution of education and outreach materials to the projects.
» Monitor and Enforce for Non-Compliance. Monitor each project’s adherence to their waste management plan and diversion status. For permittees that select the Fast T rack option, monitor ACI’s compliance with requirements for delivery of materials to an approved facility and reporting.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The program will be conducted by Zero Waste Program staff in coordination with the City Attorney’s Office, IT Department, Building Department, and Code Enforcement Department • A budget of $1,000 per year will be allocated for developing and distributing public education materials, such as printing brochures
• The threshold for projects to qualify will be $0 (i e , all projects will need to comply with requirements, provided that small projects may have additional options for compliance)
• One hundred additional projects are expected to qualify compared to the current number of projects • The minimum diversion requirement remained at 65% for the purpose of the diversion model Zero Waste Implementation Plan 2025 111
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9 Conduct Enforcement for Illegal Dumping
Program Summary
Illegal dumping of waste is a common problem that many jurisdictions face, with potentially significant consequences When waste is improperly discarded, it often ends up in public spaces such as streets, parks, or waterways, leading to pollution, potential health hazards, aesthetic degradation, and strain on public resources The City has implemented a number of approaches to address illegal dumping The City uses the “See-Click-Fix” system, which allows the public to report instances of illegal dumping to the City and provides a method for the City to track illegal dumping metrics While this system is necessary, the City has faced challenges in using it to enforce and monitor illegal dumping as it does not generally provide enough data to garner evidence for enforcement on illegal dumpers However, the data may be helpful to monitor dumping trends and highlight where enforcement efforts should be focused The City has invested in clean-up efforts in the City, including through the City’s franchise agreement with ACI and through bi-monthly encampment cleanups that provide opportunities for those experiencing homelessness to access social services and disposal resources If the allotted collection capacity for ACI’s bulky collection program is not utilized for scheduled bulky item collections, the remaining capacity is redirected to be used to collect illegal dumped materials This system inextricably links the bulky item program with the illegally dumped materials program The focus on increasing use of the bulky program (Program #2) will help reduce illegal dumping, but it will also decrease the capacity available for illegal dumping pick-ups Therefore, the City will need to foster a proportional reduction in illegal dumping at the source If this proposed program does not reduce the demand for illegal dumping services at the same rate as the bulky item collection services are increased, the City may need to consider if an additional route for collecting these items will be necessary (this potential cost is included in Program #2) Provisions already exist within the current franchise agreement for the City to meet and confer with ACI regarding an additional collection route for bulky and illegally dumped items, should the demand increase for those services
In addition to dumping in public rights-of-way, illegal dumping can occur when people place items in commercial businesses’ containers The City has heard concerns from commercial business owners that then end up with notices for contamination or overfilled containers that cannot be collected by ACI This program proposes that the City install cameras and signage at key illegal dumping hot spots and conduct follow-up enforcement in response to violations identified This is an approach utilized by other jurisdictions in the region, such as the City of Oakland Based on analysis of illegal dumping hot spots from current data from the City’s See-Click-Fix system, the program proposes that 20 cameras be installed The City will review footage when complaints are received to capture information about the instance of illegal dumping and confirm whether enforcement is necessary Additionally, signage and lighting will be installed near each camera with messaging to encourage reducing illegal dumping and notification that the area is being recorded After implementing and evaluating the camera system, the City can determine whether the cameras should be moved to different hot spot locations or if new cameras need to be added In addition to enforcement and monitoring, illegally dumped materials that are collected will be processed to recover reusable and recyclable materials While the program’s main focus is on behavior change, in alignment with the 2025 ZWIP Update goals, once materials have already been illegally deposited, the City can further support its diversion goals by processing this unique material stream that would otherwise be disposed Proposed Programs
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The program will benefit from the City providing education regarding collection alternatives to common illegally dumped materials This education will be conducted as part of the bulky item program and CBSM campaign described in Program #2 The success of the bulky program is anticipated to improve issues with illegal dumping, particularly at multi-family properties, as it will increase the likelihood of these materials being properly collected rather than illegally dumped Action Steps
» Procure Monitoring Materials. Procure 20 cameras, 20 signs, and one truck for the code enforcement officer to use for the illegal dumping program.
» Determine Locations and Install Equipment. Using the illegal dumping hot spot data collected, identify the list of monitoring locations and install cameras and signs.
» Identify Illegal Dumping Violations. Review camera footage to identify illegal dumping instances. » Conduct Enforcement. Conduct enforcement in response to illegal dumping violations identified, including the appeals process if necessary.
» Establish T askforce. Establish a taskforce and conduct meetings to continuously monitor the program. » Evaluate Program. Evaluate the progress of the program and consider whether cameras should be moved to different hot spot locations or if the program should be expanded.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• City staff will manage the program, including collaboration between staff from the Zero Waste Program, Code Enforcement Department, Police Department, and the City Attorney’s office. • Twenty cameras and signs will be installed.
• One truck will be allocated for an enforcement officer. • One hundred twenty-six illegal dumping actions were assumed, with 25% of enforcement actions potentially resulting in appeals.
• The City has existing authority to initiate this program and no update to the Municipal Code is expected.
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10 Pilot an Education and Resource Program
for the Low-Income Community
Program Summary
The City’s General Plan Action Strategy states the City’s commitment to “provide planning and educational opportunities that support proactive participation and collaboration by all segments of Alameda’s population at the start of processes, with a particular focus on those who will be most impacted by the effects of climate change, such as low-income individuals, seniors, youth, people of color, people experiencing homelessness, T ribes and indigenous peoples, individuals with disabilities, and socio-economically disadvantaged individuals ”1 The City has the opportunity to support this City-wide goal through the design of its zero waste program The City conducted stakeholder engagement specifically with the low- income community as part of the 2025 ZWIP Update, and a clear theme was that this community faces specific barriers, and more education and support is needed to encourage behavior change This program proposes that the City issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a third-party to develop and implement a strategy for increasing reuse and recycling opportunities for the City’s low-income community The program developed would initially be implemented as a pilot program, requiring further evaluation prior to large-scale implementation An example of this type of partnership is the City of Alameda Housing Authority’s partnership with LifeSteps, who provides educational and support services (workshops, educational services, after school programs, community building, and case management) for low-income and senior populations The RFP for the zero waste program can incorporate similar elements and should include coordination with the City Housing Authority for more information on lessons learned from the LifeSteps program This program should focus on identifying opportunities to increase the affordability of and access to zero waste programs highlighting the benefits of reuse (e g , hosting free local repair workshops or upcycling programs and offering additional bulky item disposable options) Involving these communities in sustainable practices not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters long-term environmental and economic resilience Action Steps
» Determine Budget and Project Scope. Design project scope and determine budget. Meet with relevant departments (Zero Waste Program, Housing Authority, Health and Human Services, etc.) to obtain feedback based on experience from similar programs.
» Develop RFP. Develop RFP process and document and select qualified third party. » Oversee Program. Coordinate with third-party contractor and monitor program. » Evaluate Program. Upon conclusion of the pilot program, evaluate program metrics and results, including conducting stakeholder engagement. Results may include metrics such as number of people served, demographics of people served, type of education provided, participant feedback, and diversion rates. 1 City of Alameda General Plan Action Strategy (pg 57, CC- 1) Proposed Programs
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Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program in collaboration with the City Manager’s Office and City Attorney to develop the RFP .
• A budget of $50,000 will be allocated for third-party contractor costs • The program will be a pilot program, with no on-going cost 11 Pilot a Cash for Trash Program
Program Summary
The City and its community partners have made a strong commitment to supporting the unhoused community within the City From 2017-2019, the City’s unhoused population rose by 13%, and the subsequent COVID- 19 pandemic created even further housing insecurity In 2021, City Council adopted “The Road Home: A 5 Y ear Plan to Prevent and Respond to Homelessness in Alameda” (“Homelessness Strategic Plan”), which identified challenges and strategies to addressing housing insecurity in the City With significant life barriers, the unhoused community often does not have the capacity or access to resources to properly manage waste The City has developed some programs to help address this need by providing bi-monthly encampment cleanups These clean-up efforts are provided in coordination with the City’s Homeless Outreach T eam to respond more holistically to people’s needs Providing solid waste services is an important piece of the puzzle, but it does not address the underlying socioeconomic conditions that are contributing to a growing unhoused population One of the key needs identified in the Homelessness Strategic Plan was providing accessible and flexible financial resources The City has the opportunity to explore holistic solutions that provide economic empowerment to the unhoused community while addressing waste issues For example, the City of San Jose developed a “Cash for T rash” program, which incentivizes unhoused residents to collect trash at encampments in exchange for money for each bag of trash collected Over the course of the program, the City reported that there has been increased cooperation in keeping encampments clean and an increase in participants each year of the program This program proposes that the City conduct a pilot program similar to the City of San Jose’s Cash for T rash program This will include developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a third party to conduct the pilot program As an initial step in the RFP development, the City will need to develop guidelines and create an outline for what the program entails Considering the intersectional nature of this program, collaboration between departments is essential, including between the Zero Waste Program and Health and Human Services Additionally, considering it relates to public litter, the City’s Clean Water Program should be consulted to see if there is any potential collaboration It is also recommended that the City engage with other communities that have done similar programs to understand lessons learned and inform the guidelines for the City’s program For example, the City of San Jose noted in its program report that taking time to train staff and providing flexibility in resource allocation were critical to the success of the program The City will need to secure a funding source for providing reimbursements to participants, which may include a combination of City program funding, donations, and grants Proposed Programs
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Action Steps
» Develop Program Guidelines. Collaborate with City departments (e.g., Health and Human Services and the Clean Water Program) and community partners (e.g., Alameda Point Collaborative) to develop clear program guidelines and define the scope and budget for the project
» Develop RFP and Conduct Procurement Process. Draft and publish an RFP for pilot program services and select a qualified third party to conduct the program.
» Monitor and Evaluate Program. Provide oversight to the program, monitor progress, and conduct an evaluation at the end of the pilot program to determine whether the program should be extended. It is beneficial for the evaluation to include stakeholder engagement in order to get participant feedback.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• City staff will design the program and RFP , and a third party will conduct the pilot program • There will be collaboration between City departments such as the Zero Waste Program, Health and Human Services, City Attorney, and City Manager’s office
• A budget of $75,000 will be allocated for contractor costs • The program will last for one year, with initial program funding of $50,000 • Thirty participants are anticipated for the pilot program 12 Develop and Increase
Resources for Existing Reuse Markets
Program Summary
While the City has implemented successful recycling and compost systems, reducing consumption and reusing materials at the source is the most effective method of reducing waste A focus on reusing materials and reducing consumption, rather than disposal, not only reduces the demand for raw materials and energy used in manufacturing new products but also helps the City bridge the gap toward its diversion goals Shifting consumption habits and promoting reuse also aims to achieve lasting behavior change By transforming the way people think about consumption, through promotion of reuse, sustainable choices become a more regular part of daily life This behavior change can shift cultural norms and create a broader culture of sustainability in the City
The City has access to a number of existing reuse markets and has an opportunity to develop and increase resources for these markets The Alameda County Solid Waste Management Authority (StopWaste) has a number of resources available for jurisdictions in the County to use, including education materials and a comprehensive “Re:Source” guide that identifies services and markets in the County StopWaste also provides grant programs for reuse, such as reusable transport packaging and reusable food ware in cafeterias However, these resources are not specific to the City and residents may be unaware of all of the local reuse markets available Historically, the City has distributed StopWaste resources as an educational tool for businesses and residents While this has been beneficial, there is an opportunity to go one step further by making resources specific to the City, so residents and businesses are empowered to reuse locally Proposed Programs
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Examples of current reuse markets in Alameda include ACI’s reuse program, included as part of the expanded franchise agreement This program allows residents to separate, label, and set out reusable items for ACI to collect and deliver to a sorting and donation facility as part of the annual bulky and on-call waste collection services Additionally, a number of community organizations provide opportunities for reuse and repair For example, the Bay Area Maker Farm’s Farmcycles program provides free bike clinics in Alameda Point to repair broken bicycles rather than disposing of them This program proposes that the City develop a comprehensive guide to existing reuse markets and businesses within the City This guide would serve as a resource for the Alameda community and build a network of reuse businesses This will require the City to build relationships with community organizations providing reuse and repair services and help build connections between different reuse markets
Action Steps
» Connect with Community Organizations. Connect with community organizations that are conducting reuse and repair services and identify opportunities for collaboration between programs. » Develop Reuse Guide. Develop a comprehensive guide to existing reuse markets and businesses within the City. The City may choose to mirror existing formats, such as StopWaste “Re:Source” guide, or develop a new format that best meets the City’s needs.
» Distribute Resources. Advertise the new guide and distribute educational resources through the City’s website and other public education and outreach initiatives.
» Monitor and Evaluate Program. Monitor key metrics (e.g., engagement with education materials, diversion, feedback from the community and reuse partners) to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and determine whether adjustments or expansions would be beneficial.
Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the analysis of this recommended program:
• The Zero Waste Program staff will manage the program. • A budget of $5,000 will be allocated for one-time education materials costs, and $5,000 per year will be allocated for on-going education material costs.
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Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025 D
attachment
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One-Time
Implementation
Ongoing Annual
Costs
One-Time
Implementation
Labor
Ongoing Annual
Labor
Costs ($) ($/Year) (FTEs) (FTEs/Year)
Program
Start
Program
Maturity
Program
Start
Program
Maturity
Program
Start
Program
Maturity
1 Conduct a City Zero Waste Rebrand 242,000$ --- 0.13 --- 299 1,496 809$ --- 0.20% 0.98% 2 Conduct a MFD Bulky CBSM Campaign 2 186,000$ 565,000$ 0.02 0.45 532 1,473 349$ 384$ 0.35% 0.96% 3 Conduct Annual CBSM Campaigns --- 413,000$ --- 0.02 --- 2,260 --- 183$ --- 1.48% 4 Develop Guidelines for Perm itted City
Events 34,000$ 17,000$ 0.10 0.14 1 5 32,381$ 3,238$ Less than
0.01%
Less than
0.01%
5 Develop Zero Waste Policies for City
Departments 37,000$ 23,000$ 0.29 0.11 149 746 248$ 31$ 0.10% 0.49% 6 Provide Small Businesses Support and
Resources 84,000$ 33,000$ 0.07 0.06 19 57 4,421$ 579$ 0.01% 0.04% 7 Develop a Grant Program for Take Away
Reusable Cups 150,000$ 57,000$ 0.14 0.02 0 3 959,326$ 18,227$ Less than
0.01%
Less than
0.01%
8 Expand C&D Program 16,000$ 84,000$ 0.11 0.73 228 228 70$ 369$ 0.15% 0.15% 9 Conduct Enforcement for Illegal Dumping 111,000$ 325,000$ 0.03 0.48 746 522 149$ 622$ 0.49% 0.34% 10 Pilot an Education & Resource Program for
the Low Income Community 58,000$ --- 0.05 --- 28 --- 2,043$ --- 0.02% --- 11 Pilot a Cash for Trash Program 142,000$ --- 0.10 --- 4 --- 32,502$ --- Less than
0.01% ---
12 Develop and Increase Resources for
Existing Reuse Markets 12,000$ 10,000$ 0.06 0.04 38 38 313$ 261$ 0.03% 0.03% 1,072,000$ 1,527,000$ 1.10 2.05 2,046 6,829 524$ 224$ 1.34% 4.46% 1Each program will have a unique implementation schedule. As a result, there may an overlap in implementation costs and ongoing annual costs during a fiscal year. 2Includes additional costs to ACI and rate payers of approximately $500,000 a year. See Exhibit C for additional information.
PROGRAMS TOTAL
City Labor, Infrastructure, and
Contractor Costs 1 City Staffing Diversion
Change in Diversion Program
(Tons/Year) ($/Ton/Year) (%)
Cost Per Ton DivertedTotal Tons Diverted
Attachment D:
Cost and Diversion
Analysis
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Zero Waste
Implementation
Plan 2025