BACKGROUND:
California Assembly Bill 1826 (mandating commercial organics recycling) requires businesses to reduce the amount of organics sent to the landfills. Passed in 2014 and initiated in 2016, AB 1826 mandates businesses to secure a commercial organics recycling collection service. California Senate Bill SB 1383, also passed in 2014, builds on AB 1826 by mandating goals to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfills by including both food scraps and landscaping debris from landfill disposal by having the organic waste recycled, reduced and/or composted.
Beginning in 2022, SB 1383 requires essentially all Cathedral City commercial and multi-family waste generators to recycle organic waste. Organic waste recycling is mandatory for businesses that generate two (2) or more cubic yards of solid waste (recyclables, waste and organics) per week and multi-family properties with five (5) or more units.
When SB 1383 passed, Staff recognized that there were unfunded costs associated with increasing Cathedral City’s organics recycling infrastructure and food recovery networks. During the last budget preparation cycle (FY 2021-22), Staff allocated $200,000 of the AB 939 Environmental Funds towards the implementation of SB 1383 programs.
DISCUSSION:
Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign
In partnership with Burrtec Waste & Recycling Services (Burrtec), City Staff developed the Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign to assist businesses with compliance.
The goal of the Recycling Campaign is to provide Cathedral City’s commercial sector and multi-family communities with the resources to comply with the program and help the City meet its required SB 1383 goals.
Beginning January 2022, all commercial businesses and multi-family customers will be required to have one (1) organic recycling barrel at their facility that is serviced at least one (1) time per week. This mandatory increase to the collection service will cost the commercial customer an additional $89.81 per month.
The Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign as proposed, includes $100,000 funding from the FY 2021-22 AB 939 Environmental Fund budget to support the cost of the Recycling Campaign’s implementation which will include the distribution of organics recycling barrels at no cost to the customer, along with supplemental public education.
The proposed Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign will include the following:
•Distribution of one (1) 64-Gallon Organic Recycling Barrel to all Non-Compliant Commercial Businesses, at no additional charge to the customer. •Free Weekly Collection Service for the one (1) 64-Gallon Organic Recycling Barrel from January 2022 thru August 2022.
•Free site visits, program training and program monitoring conducted by Burrtec Environmental Coordinators.
Exemptions
There are approximately 120 commercial businesses that are non-compliant. Not all these commercial businesses will be required to use an Organic Recycling Barrel.
There will be some businesses that will be issued an exemption based on the following:
•Insufficient space to store or service the Organic Recycling Barrel. •The total solid waste collection service is two cubic yards or more and organic waste is less than 20 gallons per week.
•The total solid waste collection service is less than two cubic yards and organic waste is less than 10 gallons per week.
If approved, Staff will provide an update on the Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign to City Council at a Study Session in the Spring of 2022 on whether to continue the Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign past August 2022. At that Study Session, Staff will also discuss the mandated Residential Organics Recycling Campaign rollout and any proposed Burrtec Franchise rate increases for the upcoming fiscal year.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The $100,000 proposed to support the Commercial Organics Recycling Campaign, as part of the SB 1383 Programs, was accounted for within the FY 2021-22 $250,000 Community Assistance 246-900-910-911-8650-8658 budget item.