Attachment A, 2022-2035 Waste Reduction Strategic Plan.pdf — Chula Vista City Council, March 1, 2022

2022-2035
Waste Reduction
Strategic Plan
CHULA VISTA’S

ROAD PLAN

TO ZERO W ASTE
www.chulavistaca.gov/clean
JANUARY /two.lf/zero.lf/two.lf/two.lf

TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 4
6 Chula Vista’s Road Plan to Zero Waste

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Purpose and Key Goal

ZERO WASTE

BACKGROUND AND BENEFITS
What is Zero Waste?
State of California Waste Reduction Legislation
Overview of the Waste Stream from
Beginning to End
Factors Impacting Waste Diversion
and Recycling
Overall Chula Vista Waste Composition
— Exhibit 1
Recoverability Analysis for Overall Chula
Vista Waste Stream — Exhibit 2
Recoverability Classifications by Material
— Table 1
Zero Waste Plan Opportunities for Chula
Vista — Including Recovered Materials
Twelve Market Categories and Percentages
of Discarded Materials — Exhibit 3
Producer Responsibility and Packaging
Potential Savings in Tons of Waste and
Green House Gas Emissions
Summary of Diverted Tons Based on Zero
Waste Plan Actions — Table 2
Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions
Estimated Reduction in MTCO2 by Zero
Waste Task — Table 3
ZERO WASTE GOAL:

CHULA VISTA’S ROLE
Support for a Holistic Approach
26 51
53 54
60 6
8 9

ZERO WASTE PLAN

STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Task 1. Promote and Support
Source Reduction and Reuse
Task 2. Reduce the Use of
Toxic Materials
Task 3. Promote and Educate
on Zero Waste Principles
Task 4. Support the Recycling
Industry as an Innovative Engine for
Regional Economic Development
Task 5. Improve Education in
Trash and Recycling Programs
to Reduce Contamination
and Increase Diversion
Task 6. Keep Organic
Materials Out of Landfills

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
APPENDIX A —

SUMMARY OF FUTURE

PLANNED ACTIONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
28 35
39 43
45 48
22 24
10 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
20 21
21 3
The City of Chula Vista (the City) was among
the first local governments in the world to
formulate a strategic plan addressing threats
and impacts from climate change. When the
City introduced its first Climate Action Plan
in 2000, the visionary planning initiative
was rooted in clear data and proactive
care for the community and the planet.

In September 2017, the City approved an
updated Climate Action Plan (Resolution 2017-
186) to update the original plan and recommend
that City staﬀ develop a Zero Waste Plan for
Council approval. This action followed the
original Carbon Dioxide Reduction Plan (2000),
Climate Mitigation Plans (2008) and Climate
Adaptation Plans (2011). In 2011, Chula Vista
served as a founding member of the San Diego
Regional Climate Collaborative, a network for
public agencies funded by the National Science
Foundation that works with academia, nonproﬁ t
organizations, and business and community
leaders to share expertise and leverage resources
toward advancing climate change solutions.

Since 2000, Chula Vista’s forward-thinking
steps, regional leadership, and sustained
practice of regularly monitoring greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission inventories have helped guide
implementation of the City’s prescient Climate
Action Plan as well as development of this
Zero Waste Plan more than two decades later.

EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY
Message from
the City Manager
The City of Chula Vista’s Zero
Waste Plan presents a unique
opportunity to carry on the
progressive transformation
needed by our community to more
eﬀ ectively manage our waste
stream while also combating climate change. The Zero
Waste concept considers the life cycle of a product to
emphasize roles for the producer, supply chain and end
user. How to reuse, repurpose and recycle products is an important part of Zero Waste planning.

As called for in the City’s 2017 Climate Action Plan,
developing and implementing a comprehensive Zero
Waste Plan over the next decade and beyond will help
us meet our goals of a cleaner, healthier, and more
manageable environment. This approach expands our
existing programs and brings in new ideas and actions
under one umbrella that is executable and measurable.

The goal of 90 percent waste diversion is a big
leap forward and a major challenge for all sectors
of our community - residents, businesses, local
organizations, academic institutions, and our City
government. It involves all these sectors working
together to meet our recycling and waste diversion
goals and provide long-term benefits for all.

Thank you for helping the City meet this goal.

Sincerely,
Maria V . Kachadoorian
Chula Vista City Manager
Chula Vista was the ﬁ rst city to plan with sea level rise in mind, putting its comprehensive Climate Action Plan into place. “2050 is Calling” Report, Climate Education Partners (CEP) Purpose and Key Goal
The Chula Vista Zero Waste Plan seeks 90% waste
diversion by 2035, consistent with the goals set
by the City’s Climate Action Plan. The purpose of
this Plan is to recommend speciﬁ c approaches and
short- to long-term actions to help the City achieve
this goal. The City seeks to maximize eﬀ orts to
increase the reuse of materials and recycling eﬀ orts
to further divert the amount of wasted resources
Chula Vista residents send to the Otay Landﬁ ll. Our
eﬀ orts will lessen environmental impacts by reducing
the amount of GHGs entering the atmosphere to
exacerbate global warming, while creating healthier
communities, and spurring economic activity.

Implementation of a Zero Waste Plan
will combat the current wasteful
and ineﬃ cient system of “extract,
consume, and discard.” The City
is committed to implementing an
overarching waste reduction plan
to achieve Zero Waste by 2035.

Our Zero Waste Plan goal exceeds
the state’s goal of 75% in the same
timeframe. To achieve this, detailed
and measurable Zero Waste Plan
Strategies and Actions are included in
this plan, presented as six key tasks.

Each task contains speciﬁ c actions
and includes the estimated reduction
of corresponding GHG emissions.

Each of the steps outlined
in the Zero Waste Plan
support Chula Vista’s
visionary culture shift
to achieve the multi-
faceted, long-term benefits
of prepared, climate-
conscious communities.
4 These actions, coupled with the City’s current
waste reduction activities, will further
enhance efforts to achieve our Zero Waste
goals. Each action will incorporate innovative
technologies aligned with the City of Chula Vista
Smart City Goals, wherever appropriate.

Implementation of the Zero Waste Plan also presents
an opportunity for all sectors of our community – from
academic institutions, nonproﬁt groups, the private
sector, and other organizations – to develop innovative practices and technologies that the City can employ to
achieve waste reduction improvements for everyone.

Implementation of the Zero Waste Plan will include
the City’s goals and eﬀorts to include and be mindful of social equity for all residents and businesses.
5 This Plan follows Zero Waste best practices by
considering “People, Planet, and Prosperity”
as the “triple bottom line” to achieving social,
environmental, and economic sustainability on a
local and global basis. This emphasis helps to guide
our Zero Waste Plan to support and contribute
to the development of a more sustainable
and green local economy and community.

The six key tasks presented in this plan include
a mix of speciﬁc short-term, medium-term
and long-term actions that will help to reduce,
reuse, recycle and further divert resources
being wasted and sent to the Otay Landﬁll. Over
time, we will continue to lessen environmental
impacts through concerted actions to reduce
the amount of GHGs entering our atmosphere.

This will all result in a cleaner environment and
healthier community for Chula Vista residents,
businesses and visitors, for generations to come.

By recognizing and building upon Chula Vista’s
legacy of leadership in sustainability, this Plan
and our collaborative eﬀorts can continue to
implement actions that will continue to evolve our
community mindset around resource management
over the next decade and beyond. Each of the
steps outlined in this plan continue to support
Chula Vista’s visionary culture shift to achieve
the multi-faceted, long-term beneﬁts of prepared,
climate-conscious communities. After ﬁve years
a reevaluation will be conducted to determine
the validity of the actions in the Zero Waste
Plan. Actions could be discontinued or revised.

The Zero Waste Plan will be ﬂexible allowing
for development of new, innovative actions. The
City Council and public will remain updated on
the ongoing progress of implementation eﬀorts
through concise evaluations and reports prepared
every three years.

The ﬁrst step toward the future we seek to create is for an understanding of the terminology and goals presented in this Plan. The City recognizes the deﬁnition of Zero Waste presented by the Zero Waste International Alliance as,
“The conservation of all resources by means
of responsible production, consumption,
reuse, and recovery of products, packaging,
and materials without burning and with no
discharges to land, water, or air that threaten
the environment or human health. ”
What is Zero Waste?

ZERO WASTE

BACKGROUND AND BENEFITS
The U.S. EPA
estimates that
every ton of waste
buried in a landfill
generates an
average of 20 tons
of waste as part
of its “upstream”
production.
6 7
In the past, waste has been
considered a natural and unavoidable
byproduct to be discarded. These
materials are now recognized as
valuable “resources” available for new
uses. Materials that were wasted in
the past may also be the byproduct
of design methodologies that do
not consider the total lifecycle of a
product or material. These valuable
resources often end up discarded
and wasted due to consumer and
manufacturer convenience instead
of being reused, repaired, or recycled.

In addition, the amount of material
discarded is just a portion of the
resources used to create the product.

Zero Waste planning is based on science-backed design
frameworks that promote reuse, recycling, and conservation programs with measured improvements and success.

Zero Waste programs over the decades have emphasized
sustainability throughout the entire life cycle of a product, shifting the focus from 100% recycling and composting to waste reduction, product redesign, and overall elimination of wasteful practices. Such frameworks can reduce generations of wasted resources while also maximizing the diversion of reusable resources from landﬁ lls in our communities.

In an ideal Zero Waste system, any materials that cannot be easily and conveniently reduced, reused, recycled,
or composted are either returned to the manufacturer
directly or through retail channels, or are no longer
used. Complete Zero Waste may not be fully attainable.

However, the goal allows us to focus our planning on three proven objectives that have helped communities achieve
signiﬁ cant sustainability and waste reduction goals:

Reduce the volume and toxicity of waste
by eliminating them in the ﬁ rst place.

Use materials and products for their
original intended uses and then reuse
them for other uses before recycling.

Recycle or compost all remaining materials
to their highest and best use after they have
been reduced and reused as much as possible.

The City’s Zero Waste planning recognizes the
importance of fostering local and regional public-
private partnerships to continue supporting established and forthcoming infrastructure and services
needed to accomplish our sustainability goals.
1 2
3 State of California
Waste Reduction Legislation
2016
The California Integrated Waste
Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) required
that all California jurisdictions achieve a
landfill diversion rate of 50% by the year 2000;
and to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost all
discarded materials to the maximum extent
feasible prior to sending materials to landfills
or using other destructive disposal methods.

Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) was
adopted in 2016 and sets the target
goals to reduce organics waste
in landﬁ lls with a 50% reduction
statewide by 2020 and a 75%
reduction by 2025. The legislation
attempts to ﬁ x a lack of progress in
reaching recycling goals statewide.

Full implementation of SB 1383
is anticipated to occur in 2022.

Assembly Bill 341 requires GHG reduction
by diverting commercial solid waste
to recycling eﬀ orts and to expand the
opportunity for additional recycling services
and recycling facilities in California.

Senate Bill 1826
requires businesses to
arrange for organic waste
recycling services.
201420111989
8 9
A 2016 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(U.S. EPA) report covering the economics of
recycling estimated that every ton of waste
buried in a landﬁ ll generates an average of 20 tons
of waste as part of its “upstream” production.

Another study estimated that for every ton of
material landﬁ lled locally, 71 tons of wasted
resources are generated upstream during
the mining, manufacturing, and distribution
processes. Electronics may generate up to 1,000
tons of wasted material upstream for every
ton of ﬁ nished product. Reducing, reusing, and
recycling uses less energy than extracting and
processing raw materials. Therefore, making
new products from used materials saves
energy and reduces GHG emissions. Similarly,
products made from recycled materials require
less energy to produce than the same products
made from raw resources and materials.

Examples of resources and materials that can be
recycled include aluminum, steel, cardboard, and
paper products. Fourteen tons of GHG emissions
are created for every ton of raw aluminum
produced, while using recycled aluminum to create
a product or material creates 95.9% less GHGs.

Making products or materials from recycled steel
creates 81% less GHGs than extracting raw iron to
make the same steel product. Recycled cardboard
products create 55.3% less GHGs, and recycled
paper products produce 61.5% less GHGs.

Reducing short-lived uses of
materials that clog our landfills
makes sense for a community that
values sustainability and seeks to
achieve GHG reduction goals.

Overview of the
Waste Stream from
Beginning to End

95.9%
less GHGs
produced from
recycled aluminum
81%
less GHGs
produced from
recycled steel

55.3%
less GHGs
produced from recycled
cardboard products

61.5%
less GHGs
produced from recycled
paper products
If strong waste diversion and
recycling programs are not in
place when the local population
increases, higher levels of
materials will be disposed of in
landfills throughout the state.

Factors Impacting Waste
Diversion and Recycling
A 2019 report from the California Department
of Resources Recycling and Recovery
(CalRecycle) documented the state’s recycling
goal of 50% landfill diversion (reached in
2012) fell to 44% in 2017. The California
Department of Finance also added a warning to
this report about increasing landfill disposal.

The report cautions that as labor markets, real
estate markets, and residential construction
continue to grow steadily, solid waste
generation will also continue to increase. If
strong waste diversion and recycling programs
are not in place when the local population
increases, higher levels of materials will be
disposed of in landfills throughout the state.

In 2001, the California Integrated Waste
Management Board (now CalRecycle) set a
goal of “Zero Waste” in its strategic plan for
the state. As CalRecycle adopted this waste
reduction target, many counties and cities
have gradually adopted a goal of achieving
Zero Waste in response, including the counties
of San Francisco, Santa Cruz and San Luis
Obispo; the cities of Palo Alto, Oakland and
Los Angeles, as well as local cities, including
San Diego, Oceanside and El Cajon. Each
jurisdiction identiﬁed strategies to reach
Zero Waste, which coincides with the over-
arching goal of each successive generation
leaving a smaller ecological footprint than
the previous generation. Chula Vista’s
recycling rate of 62% in 2016 had decreased
to 61% in 2019. Implementing the Zero Waste
Plan is intended to counter this trend.
10 11
The updated Chula Vista Climate Action Plan in 2017
called for a Zero Waste Plan, guiding the City to begin planning while also considering factors that greatly aﬀ ected the waste and recycling industry. A subsequent decline in recycling markets and the slow development of regional
and local infrastructure to manage organic waste posed
challenges to creating an adequate plan with reachable
targets. Since 2018, China’s National Sword policy, China has set new strict limits and contamination standards on imported recyclable material at a 0.5% contamination rate.

This resulted in restrictions to waste import licenses and more stringent inspections of imported materials (including cardboard, newspaper, mixed paper, and low-grade plastics).

These actions have impacted markets for recyclable
materials and will require improvements to Chula Vista’s recycling programs and practices to handle the increase.

While this Zero Waste Plan presents signiﬁ cant target goals, the Chula Vista community can look back to data compiled and successful sustainability programs to guide our steps forward. Since the early 1990s, Chula Vista has implemented various plans to divert its waste from landﬁ ll disposal. These eﬀ orts include adoption of a Source Reduction Recycling Element which outlined 25 short-term goals and 50 long- term waste reduction goals, public education programs, a City operations waste reduction plan, conducting residential and business waste reduction programs, implementing mandatory recycling ordinances, and lobbying for state legislation.

A Waste Characterization Study was completed in 2016
to measure the eﬀ ectiveness of the Chula Vista’s waste minimization strategies and programs. Waste sampling was conducted at the Otay Landﬁ ll in 2015. The sampling program consisted of hand sorting 89 waste samples, each weighing approximately 200 pounds. The study estimated the overall composition of waste materials generated by single family and multi-family residents, commercial businesses, and waste self-hauled to the landﬁ ll. Results provided a breakdown of materials in the waste stream as presented in Exhibit 1 (page 12). The composition of the waste stream in Chula Vista is similar to waste streams characterized by CalRecycle in 2014 and 2018 in studies of 34 landﬁ lls throughout the state.

The composition of
the waste stream in
Chula Vista is similar
to waste streams
characterized by
CalRecycle in 2014
and 2018 in studies
of 34 landfills
throughout the state.

40.7% Other Organics

21.7% Paper

15.5% Plastic

7.3% Mixed Residue

5.8% Inerts & Other

3.4% Metal

2.9% Glass

2.1% Electronics

0.6% Special Waste

0.1% HHW
Other Organics 40.7%
Paper 21.7%
Plastic 15.5%
Mixed Residue 7.3%
Inerts & Other 5.85
Metal 3.4%
Glass 2.9%
Electronics 2.1%
Special Waste 0.6%
HHW 0.1%

40.7% Other Organics

21.7% Paper

15.5% Plastic

7.3% Mixed Residue

5.8% Inerts & Other

3.4% Metal

2.9% Glass

2.1% Electronics

0.6% Special Waste

0.1% HHW
Other Organics 40.7%
Paper 21.7%
Plastic 15.5%
Mixed Residue 7.3%
Inerts & Other 5.85
Metal 3.4%
Glass 2.9%
Electronics 2.1%
Special Waste 0.6%
HHW 0.1%

40.7%

21.7%

15.5%

7.3%

5.8%

3.4%

2.9%

2.1%

0.6%

0.1%
Other Organics 40.7%
Paper 21.7%
Plastic 15.5%
Mixed Residue 7.3%
Inerts & Other 5.85
Metal 3.4%
Glass 2.9%
Electronics 2.1%
Special Waste 0.6%
HHW 0.1%
Other Organics
Paper
Plastic
Mixed Residue
Inerts & Other
Metal
Glass
Electronics
Special Waste
HHW

40.7%

21.7%

15.5%

7.3%

5.8%

3.4%

2.9%

2.1%

0.6%

40.7% Other Organics

21.7% Paper

15.5% Plastic

7.3% Mixed Residue

5.8% Inerts & Other

3.4% Metal

2.9% Glass

2.1% Electronics

0.6% Special Waste

0.1% HHW
Other Organics 40.7%
Paper 21.7%
Plastic 15.5%
Mixed Residue 7.3%
Inerts & Other 5.85
Metal 3.4%
Glass 2.9%
Electronics 2.1%
Special Waste 0.6%
HHW 0.1%

40.7%

21.7%

15.5%

7.3%

5.8%
Note: HHW – Household Hazardous Waste
Due to rounding the total percentage of waste materials is 100.1 percent.

The 2016 Waste
Characterization Study also
evaluated the recoverability
of materials disposed
of based on materials
accepted as part of the
City’s recycling program at
that time. Recoverability
refers to materials in the
waste stream that are
recyclable or compostable.

Overall, about 66% of the
City’s waste stream is
recoverable for recycling
(21.8%) and composting
(44.4%) using City
programs utilized in 2016.

A breakdown of the
recyclable and compostable
portions of the waste stream
is presented in Exhibit 2
(page 13). Paper was the
most signiﬁ cant portion
of the materials that could
be captured for recycling
(10.4%) while Edible Food
waste (28.2%) comprised
the largest portion from
the compostable waste
stream. Four recoverability
classiﬁ cations were
determined by material:
compostable, recyclable,
potentially recoverable
and non-recoverable.

Potentially recoverable
materials refer to disposed,
discarded items that
can be reused or applied
to new purposes.
12 3.4%

2.9%

2.1%

0.6%

0.1%
13 44.4% Compostable 16.2% Potentially Recoverable 17.7% Non-Recoverable 21.8% Recyclable Recoverability Analysis for Overall Chula Vista Waste Stream — Exhibit 2
Paper
Plastic
Glass
Metal
Electronics

10.4%

3.6%

2.9%

2.8%

2.1%
Analysis of Recyclable Material
in the Waste Stream
Analysis of Compostable Material
in the Waste Stream
These four classifications provide the basis for developing and implementing programs to divert materials from the landfill and recover them for other uses. The chart on page 14 lists the recoverability classifications by material, as reported in the 2016 report.

16.2%

44.4%

21.8%

16.2%

44.4%

21.8%

17.7%

44.4%

16.2%

17.7%

21.8%

17.7%17.7%
1 6 . 2 %
4 4 .4 %
2 1 .8 %
1 7.7 %

28.2%
11%

2.5%

1.7%
1%
Food
Compostable Paper
Leaves & Grass
Branches & Stumps
Prunings & Trimmings

17.7%
Recoverability Classifications by Material
— Table 1
Compostable
• Food Waste
• Leaves and Grass
• Prunings and
Trimmings
• Branches/Stumps
• Manures
• Other Misc. Paper:

Compostable
• Remainder/
Composite Paper:

Compostable
Recyclable
• Uncoated Corrugated
Cardboard
• Paper Bags
• Newspaper
• White Ledger Paper
• Other Oﬃ ce Paper
• Magazines and Catalogs
• Phone Books and
Directories
• Other Misc. Paper:

Other
• Remainder and
Composite Paper:

Rigid Food &
Beverage Cartons
• PETE #1 Containers
(CRV/non)
• HDPE #2 Containers
(CRV/non)
• Misc. Plastic
Containers (CRV/non)
• Clear, Brown, Green,
Colored Bottles/
Containers (CRV/non)
• Tin/Steel Cans
(CRV/non)
• Major Appliances
• Other Ferrous
• Aluminum Cans
(CRV/non)
• Other Non-Ferrous
• Electronics
• Household Hazardous
Waste
P otentially Recoverable Non-Recoverable
• Plastic Trash Bags
• Flat Glass
• Remainder/Composite
Glass
• Remainder/Composite
Metal
• Remainder/Composite
Organic
• Concrete
• Asphalt Paving and
Rooﬁ ng
• Gypsum Board
• Rock/Soil/Fines
• Remainder/Composite
Inerts & Other
• Ash
• Treated Medical
Wastes
• Remainder/Composite
Special Waste
• Mixed Residue
• Remainder/Comp. Paper
• Plastic Grocery and
Merchandise Bags
• Non-Bag Commercial &
Industrial Packaging Film
• Film Products
• Other Film: Flexible
Plastic Pouches
• Other Film: Other
• Durable Plastic Items:
#2 & 5 Bulky Rigids
• Durable Plastic Items:

Other
• Remainder/Composite
Plastic
• Used Oil Filters
• Textiles
• Carpet
• Clean Dimensional
Lumber
• Clean Engineered Wood
• Clean Pallets and Crates
• Other Wood Waste
• Tires
• Concrete*
• Asphalt Paving*
• Asphalt Rooﬁ ng*
• Gypsum Board*
• Rock/Soil/Fines*
Results from the 2016
study provide a reasonable
guideline for understanding
diﬀ erent types of waste
materials. However, this
data does not reflect
population and economic
growth, and a corresponding
increase in the collection
of disposed materials. For
planning purposes, the 2018
total of 146,002 tons of
waste materials collected
through commercial and
residential pickup operations
serves as the baseline for
Zero Waste planning.
14 * NOTE: T oday, these materials
are considered Potentially
Recoverable instead of Non-
Recoverable as in 2016.
15 With the overarching goal of GHG
(greenhouse gas) reduction to combat
climate change, this Zero Waste
Plan helps to lessen environmental
impacts by implementing beneﬁ cial
tasks that help to reduce the amount
of GHGs entering the atmosphere.

These programs also help to create
healthier communities and spur local
economic activity.

Keeping recyclable materials,
especially organics, out of landﬁ lls
is key toward meeting the State of
California’s emission reduction goals.

Decomposing organic materials
in landﬁ lls release methane, the
predominant gas produced by our
landﬁ lls. According to CalRecycle,
landﬁ lls emit 20% of the state’s
total methane gas released into the
atmosphere. CalRecycle considers
methane to be a climate super
pollutant that is 84 times more potent
as a GHG than carbon dioxide.
1 Most organic materials can be
processed for reuse and are turned
into compost or energy as biogas for
electricity and transportation fuel.

Using compost for landscape and
agricultural purposes reduces water
use, prevents soil erosion, avoids the
use of chemical fertilizers, and further
reduces impacts of GHGs.

Zero Waste Plan
Opportunities for Chula
Vista — Including
Recovered Materials
Management of
discarded materials
and products is
an environmental
necessity to help
achieve Zero
Waste goals.

Equally important
are the economic
opportunities this
approach provides.

Opportunities for
Recovered Materials
Management of discarded
materials and products is
an environmental necessity
to help achieve Zero Waste
goals. Equally important are
the economic opportunities
this approach provides.

Applying the 2016 Waste
Characterization Study to the
City of Chula Vista’s 146,002
tons of waste disposed of in
2018, Exhibit 3 (page 16) shows
the 12 types of materials
and the percentages when
disposed in the Otay Landfill.

Organics, including non-
recyclable and food-soiled
paper, composes half of
the material disposed into
the landfill that could be
composted and/or digested.

As such, opportunities exist
for organics recovery systems
and for reuse of materials
already discarded.
1 https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp
Twelve Market Categories and Percentages
of Discarded Materials — Exhibit 3
This listing identiﬁ es
available materials
generated that could
be recoverable via
private investment in
recycling processes
to create value-added
material or products
in Chula Vista and the
region at large.

As recoverability,
reuse, recycling,
and composting of
discarded materials
increases, eﬀ orts to
achieve Zero Waste
goals are improved,
as these materials are
kept out of the landﬁ ll.

In turn, this can lead
to creation of jobs
to support recycling
businesses in Chula
Vista and the South
Bay. Investment in
this industry could
spur further economic
development to bring
in new facilities
that remanufacture
sorted and discarded
materials into raw
materials or products.

Paper 29%
Plant Debris 7%
Putrescibles (Food) 15%
Wood 4%
Ceramics 2%
Soils 1%
Metals 5%
Glass 3%
Polymers 15%
Textiles 5%
Chemicals 1%
No Market 10%
Reuse 3%
29%
15%
15%
10%
7%
5%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Paper
Putrescibles (Food)
Polymers
No Market
Plant Debris
Textiles
Metals
Wood
Glass
Reuse
Ceramics
Soils
Chemicals
16 Paper 29%
Plant Debris 7%
Putrescibles (Food) 15%
Wood 4%
Ceramics 2%
Soils 1%
Metals 5%
Glass 3%
Polymers 15%
Textiles 5%
Chemicals 1%
No Market 10%
Reuse 3%
29%
15%
15%
10%
7%
5%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Paper
Putrescibles (Food)
Polymers
No Market
Plant Debris
Textiles
Metals
Wood
Glass
Reuse
Ceramics
Soils
Chemicals
Paper 29%
Plant Debris 7%
Putrescibles (Food) 15%
Wood 4%
Ceramics 2%
Soils 1%
Metals 5%
Glass 3%
Polymers 15%
Textiles 5%
Chemicals 1%
No Market 10%
Reuse 3%
29%
15%
15%
10%
7%
5%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Paper
Putrescibles (Food)
Polymers
No Market
Plant Debris
Textiles
Metals
Wood
Glass
Reuse
Ceramics
Soils
Chemicals
Paper 29%
Plant Debris 7%
Putrescibles (Food) 15%
Wood 4%
Ceramics 2%
Soils 1%
Metals 5%
Glass 3%
Polymers 15%
Textiles 5%
Chemicals 1%
No Market 10%
Reuse 3%
29%
15%
15%
10%
7%
5%
5%
4%
3%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Paper
Putrescibles (Food)
Polymers
No Market
Plant Debris
Textiles
Metals
Wood
Glass
Reuse
Ceramics
Soils
Chemicals
3%
10%
4%
7%
29%
15%
5%
5%
15%
3%
2%
1%
1%
17 Producer Responsibility
and Packaging
As a coastal community it is important
to realize that over 30% of roadside
litter is plastic and plastic bags which
are among the top three items found
littered on beaches and in storm drains
and waterways.

A significant amount of work needs to be
done to encourage producers and retailers
to take responsibility for products and
packaging that are not safe or suitable for
landfilling. Currently, many packaging
items (film plastics and polystyrene) have
no markets in the region; therefore, much
of this material is sent to the landfill or
ends up in the environment as trash. As
a coastal community, it is important to
realize that over 30% of roadside litter
consists of plastic and plastic bags, which
are among the top three items found
littered on beaches and in storm drains
and waterways. Federal Clean Water Act
policies prohibit these materials from
entering our storm drain systems. Plastic
also breaks down into smaller pieces,
which can end up in the food chain.

Producer responsibility programs could
have “take-back” elements where producers
are responsible for the full life of the
products and packaging. This could include
developing markets for these materials for
reuse or recycling. In lieu of such actions,
products could be banned or gradually
eliminated from use in Chula Vista based
on being an environmental health hazard.

Consumer voices are powerful and can be
expressed via social media posts or emails
directly to manufacturers’ management staﬀ
or customer service departments to express
the need for full producer responsibility.

It is estimated that
an additional 84,810
tons of material could
be diverted from
local landfill disposal
each year. This would
decrease Chula Vista’s
disposal rate to 2.4
pounds per person per
day, a diversion rate
equivalent to 77%.
18 In January 2020, the City of Chula Vista
conducted a study to estimate waste diversion
potential and the corresponding rate of
reductions of GHGs by implementing the
six key tasks recommended in the Zero
Waste Strategies and Actions presented in
this Zero Waste Plan. Their study results
demonstrated that Chula Vista residents
and businesses could significantly reduce
the amount of waste sent to the landfill
through participation in these actions and
reduce the amount of GHGs released into
the atmosphere. The model developed to
conduct this evaluation uses disposed waste
composition data for each waste generator
sector (i.e., single family, multi-family, and
commercial) to estimate tons of potentially
recoverable materials by type and by sector
that are currently landfilled. The model
then applies an estimated capture rate (the
percentage of a target material estimated to
be diverted) to the tons disposed to derive
the potential diversion tons associated
with the set of actions for each strategy.

To conduct this analysis, the City’s
consultant assessed each of Chula Vista’s
Zero Waste actions, reports from the City’s
solid waste services provider, the 2016
Waste Characterization Study, and data of
wastes disposed in the landfill in 2019.

Potential Savings in Tons
of Waste and Greenhouse
Gas Emissions
84,810
tons of material could
be diverted from landﬁ ll
disposal each year

4.1 lbs
per capita disposal
rate per person
per day in 2019

2.4 lbs
per capita disposal
rate per person
future potential
diversion rate
if all actions of Zero Waste
strategies are implemented
77%
If all actions of the Zero Waste strategies were
implemented, the City’s consultant estimates that an
additional 84,810 tons of material could be diverted from landfill disposal each year. This would decrease Chula
Vista’s disposal rate to 2.4 pounds per person per day, a diversion rate equivalent to 77%. This is a significant difference as compared to 2019, the City’s per capita
disposal rate was 4.1 pounds of landfilled material
per person per day; a 61% diversion rate equivalent as
measured by CalRecycle. The 4.1 pounds of landfilled
material per person per day is based on 203,968 tons
of wastes disposed in the landfill in 2019, divided by a population of 271,411, and then divided by 365.

The overall goal of the City’s Zero Waste Plan is to
achieve a 90% diversion rate by 2035. Achieving this goal is challenging for a growing city. As the population and economic activity of current and new businesses expand, more waste will be created. Specific actions in the Zero Waste Plan will be critical for reducing waste sent to the Otay Landfill, increasing recycling and composting, and repurposing materials for new uses.

Each year data obtained regarding annual tonnages of
the waste and recycling streams from Republic Services, the City’s franchise hauler, will be analyzed to monitor progress on the diversion rate. Information from
CalRecycle will be included in this evaluation. The path to Zero Waste is iterative, with each Zero Waste strategy building upon the City’s goals to achieve waste reduction and reinforce waste diversion practices.
19 Actions which emphasize behavior change
have been proven to yield the greatest
reductions in landﬁ lled tons and GHGs. Actions
that take a policy-based approach support
behavior change and could yield still greater
reductions depending on the level of eﬀ ort
undertaken to educate the community and
enforce requirements. In addition, targeting
the diversion of waste stream materials
which generate the most greenhouse gas in
the landﬁ ll (food waste and other types of
organic waste such as paper and cardboard)
will help the Chula Vista community continue
improving climate change initiatives.

While the additional potential tonnage diversion
estimated for strategies promoting source reduction
and reuse are relatively small, including toxic
materials reduction, these are important actions for
changing community mindset regarding resource
management and achieving a community culture shift
to reach Zero Waste.

Summary of Diverted Tons
Based on Zero Waste Plan Actions
— Table 2

RECOMMENDED

ZERO W ASTE STRA TEGY
Promote and Support Source Reduction and Reuse
Reduce the Use of Toxic Materials
Promote and Educate on Zero Waste Principles
Support the Recycling Industry as an Innovative
Engine for Regional Economic Development
Keep Organic Materials Out of Landfills

TOTAL ESTIMA TED TONS DIVERTED
1,220 530 720 2,470
40 30 30 100*
6,710 2,630 4,980 14,320
4,270 1,500 2,910 8,680
3,750 1,580 4,670 10,000
24,050 10,980 14,210 49,240
/four.lf/zero.lf,/zero.lf/four.lf/zero.lf /one.lf/seven.lf,/two.lf/five.lf/zero.lf /two.lf/seven.lf,/five.lf/two.lf/zero.lf /eight.lf/four.lf,/eight.lf/one.lf/zero.lf

ANNUAL ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL DIVERSION
Single Family Multi-Family Commercial Total All Sectors

Improve Education in Trash and Recycling Programs
Task
1 2
3 4
5 6
20 Table 2, above, displays the estimated number of tons diverted from the landfill if all of the City’s Zero Waste Plan actions are implemented.
*Note: All toxic wastes generated fall under jurisdiction of the San Diego County, Department of Public Health and are not disposed at the Otay Landfill.

The City’s consultant used the U.S.

EPA Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
to calculate the Zero Waste Plan’s
estimated GHG reductions. WARM
was created by the U.S. EPA to help
solid waste planners and organizations
estimate GHG reductions from several
diﬀ erent waste management practices.

The model calculates emissions
in metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent (MTCO2E) and metric tons
of carbon equivalent (MTCE) across a
wide range of material types commonly
found in municipal solid waste.

If these Zero Waste actions
were to be fully implemented,
approximately 141,353
metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent could
be avoided each year through
the source reduction, reuse,
recycling, and composting
of currently landﬁ lled
waste materials.

Table 3 displays the estimated reduction in
metric tons of carbon dioxide (MTCO2) by
Zero Waste strategy (task).

Greenhouse
Gas Emission
Reductions

ZERO WASTE

STRATEGY BY TASK
Promote and Support
Source Reduction and Reuse
Reduce the Use
of Toxic Materials
Promote and Educate
on Zero Waste Principles
Support the Recycling
Industry as an Innovative
Engine for Regional
Economic Development
Keeping Organics Out
of the Landfill

TOTAL ESTIMATED
MTCO /two.lf REDUCTIONS
2,004
86 36,146
18,759
17,124
67,234
/one.lf/four.lf/one.lf,/three.lf/five.lf/three.lf

ESTIMATED

REDUCTIONS IN

GHG EMISSIONS
MTC/zero.lf/two.lf
Improve Education in Trash
and Recycling Programs
Task
1 2
3 4
5 6
21 Estimated Reduction in MTCO2
by Zero Waste Task — Table 3
21 ZERO WASTE GOAL:

CHULA VISTA’S ROLE
To achieve Chula Vista’s
Zero Waste goal of 90%
waste diversion by 2035, our
communities must increase
focus on restructuring
production and distribution
systems to reduce the
overall amount of waste.

This will include behavior
change and a shift in
consumption patterns,
more carefully managed
purchases, and maximizing
the reuse of materials at the
end of their intended use.

To achieve Chula Vista’s
goal this will also require
producer responsibility
policies on a local, state,
and national level.
22 While the concept of 100% Zero Waste may seem aspirational due to the growing global population and increased
environmental challenges our planet faces with limited
resources, it is imperative that waste management moves from a linear system of single-use trash in our landﬁ lls to a cyclical system where materials, products, and substances are not wasted but rather used as eﬃ ciently as possible.

Ultimately, to achieve Zero Waste the City of Chula Vista must encourage residents and business to reevaluate what they purchase.

All strategies in a Zero Waste Plan should consider “People, Planet, and Prosperity” as the “triple bottom line” to achieving social, environmental, and economic sustainability. By doing so, the Zero Waste Plan contributes to the development of a greener local economy and a more sustainable community.

The City of Chula Vista’s Zero Waste Plan will move
in increments toward the goal of Zero Waste by
promoting and pursuing the following core principles:

All strategies in a
Zero Waste Plan
should consider
“People, Planet,
and Prosperity”
as the “triple
bottom line” to
achieving social,
environmental,
and economic
sustainability.

By doing so, the
Zero Waste Plan
contributes to
the development
of a greener local
economy and a
more sustainable
community.

Upstream re-design strategies to replace toxic
products with less toxic ones or reduce the
volume and toxicity of discarded products
A closed-loop system of production
and consumption where products are initially
designed with reuse or recycling in mind
Low-impact or reduced consumption lifestyles
Improved ‘downstream’ reuse/recycling
of end-of-life products and materials to
ensure their highest and best use
Support use of discarded products and
materials to stimulate and drive local
economic and workforce development
—
—
—
—
—
23 Support for a
Holistic Approach
The City will engage a holistic approach to Zero
Waste and product stewardship for Chula Vista
residents, businesses, product manufacturers/
producers, and the recycling industry. Product
stewardship is an environmental management waste
reduction strategy that aims to make manufacturers
responsible for minimizing environmental impact
throughout all stages of a product’s life cycle. This
minimizes health, safety, environmental, and social
impacts of a product while shifting financial and
management responsibility upstream to the producer
and away from the public sector. This approach also
provides incentives to producers to incorporate the
environment into the design of their product.

The City will continue to support current product
stewardship programs for carpet, mattresses, and
paint recycling.
• Chula Vista and the South Bay region participates
in a major carpet recovery and recycling program
supported by the Carpet America Recovery Eﬀ ort
(CARE).
• Mattress recycling is coordinated with the eﬀ orts
of the Mattress Recycling Council, an industry-
led eﬀ ort to recover mattresses locally at the Otay
Landﬁ ll and other collection sites throughout the
state of California.
• The PaintCare® drop oﬀ program is another
industry-led program, with four locations in Chula
Vista and two more in the South Bay. PaintCare®
collection has cut paint disposal at the City’s
Household Hazardous Waste Facility in half.
“The City of Chula Vista Zero
Waste Plan is bold, ambitious,
and innovative. It recognizes
that although easy solutions
are in short supply, we must
still act with courage and
cooperation. The outcome of
this plan will ensure Chula
Vista is a great place for our
grandchildren’s grandchildren. ”
Mark Valen,
Professor of Horticulture,
Southwestern College
Former Chair of Chula Vista’s
Sustainability Commission
24 The City serves in a leadership
capacity on the California
Product Stewardship
Council (CPSC) and the
California Resource Recovery
Association (CRRA). CPSC
is leading the effort to shift
California’s product waste
management system from
one focused on government
funded and trash/recycling
customer-financed waste
diversion to one reliant on
producer responsibility
to reduce public costs and
drive improvements in
product design that promote
environmental sustainability.
25 Rethink / Redesign
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle / Compost
Material Recovery
Residuals Management
Unacceptable
Biological Treatment and
Stabilized Landfilling
Waste Deregulation, Incineration
and “Waste-to-Energy”
Zero Waste Hierarchy
The City will continue its
support for comprehensive
waste reduction legislation
at the state level that targets
material chemistry rather
than legislation to address
waste from a single source
such as batteries, plastic
bags, or mattresses. Targeting
material chemistry can lead to
a single piece of legislation to
eﬃ ciently focus on the negative
eﬀ ects of a larger number
of materials. These state
laws help to enforce product
stewardship across several
products comprised of the
same or very similar materials.

For example, legislation can
target packaging of all products
sold in the state made from a
certain mix of polymers that
make them diﬃ cult to recycle.

It is also important to mention
the City’s eﬀ orts include
working with local jurisdictions
and partners to create region
wide initiatives to address
diﬃ cult-to-recycle materials
for ease of implementation. For
example, with collaboration
all South Bay cities could
more eﬀ ectively introduce
and implement a ban on
polystyrene products and
single-use plastic products.

ZERO WASTE PLAN

STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
Six key strategies guide this Zero Waste Plan, with a priority placed on “upstream” solutions in mind to eliminate waste before it is created. Given the City’s legacy of sustainability leadership by example, this Plan also includes actions that will build upon existing Chula Vista traditional “downstream” recycling programs to fully utilize the existing waste diversion infrastructure. An overall goal of the Zero Waste Plan is to achieve a 90% diversion rate or higher that provides a direct benefit to our environment and the community. 26 This section of the Zero Waste Plan details each
strategy, current actions, and planned future actions.

Current activities and programs serve as the basis
for developing new, speciﬁc actions. Planned actions
will serve as tools to accomplish and obtain results to ﬁrst reduce waste and then reuse these materials via
composting, recycling, reuse, and repurposing. The
initial actions will serve as a starting point that can be further modiﬁed to help achieve Zero Waste goals.

Newer strategies and actions will also be identiﬁed
during implementation to engage additional sectors,
such as construction waste. City innovation is at
the core of a history in leadership by example.

Current City programs and actions being implemented
with new ways of accomplishing goals have led the
way for this path toward Zero Waste, along with other
innovative and award-winning future-focused Chula
Vista programs and initiatives. Continued actions
are designed to steer the City toward attaining Zero
Waste goals as stated in this plan and are categorized
as short-term (3-5 years to completion), medium-
term (6-10 years to completion), or long-term (11-
14 years to completion). These action timeframes
refer to the commencement, implementation, and
completion of carefully planned and prescribed
initial eﬀorts as they become operational.

A summary of the speciﬁc Planned Future Actions
in the Zero Waste Plan is listed in Appendix A (page
54). For best use of this summary, it is advised that
readers become familiar with the complete write-ups
for Tasks 1 through 6. These write-ups contain Current
City Actions, Programs and Operations along with
the preface information for the new actions, which
serve as the basis for the Planned Future Actions.

Actions are categorized as:

Short-term
(3-5 years to completion)
Medium-term
(6-10 years to completion)
Long-term
(11-14 years to completion)
The overall goal of the City’s Zero Waste Plan is to achieve a 90% diversion rate by 2035. The initial actions will serve as a starting point that can be further modified to help achieve Zero Waste goals. The Plan will be flexible allowing for development of new, innovative actions. 27 Source reduction means stopping the creation of waste at the outset through activities designed to reduce
the volume, mass, or toxicity of products. Upstream
reuse of suitable materials is a key activity to achieve reduction goals. Source reduction and reuse saves
resources and lessens money spent for obtaining new
raw materials. Opportunities to employ innovative
technologies to support this eﬀ ort will be explored.
— The City has implemented ongoing
efforts to educate residents and
businesses on waste reduction practices
to encourage purchasing practices
that support waste minimization
with effective multimedia campaigns
using CLEAN newsletters, e-mails,
social media posts, direct mailers, and
in-person education at community
events and through visits to businesses
and homes. COVID-19 precautions
impacted in-person engagement but
digital outreach has continued to
provide information to key stakeholders
and the community at large.
— The City conducts a program to
phase out use of polystyrene plastic
single-use containers and plasticware
Current City Actions, Programs,
and Operations to Support Reduction:

Task 1 —
Promote and Support Source Reduction and Reuse
2,470 2,004
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
with the goal of providing options for
multi-use, reusable, and compostable
take out containers. A key tactic is to
educate business owners and operators
on the environmental benefits to switch
to reusable or compostable products.
— An ongoing campaign encourages
Chula Vista residents to use their own
reusable take-out containers when
eating out. In June 2018, the “Break Out
Your Take-Out Container” was started
with a Third Avenue Village event
and has expanded to 12 restaurants
throughout the City. This program
continued with assistance from the local
chamber of commerce and community
groups like I Love a Clean San Diego to
inform the public.
2,470 2,004
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
28 29
— The City offers Zero Waste community workshops
to familiarize residents with Zero Waste principles.

Workshops cover successful bulk shopping techniques,
developing daily sustainable habits, and information
on reducing waste, reusing, and repairing products
and maximizing recycling practices. To further
communicate with the community, a Sustainability
Webinar series was launched in 2020 with monthly
online interactive presentations.
— “Fix-It” clinics are offered to the Chula
Vista community bringing together
volunteers with specialty tools and repair
expertise to instruct those who need an
item repaired. Residents are encouraged
to reuse, repair, and repurpose materials
and products as an alternative to
disposal in the landfill, which also saves
them money. Fix-It clinics focus on
repairing broken, nonfunctioning items
including electronics, small appliances,
computers, toys, bicycles, and clothes.

Fix-It clinics have been conducted as
standalone events and incorporated into major City
events such as South Bay Earth Day.
— The City has secured grant funding from CalRecycle
to build a reuse site at the City’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility. The site will be configured
and marketed as a “store” to make available at no cost
minimally used cleaning, paint, and other ready-to-
use products collected from community members
disposing materials at the facility. The “store” will
help reduce the City’s disposal costs for collected
City of Chula
Vista strives to
“lead by example”
integrating
innovative
sustainable
practices
throughout its
operations and
facilities.
materials and give new life to usable products that
otherwise would have been disposed.
— All City departments work to identify
environmentally sustainable solutions for materials
and products used during operations.
— The City is following the practices included in the
City Operations Sustainability Plan.

Implementation continues to pave the
way for many smart and practical source
reduction practices. It is anticipated
the Plan will be updated with refined
practices to take source reduction to a
higher level.
— Staff has also set forth a goal to
certify many of its City municipal
buildings as Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Buildings for
Operations and Maintenance (LEED
O/M). This presents many opportunities
to further reduce the amount of waste
in building operations, use safer cleaning products,
and lower energy and water use. Three Buildings at
the City Hall Complex have already received LEED
certification; two Gold and one Silver. As part of
the City Hall Complex LEED O/M effort, a Solid
Waste Management Directive, which applies, to the
buildings and surrounding grounds was implemented
in 2017. It lists specific goals for waste diversion of ongoing consumables, electronics and electric-
powered equipment, and universal waste (lights,
thermostats, batteries).

T ask 1
Continue to conduct and
expand Fix-It clinics to
help mold reuse, repair,
and repurpose values
and lifestyle behavior.

Action 1.1: Short-Term.

Conduct two additional
Fix-It clinics for a total of
four throughout the calendar
year. (Start Q2 2022)
Create and conduct other
campaigns to encourage
residents to reuse other
materials and products
as an alternative to
disposal. These campaigns
will help promote local
repair businesses.

Action 1.2: Short- Term.

Prepare and distribute a
mass mailer once per year.

Use other communication
tools including a webinar,
quarterly social media
posts, and two newsletter
articles to reach 85,000+
Chula Vista homes on the
benefits of reuse and repair.

Conduct surveys to evaluate
results. (Start Q2 2022)
Planned Future Actions
30 T ask 1
31 Action 1.3: Short-Term.

Work with 10 retail stores and other businesses
annually to reuse and repurpose items that are routinely discarded. Support existing networks using mailers, press announcements, webinars, and social media to create
awareness and encourage behavior change that will
increase items donated from businesses that are listed for creative reuse (also known as upcycling or repurposing) and accessed by organizations, artists, crafters, teachers, and individuals to obtain reusable items. (Start Q2 2022)
Encourage and educate residents
and Chula Vista businesses to
change the mindset to donate
unwanted items to local
organizations and aid agencies to
keep usable items out of the waste
stream. This involves working
with local manufacturers and
stores, including a wide variety of
retail big box stores and specialty
outlets such as ﬂooring, fabric,
oﬃce supply, party supply, paint
stores, and other businesses and
nonproﬁts (i.e., Goodwill and
similar stores).

Materials that would be
discarded can be donated and
made available for reuse and
repurposing, as well as used
in creative ways by artists,
crafters, and teachers to
establish a community exchange
network. These practices focus
on community education and
creating partnerships with
existing networks to provide
opportunities to connect with
businesses would divert tons of
usable materials from the waste
stream each year.

T ask 1
To accelerate the reuse of worn and donated
clothing, take advantage of the thrifting
demand for “vintage” clothes and similar
quality clothing. Create more interest and
demand and encourage conscientious shopping
for such reusable goods to reduce discarding
of these items in the trash and help alleviate
disposal of usable items in the landfill.

Reusable clothing is more affordable than
new clothing, which helps household budgets.

Actions below would incorporate opportunities
to educate and promote Zero Waste principles,
reuse practices, and cost savings. The City
recommends that recipients of reusable
clothing thoroughly wash them prior to use.

Action 1.8: Short Term.

Collaborate with Sweetwater Union High School District
to encourage and provide innovative approaches and
guidance to high schools to expand on the established
Princess Project during spring that provides prom
dresses for girls and include dress clothes (tuxedos
and suits) for boys. In the fall, encourage a similar
exchange of Halloween costumes at K-6, middle, and
high schools throughout Chula Vista. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.4: Short-Term.

Arrange and conduct exchange events
with exchange network participants where
artist and other communities can obtain
discarded materials. Conduct two events
per year similarly to Fix-It clinics and as a
component of City events including South
Bay Earth Day and other publicly held mass
attendance events (Harbor Fest or similar)
throughout the year. (Start Q3 2023)
Action 1.5: Short-Term.

Prepare and conduct information
campaigns twice per year to encourage
collection and distribution of discarded
materials to support these exchange
networks. (Start Q3 2023)
Action 1.6: Short Term.

Prepare and disseminate quarterly
messaging via Office of Sustainability
social media platforms to complement the
discarded materials exchange networks
information campaigns. The information
that is shared will provide updated data
regarding materials and items available
for reuse. Key platforms could include
Craigslist, Facebook (Materials Exchange
Groups), Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor,
Nixle and others. (Start Q3 2022)
Action 1.7: Short-Term.

Collaborate with and inspire the Chula Vista
Elementary and Sweetwater Union High
School Districts to encourage all middle
and high schools to create an “Eco-friendly
Vintage Clothing Exchange” at their schools.

Exchanges would include “Uniform Swap
Day” and “Vintage Clothing Day” events
where clothes could be displayed and traded
at no cost or sold for nominal, below-market
prices. (Start Q2 2022)
32 T ask 1
Action 1.9: Short-Term.

To further encourage clothing reuse, create
a mechanism for having unsold clothes
from weekly garage sales throughout the
City be donated to local reuse stores. For
communities that hold “community garage
sales” oﬀer this mechanism to handle
unsold clothes. Conduct outreach to reuse
businesses to engage their support and
participation. Work with local Chula Vista
stores to gauge increases in donation volume
to evaluate this eﬀort. (Start Q1 2023)
Reestablish the former Reuse Program
at the City’s Household Hazardous
Waste (HHW) Facility where residents
drop oﬀ acceptable HHW items (paints,
cleaners, etc.) for other residents to
obtain at no charge for their use.
33T ask 1
The Reuse Program will utilize a
converted storage shed painted to be
aesthetically pleasing resembling a
storefront appearance with new shelving
and signage. A log for compiling data
and analysis of dropped off items (types,
amounts) and reusable items taken
by residents will be maintained.

Action 1.10: Short-Term.

Complete set up of the Reuse Program
store (convert existing storage shed) at
the City’s HHW Facility for household
cleaning products and paints and begin store
operations. Track types and quantities of
reusable products issued to residents through
the Reuse Program. (Start Q2 2022)
34 T ask 1
Action 1.11: Short-Term.

Promote the availability of the
Reuse Program through the City’s
CLEAN website and an annual
information campaign to residents
and HHW users. Track number of
visits to the website to determine
outreach results. (Start Q2 2022)
Develop an ordinance
to disallow the sale,
distribution, and use of
diﬃ cult to recycle single-
use plastic and polystyrene
foam products such as
plates, bowls, cups, cutlery,
and straws. The ordinance
would include options
for use of reusable and
recyclable products.

Action 1.12: Short- Term.

Complete development of the ordinance to
disallow single-use plastic products and include
opportunities from businesses, interest groups and
the residents to provide public comment and support
prior to City Council approval. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.13: Short-Term.

Develop an implementation plan for the ordinance
and begin implementation in 2023. This will
include an educational component for restaurants
and other businesses. (Start Q2 2022)
35 Reducing the use of toxic chemicals can reduce the
risk of adverse health and environmental eﬀ ects,
in addition to creating economic advantages such
as reductions in costs of raw materials and waste
disposal. California and nine other states have
enacted laws to promote reductions in the use
of toxic chemicals. These actions ideally would
incorporate the use of innovative and smart
technologies to further reduce use of toxic materials.
— Current waste reduction programs
encourage residents and business
operators to make better choices in their
everyday lives including the use of safe
and eﬀ ective alternatives to common
household and commercial cleaners that
may be hazardous. Leading by example
is key. Development and distribution
of informational materials provide
alternatives to using toxic products,
including pesticides. Workshops for
residents and business operators
conducted by the City’s contractor provide
direct education with concrete, simple
examples to change behaviors including
“Zero Waste Living,” “Zero Waste
Bathrooms,” and “Zero Waste Kitchens.”
Current City Actions,
Programs, and Operations
to Promote and Support
Source Reduction
Task 2 —
Reduce the Use of Toxic Materials
100 86
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
100 86
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02

— Office of Sustainability staff distribute
educational materials including brochures
and flyers at public events and conduct
direct interaction with members of the
public via the CLEAN website, webinars,
and social media. Staff also offer
NatureScape and composting workshops
to inform residents of the benefits of
using toxic-free pesticide and herbicide
management techniques.
— The City operates the Used Oil Program
to promote the collection of used motor oil
at certiﬁ ed collection centers in Chula Vista.

On average, the monthly combined collection
from this program ranges from 8,000 to
10,000 gallons of used motor oil and 1,000 to
2,000 used oil ﬁ lters.
— A pharmaceutical waste collection program
is oﬀ ered via secure publicly accessible
collection bins at the Chula Vista Police
Department throughout the year. Drive-up
Prescription Drug Take Back Days events are
held in April and October. On average, 100
pounds of pharmaceuticals are collected every
month from the collection bins and between
300 to 400 pounds of pharmaceuticals are
collected at each Drug Take Back event.

Collection bins are also in place at the
Southwestern College Police Station and at
three area pharmacies. The Collection Program
started a pharmaceutical mail-back component
in December 2018. These eﬀ orts reduce the
impacts of disposing unused pharmaceuticals
into landﬁ lls and sewage treatment systems.
average of
pharmaceuticals
collected at each
Drug Take Back event
monthly
average of
pharmaceuticals
collected from
collection bins
100 lbs
350 lbs
36 T ask 2
37 — The City’s Sustainability
Operations Plan includes
Green Purchasing, defined as
“using purchasing power in
the most cost-effective, fair,
and environmental-friendly
manner to create a healthier
workplace.” City facilities
are leading by example in
conducting best practices
including purchase and use of
toxic-free cleaning products
or those with low amounts of
volatile organic compounds.
— Dispensing stations used by
City custodial staff have been
modified so that only amounts
of cleaning products needed for
specific tasks are used.
— The City implements federal
Clean Water Act regulations
by enforcing its ordinance
that prevents all non-storm
water discharges from
municipal facilities (including
landscape over-irrigation)
to storm drains. In addition,
the City complies with storm
water “Best Management
Practices” requirements at
all municipal facilities.

Activities include phase-out
of chemical pesticide and
fertilizer use, transition to
high-efficiency irrigation
at municipal sites to avoid
runoff and conducting
annual assessments to
improve strategies or
create new strategies.

T ask 2
Develop and disseminate
additional specific
educational materials with
the latest information to
drill down and enhance
behavior change and
cooperation to reduce
use of toxic materials
and products by City
residents and businesses.

Action 2.1: Short-Term.

Complete an annual
communication campaign
to Chula Vista residents on
toxic reduction efforts that
includes educational social
media posts to reinforce
campaign messages and
informs the community
about “Toxic Free Day.”
Conduct surveys to evaluate
results. (Start Q1 2023)
Action 2.2: Short-Term.

Place QR codes on all printed
educational materials (flyers,
brochures, fact sheets, signage)
covering sustainability
and Zero Waste to direct
users to specific pages on
the Chula Vista CLEAN
website. (Start Q1 2022)
Planned
Future Actions
Create additional programs to reduce the use of
toxic materials throughout the community and
increase proper disposal of such materials via
the City’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

Action 2.3: Medium-Term.

Increase collection of properly disposed toxic
materials each year at the HHW facility and
other take back events with a goal of up to 14
additional tons a year. (Start Q1 2022)
38 T ask 2
39 Success of this Plan will be boosted through creation of a community of “Zero Waste Champions” that include
children, residents, business leaders, city staff,
elected officials, and other interested parties. A more inclusive Zero Waste marketing program throughout
Chula Vista will have to reach all corners of the
community to permeate all aspects of life, including
new community development, commerce, and
government. This Plan includes activities to educate
the Chula Vista community on Zero Waste principles
and key stakeholders so that Zero Waste becomes
a common mindset in Chula Vista. Appropriate
innovative and SmartCity approaches and
technologies will be utilized to expand communication
and educational aspects of these efforts.
— Zero Waste workshops are oﬀ ered
to residents, schools and the business
community upon request.
— Educational workshops are
conducted at all City event venues
(i.e., South Bay Earth Day, Harbor
Fest) and seasonal events directed at
community members of all ages.
— Zero Waste procedures are required
for City events whereby all vendors
must comply with requirements and
protocols during pre-event planning
and day-of-event activities.
— Smart purchasing practices are
encouraged for City-led purchasing
for construction and maintenance
projects of City facilities.
— At City employee engagement
events, the Oﬃ ce of Sustainability
educates other City staﬀ on Zero
Waste practices; particularly use of
reusable cups, dishes, and utensils.

Current City Actions,
Programs, and Operations
to Promote and Support
Zero Waste Principles
Task 3 —
Promote and Educate on Zero Waste Principles
14,320 36,146
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
14,320 36,146
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
Expand the frequency of Zero Waste
workshops beyond one per calendar
quarter making this a foremost educational
opportunity to conduct and co-promote
toxic reduction events, workshops, and
interactive activities for both children
and adults to further promote desired
behavior and lifestyle changes. Workshop
topics would include avoiding use of
single-use products (plastic cutlery, cups,
plates, straws) and disposable single-use
personal protection equipment (PPE)
masks and promoting use of reusable
products including washable masks.

Action 3.1: Short- Term.

Conduct four additional Zero Waste Workshops
anually as separate events (live or virtual)
or incorporate into larger city events.

Simultaneously, conduct similar classes (live
and virtual) at City libraries. (Start Q3 2022)
Planned Future Actions
Work with area schools in a
leadership role to activate Zero
Waste teaching to include source
reduction, recycling, reuse, and
repurposing. This would involve
collaboration with schools,
community organizations, and other
possible partnerships that offer
related services to local youth.
40 T ask 3
41 Action 3.2: Short- Term.

Collaborate directly with ﬁve schools in the
Sweetwater Union High School and Chula Vista
Elementary School District schools to oﬀer waste
reduction education sessions. Utilize current, reliable information from educational sources speciﬁc to
educating children on sustainability. (Start Q4 2022)
Action 3.3: Short-Term.

For schools with Eco-Clubs/Groups, coordinate
with Group Leaders, to conduct an annual workshop
summit during Earth Month (in April) to further
educate on Zero Waste principles, actions, and
learning opportunities and support school’s Green
Week activities. (Start Q4 2022)
Enhance current Office of Sustainability
programs to include Zero Waste fundamentals
as part of all activities. Staff will further
promote Zero Waste messages through
programs like the Household Hazardous
Waste collection program, the Home Checkup
Evaluation program, and the Free Resource
Energy Business Evaluation (FREBE) program
to encourage the use of environmentally
healthy alternatives along with instructions
for their use as another “opportunity” to get to
Zero Waste.

Action 3.4: Short-Term.

Develop specific messaging on Zero Waste strategies
that staff can use when communicating with
residents, businesses, and other City departments
to help educate and change behaviors. This would
include educational information on use of virgin and
recycled materials to produce consumer products.

Update messaging annually to include more
practices. (Start Q2 2022)
For all City-sponsored events or events the City
is invited to participate at (educational booths
or virtual events) or that have food vendors,
expand upon current activities to involve direct
education of event attendees at trash/recycle/
organic disposal bins instructing them on what is
recyclable, compostable, and trash.

T ask 3
Action 3.5: Short-Term.

Establish a network of 30 volunteers
to serve as “sorter associates
or liaisons” at four City events
annually. Provide students (middle,
high school, college) and other
interested community members,
including Master Composter
Program participants, with training
opportunities for participation
to fulﬁ ll community service
requirements. (Start Q4 2022)
Action 3.6: Short-Term.

Annually provide a robust and
comprehensive list of Zero Waste
websites available on a dedicated
Zero Waste webpage on the City’s
CLEAN website to expand the
educational opportunities for
Chula Vista residents, businesses,
schools, and other interested
parties. (Start Q2 2022)
Create a Zero Waste Business Certification
Program as part of the CLEAN Business
Program to promote Zero Waste principles
and acknowledge businesses that conduct
these practices as part of doing business.

Action 3.7: Short-Term.

Initiate the Zero Waste Business Certiﬁ cation Program, as an addendum to the CLEAN Business Program. It
will recognize businesses that go above and beyond
in reducing their waste stream. (Start Q2 2022)
Implement a Chula Vista Zero Waste Champion
education and recognition program that encourages
applying Zero Waste principles in daily home
activities by engaging neighbors to collaborate.

Action 3.8: Short- Term.

Develop Zero Waste educational information for Chula
Vista Zero Waste Champion education and recognition
program covering waste reduction, effective recycling,
proper household hazardous waste disposal, reducing
or eliminating the use of toxic products, food waste
prevention, and composting at home. (Start Q3 2022)
Action 3.9: Short-Term.

Annually recognize a unique “ Zero Waste Champion”
as part of the Sustainability Commission’s CLEAN
Sustainability Champion Awards. Other public
acknowledgements will also be conducted. (Start Q1 2023) Make improvements to the City’s Construction
and Demolition (C&D) program. This also
involves developing new requirements for
deconstruction of buildings focusing on reuse and
repurposing of materials salvaged from this work
as proposed in the 2017 Climate Action Plan.

Action 3.10: Short-Term.

Create Zero Waste guidelines for building
deconstruction. (Start Q1 2022)
42 T ask 3
As a potential engine for regional economic
development to fuel new businesses, expand
existing markets and create jobs, the recycling
industry is in a unique position to thrive
and lead important community beneﬁ ts.

Numerous studies have documented the
economic development and job creation in waste
collection, materials processing, and recycled-
content product manufacturing. According
to the Institute for Local Government, for
California to reach a 75% mandated recycling
goal it would need to generate 59,000 jobs in
the waste collection and processing sectors and
50,000 jobs in the manufacturing industry.

The signiﬁ cant changes to the recycling market
brought on by China’s National “Green Sword”
policy have changed the viability of overseas
markets to purchase recyclable mixed paper,
newspaper, cardboard, and plastics generated
locally as well as throughout the state. This
presents the possibility of developing markets and
remanufacturing facilities for these materials
locally and throughout California with an untold
potential to create new businesses and jobs. Keeping
these raw materials local would also help reduce
development of GHGs from shipping materials
overseas. These changes to the recycling market
provide opportunities for partnerships with
businesses, the community, and other entities
to explore best uses of innovative and smart
technologies to signiﬁ cantly reuse these materials.

Task 4 —
Support the Recycling Industry as
Innovative Engine for
Regional Economic Development
8,680 18,759
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
8,680 18,759
Annual Potential of
Resources Diverted
from Landfill in Tons
Estimated Reduction
in GHG Emissions
MTC02
43 Planned Future Actions
Promote opportunities with GO-Biz, tax credits for materials recycling equipment, the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATF A), local jurisdictions and regional programs, and implement new activities with the Recycling Market Development
Zone Program to attract industry and businesses that create feedstock materials and new products from recycled content.

Action 4.1: Short-Term.

Collaborate with local jurisdictions and regional economic councils, speciﬁ cally the South County Economic Development Council and the East County Economic Development Council, to create partnerships to promote, attract, and locate materials recycling businesses in Chula Vista and South County. (Start Q1 2022) Action 4.2: Medium-Term.

Facilitate three Recycling Market Development Zone loans for development of the recycling market or materials management facilities in the South Bay region. (Start Q1 2022)
The City will coordinate with Republic Services, the City’s franchise hauler for solid waste, organics and recyclables, to implement a viable solution to expand uses for resources disposed at the Otay Landfill per the Amended and Restated Otay Landfill Expansion Agreement.

Action 4.3: Long-Term.

Research and develop a Resource Recovery Facility at the Otay Landﬁ ll to divert up to 90% of solid and organic wastes from the landﬁ ll by employing reuse, repair, recycling, and composting technologies. This facility would serve as a hub for resource recovery and reuse of materials with an educational component for businesses and residents. (Start Q1 2024)
— The City, in cooperation
with the State of California,
works to attract new
businesses to fortify the
manufacturing industry
to develop raw materials
for remanufacturing from
collected recyclables.
— The City plays a leadership
role in the State’s Recycling
Market Development Zone
Program, which oﬀ ers low-
interest loans and technical
assistance to businesses that
divert materials from landﬁ ll
disposal to create recycled-
content products or materials.

Current City
Actions, Programs,
and Operations
to Promote and
Support the
Recycling Industry
44 T ask 4
45 According to the U.S. EPA,
recycling not only reduces
the amount of waste sent
to landfills and conserves
natural resources, it
also prevents pollution
by reducing the need to
collect new raw material
for manufacturing,
while reducing GHGs.

Recycling also helps
create new, well-paying
jobs in the recycling and
manufacturing industries
in the United States.

Educational actions
will employ innovative
communication methods
to reach the residential
and business communities
to help enact behavior
changes to improve trash
and recycling operations.

Task 5 —
Improve Education in Trash
and Recycling Programs to
Reduce Contamination and
Increase Diversion
10,000 17,124
Annual
Potential of
Resources
Diverted from
Landfill in
Tons
Estimated
Reduction
in GHG
Emissions
MTC02
10,000 17,124
Annual
Potential of
Resources
Diverted from
Landfill in
Tons
Estimated
Reduction
in GHG
Emissions
MTC02
— City programs educate single family and
multi-family residents and businesses to divert
recyclable materials from landﬁll disposal via
printed media, social media, and direct in-per-
son education.
— Businesses are offered on-site assistance
from the City to evaluate waste streams,
provide best management practices, and
work with Republic Services to “right-size”
trash and recycling collection services.

Printed media, offered in both English and
Spanish, is provided to business operators for
employee education.
— The City conducts detailed multi-visit
trash and recycling audits of businesses to help
“right-size” trash and recycling practices and to
address compliance with state laws.
— The City oﬀers a program to further facilitate
recycling by providing in-house recycling
containers of various sizes and applications
at no cost to Chula Vista businesses and
organizations. To receive this beneﬁt, business
operators simply complete a brief online
application in which they agree to a site visit
from staﬀ to deliver the containers and receive
valuable education and signage to encourage
successful implementation. Recycling
containers are oﬀered and funded courtesy of
the California Redemption Value program.

Current City Actions,
Programs, and Operations
to Promote and Support the
Recycling Industry
46 T ask 5
The City will partner with
local organizations, academia,
and business leaders to help
create a “Recycle Right”
vision for the City. This action
would focus on diverting and
preventing valuable resources
from ending up in the
landﬁll, while demonstrating
how these eﬀorts help to
slow climate change.

Key to implementing this
vision is combating the
urgent issue of increased
contamination of recycling
content in Chula Vista.

This includes informing and
educating businesses and
single family and multi-family
residents of the stricter
rules posed by recycled
material importers requiring
clean recycled content.

This refers to materials
processed by companies that
ﬁnd buyers for Chula Vista-
originated recyclables.

Planned
Future Actions
Action 5.1: Short-Term.

Develop innovative ways to reach businesses and residents in Chula Vista. This will include conducting a multi-year, multi-faceted “Recycle Right” information campaign.

The campaign will resonate and elicit behavior change
throughout the City by stressing that proper recycling
techniques and waste reduction actions are ingrained in our way of life. The campaign will feature simplified “Easy as 1-2-3” and “Recycle Right” campaign messages that clearly specify what items are recycled and placed in recycling bins.

Messages will include “Keep it Clean,” “Scrape or Wipe,” “Keep It Loose,” and “No Plastic Bags in Recycling Bins.” (Start Q2 2022)
Action 5.2: Short- Term.

Complement the multi-year “Recycle Right” information
campaign with annual updating of the City’s CLEAN website recycling pages with recycling FAQs and City-produced and industry-available videos to reinforce and emphasize behavior change needed for proper recycling. (Start Q2 2022)
Based on data obtained from the multi-visit trash
and recycling audits, continue this effort to cover the remainder of Chula Vista businesses.

Action 5.3: Short-Term.

Conduct multiple on-site audits to educate 1,500 businesses annually on proper recycling and trash disposal and right- sizing service levels. Encourage and assist businesses to develop “in-house” waste disposal and recycling plans to help each establishment determine how much waste is generated by their operations. This audit effort will be modified to support Task 6 to reduce and divert organic materials from landfills. (Start Q1 2022)
47T ask 5
— Since the early 1990s, the City of Chula
Vista has implemented a yard waste
(leaves, branches, grasses, etc.) collection
program for all residents and businesses.
— In 2004, the City implemented a Backyard
Composting program with two key components.

It features one-hour weekly compost training
workshops on Sundays at the Living Coast
Discovery Center. Through February 2020,
1,201 people have participated in this on-site
training. Virtual composting workshops for
residents are also conducted to learn from
home and 88 people participated in the last four
months of 2020.

Current City Actions,
Programs, and Operations to
Reduce and Divert Organic
Materials from Landﬁ lls
Organic materials – composed of yard
trimmings, food scraps, untreated wood waste,
paper and paperboard products – are valuable
resources that, when processed correctly,
produce compost.

Currently, organics are the largest
component of the City’s trash representing
approximately 44% of the waste stream.

This finding is reaffirmed by the statewide
study commissioned by CalRecycle in 2014
and by the 2016 Waste Characterization
Study, which analyzed waste from Chula
Vista homes and businesses sent to the Otay
Landfill. When buried in a landfill, organic
materials decompose by generating methane,
a greenhouse gas that is 84 times more harmful
than carbon dioxide, according to CalRecycle.

The U.S. EPA estimates that 25% of the methane
generated in a landfill with gas capturing
systems still escapes into our atmosphere.

The State of California passed Senate Bill 1383
(Lara, 2016) in an eﬀ ort to reduce methane.

By implementing this legislation through
regulations adopted in 2018, the state sets a goal
to achieve by 2020 a 50% reduction in the level
of statewide disposal of organic waste from the
2014 level, and by 2025 a 75% reduction from
the 2014 level. The City will work with local
organizations, academia, nonproﬁ t entities, and
industry to utilize innovative technologies to
help meet these goals.

Task 6 —
Keep Organic
Materials Out of
Landfills
49,240 67,234
Annual
Potential of
Resources
Diverted from
Landfill in
Tons
Estimated
Reduction
in GHG
Emissions
MTC02
48 49,240 67,234
Annual
Potential of
Resources
Diverted from
Landfill in
Tons
Estimated
Reduction
in GHG
Emissions
MTC02
49 Also, a seven-week Master Composter Training course
conducted twice per year provides in-depth education and training to residents demonstrating composting steps to process organics. Through February 2020, two courses per year (averaging 25 participants) have been conducted and 452 people have been trained. Virtual training was established during fall 2020 and 20 people attended. Compost produced by residents is used as soil amendment in yards and gardens. Reduced cost compost bins are available to program participants from Chula Vista. This program also assists the City’s eﬀ orts to educate residents about future food waste collection programs.
— The City conducts NatureScape workshops
to educate residents about the benefits of
composting and natural yard care to help reduce
and divert yard wastes from landfill disposal.
— City programs educate residents and businesses focusing on the importance of diverting organic materials from
landfill disposal and preventing contamination of collected organics with non-accepted items such as plastics, treated or painted wood, and non-organic recyclables. Education efforts are ongoing and conducted via printed media and targeted mailings, social media, and in-person education opportunities at public events.
— In 2015, the City, in partnership with Republic Services, initiated a commercial and residential food waste collection pilot program to begin the planning eﬀ orts for a future citywide program to decrease organics disposal in the landﬁ ll. — In January 2018, the Environmental Services section of the Oﬃ ce of Sustainability began monthly Food Recovery Group meetings to improve and expand food recovery eﬀ orts in the City. Over 30 people representing ten food distribution agencies have collaborated and provided valuable input that will continue to advance recovery eﬀ orts. These eﬀ orts are combating the suﬀ ering of one in eight Americans that are food insecure and struggle to put enough food on their tables. — The City works with local businesses to identify donation sources and create relationships for participation in local food rescue programs to address regional food insecurity.
— The City works with
all businesses and
residents on collection
service requirements,
contamination standards,
and overall compliance
with SB 1383, a wide-
ranging law that aims
to reduce disposal of
organics in landﬁ lls.

T ask 6
Planned Future Actions
Develop an organic waste
recovery and management
program to capture the organic
waste present in Chula Vista’s
current waste stream.

Action 6.1: Short-Term.

Implement a fully operational
program for compliance with
SB 1383. (Start Q1 2022)
Action 6.2: Short-Term.

Staﬀ will work with Chula Vista
residents and businesses to implement
services and develop a strong public
outreach, education, and participation
program to fulﬁ ll requirements of SB
1383 by all organic waste generators.
(Start Q1 2022)
Monitoring at local businesses
and multi-family properties will
be enhanced utilizing education
as a first approach for compliance
to avoid potential penalties.

Action 6.3: Short-Term.

Monitor all organic waste generators
for compliance with state organic
waste diversion laws. Utilize
innovative smart technologies and
software to enhance and increase
eﬃ ciency for data collection and
analysis for compliance reporting.
(Start Q4 2022)
Increase the diversion of yard waste organic
materials and create more compost on residential
(backyard composting) and commercial production levels.

Action 6.4: Short-Term.

Increase education and awareness for residents to understand the benefits of composting by conducting one additional seven-week Master Composter Workshop each year to train 30 or more people on backyard composting. (Start Q3 2022) Action 6.5: Short-Term.

Develop other compost-focused educational activities
at various locations throughout the City with up to two opportunities each year. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 6.6: Short-Term.

Conduct two NatureScape Workshops per year and include a component on the benefits of composting. (Start Q2 2022) Action 6.7: Short-Term.

Work with Republic Services, the Otay Landfill Operator to develop compost markets in the region to increase compost production and distribution. (Start Q1 2024)
Action 6.8: Short- Term.

Work with local nonproﬁ t organizations to initiate a residential gleaning program. Excess fruit and vegetables could be picked through a coordinated eﬀ ort from residents’ properties for local distribution to those in need. (Start Q1 2023)
Action 6.9: Medium-Term.

Identify and evaluate technologically advanced solutions like anaerobic digestion facilities and traditional composting methods to manage high solids organic waste like landscape waste. (Start Q1 2024)
50 T ask 6

CONCLUSION
51 The implementation framework provided in this Zero Waste Plan for the City of Chula Vista is a guide for City staﬀ and community partners to follow in addition to the direction proposed in the Climate Action Plan (latest version approved by the City Council in 2017). This Plan outlines a solid strategy and direction focused on six key tasks that include speciﬁc short-term, medium-term and long-term actions to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials that would otherwise be sent to the Otay Landﬁll.

These actions will lessen environmental impacts and reduce the amount of GHGs entering the atmosphere, resulting in a cleaner environment and healthier communities. By redeﬁning “waste” as valuable “resources” to be reused instead of thrown away in the landﬁll, the City is helping to change the mindset of Chula Vista residents and businesses and spur economic activity.

The City of Chula
Vista is committed
to working with
residents, businesses,
nonprofits,
educational
and community
organizations, as well
as other City partners
and regional entities
to accomplish the
Zero Waste Plan
goals, with the key
goal of reaching a
90% waste diversion
rate by 2035.

Our progress toward each milestone to accomplish
this 2035 goal will require a unifying effort to address current and new concerns in waste management facing
the state, region, and City. Solutions to issues like
fluctuations in domestic and international recycling
markets, increased amounts of trash production in our
state, the reduction in recyclables being diverted from trash, and new laws that disallow organic matter from
reaching local landfills will continue to challenge the City to adapt and find new approaches.

Addressing the multitude of concerns and challenges
will require collaboration, input and support from the
Chula Vista community. Experience gained from previous
shifts in law and environmental programs will help Chula Vista face these new challenges and overcome them. It is anticipated that the City will expand on strategies in this Zero Waste Plan and utilize enhanced communication,
while developing additional ideas that incorporate use of innovative and smart technologies.

Implementation of this Zero Waste Plan will include
the City’s commitment and efforts toward inclusion
and social equity. The City will remain engaged with
stakeholders as all phases of the Zero Waste Plan
are implemented to ensure the City’s actions are an
expression of the interests of all segments of the Chula Vista community.
52 References

1. City of Chula Vista, Climate Action Plan, City
Council Resolution 2017-186, September 2017
www.chulavistaca.gov/departments/clean/
conservation/climate-action-plan
• City of Chula Vista, Climate Adaptation Plan, 2011
• City of Chula Vista, Climate Mitigation Plan, 2008
• City of Chula Vista, Carbon Dioxide Reduction Plan, 2000

2. Zero Waste International Alliance, Peer Reviewed
Zero Waste Deﬁnition, December 2018.

3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Advancing
Sustainable Materials Management: 2016 Recycling Economic Information Report and Methodology, October 2016
www.epa.gov/sites/production/ﬁles/2017-06/
documents/ﬁnal_epa_2016_rei_methodology_0.pdf

4. State of California Legislation: 1) California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989; 2) Assembly Bill 341, 2011; 3) Senate Bill 1826, 2014; 4) Senate Bill 1383, 2016
www.leginfo.ca.gov

5. California Department of Resources and Recovery
(CalRecycle), State of Disposal and Recycling in California for Calendar Year 2017, February 15, 2019
www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Download/1399

6. CalRecycle, 2018 Facility-Based Characterization
of Solid Waste in California, May 15, 2020
www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Download/1458

7. California Integrated Waste Management Board, Integrated Waste Management Board Strategic Plan 2001
www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/documents/.../52001008.doc

8. SCS Engineers, Landﬁll Waste Characterization Study for Materials Generated within the City of Chula Vista, January 2016.

9. R3 Consulting Group, Modeled Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Diverted from Otay Landﬁll Based on Chula
Vista Zero Waste Plan Actions, February 8, 2021.

10. Peer Review Consultant Services, Richard
Anthony, Richard Anthony Associates.
53 Appendix A – Summary
of Future Planned Actions
Future Planned Actions are categorized as short-term
(3-5 years to completion), medium-term (6-10 years to
completion), or long-term (11-14 years to completion)
which refers to the commencement and timeframe for
implementation and completion of carefully planned and
prescribed initial eﬀorts becoming operational. After ﬁve years a reevaluation will be conducted to determine the validity of the actions in the Zero Waste Plan. Actions could be discontinued or revised. The Zero Waste Plan will be ﬂexible allowing for development of new, innovative
actions. For complete details of the Zero Waste Plan
Strategies and Actions, please consult the full write-up.

Task 1. Page 28
Promote and Support Source
Reduction and Reuse
Source reduction means stopping the creation of waste
at the outset through activities designed to reduce the volume, mass, or toxicity of products. Upstream reuse of suitable materials is a key activity to achieve reduction goals. Source reduction and reuse saves resources and
lessens money spent for obtaining new raw materials.

Opportunities to employ innovative technologies to
support this eﬀort will be explored.

Current Actions, Programs and Operations Page 28
Action 1.1: Short-Term. Page 30
Conduct two additional Fix-It clinics for a total of four throughout the calendar year. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.2: Short-Term. P a g e 3 0
Prepare and distribute a mass mailer once per year.

Use other communication tools including a webinar,
quarterly social media posts, and two newsletter
articles to reach 85,000+ Chula Vista homes on the
benefits of reuse and repair. Conduct surveys to
evaluate results. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.3: Short-Term. Page 31
Work with 10 retail stores and other businesses
annually to reuse and repurpose items that are
routinely discarded. Support existing networks
using mailers, press announcements, webinars, and
social media to create awareness and encourage
behavior change that will increase items donated
from businesses that are listed for creative reuse (also known as upcycling or repurposing) and accessed
by organizations, artists, crafters, teachers, and
individuals to obtain reusable items. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.4: Short-Term. Page 32
Arrange and conduct exchange events with exchange
network participants where artist and other
communities can obtain discarded materials. Conduct
two events per year similarly to Fix-It clinics and
as a component of City events including South Bay
Earth Day and other publicly held mass attendance
events (Harbor Fest or similar) throughout the year.
(Start Q3 2023)
Action 1.5: Short-Term. Page 32
Prepare and conduct information campaigns twice
per year to encourage collection and distribution
of discarded materials to support these exchange
networks. (Start Q3 2023)
Action 1.6: Short-Term. Page 32
Prepare and disseminate quarterly messaging via Oﬃce
of Sustainability social media platforms to complement
the discarded materials exchange networks information
54 campaigns. The information that is shared will
provide updated data regarding materials and items
available for reuse. Key platforms could include
Craigslist, Facebook (Materials Exchange Groups),
Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor, Nixle and others.
(Start Q3 2022)
Action 1.7: Short-Term. Page 32
Collaborate with and inspire the Chula Vista
Elementary and Sweetwater Union High School
Districts to encourage all middle and high schools to
create an “Eco-friendly Vintage Clothing Exchange”
at their schools. Exchanges would include “Uniform
Swap Day” and “Vintage Clothing Day” events where
clothes could be displayed and traded at no cost or sold for nominal, below-market prices. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.8: Short-Term. Page 32
Collaborate with Sweetwater Union High School
District to encourage and provide innovative
approaches and guidance to high schools to expand
on the established Princess Project during spring
that provides prom dresses for girls and include
dress clothes (tuxedos and suits) for boys. In the fall, encourage a similar exchange of Halloween costumes
at K-6, middle, and high schools throughout Chula
Vista. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.9: Short-Term. Page 33
To further encourage clothing reuse, create a
mechanism for having unsold clothes from weekly
garage sales throughout the City be donated to local
reuse stores. For communities that hold “community
garage sales” oﬀer this mechanism to handle unsold
clothes. Conduct outreach to reuse businesses to
engage their support and participation. Work with
local Chula Vista stores to gauge increases in donation volume to evaluate this eﬀort. (Start Q1 2023)
Action 1.10: Short-Term. Page 33
Complete set up of the Reuse Program store (convert
existing storage shed) at the City’s HHW Facility for
household cleaning products and paints and begin
store operations. Track types and quantities of reusable products issued to residents through the Reuse Program. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.11: Short-Term. Page 34
Promote the availability of the Reuse Program through
the City’s CLEAN website and an annual information
campaign to residents and HHW users. Track number
of visits to the website to determine outreach results. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.12: Short-Term. Page 34
Complete development of the ordinance to disallow
single-use plastic products and include opportunities
from businesses, interest groups and the residents
to provide public comment and support prior to City
Council approval. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 1.13: Short-Term. Page 34
Develop an implementation plan for the ordinance
and begin implementation in 2023. This will include
an educational component for restaurants and other
businesses. (Start Q2 2022)
Task 2. Page 35
Reduce the Use of Toxic Materials
Reducing the use of toxic chemicals can reduce the risk of adverse health and environmental eﬀects, in addition to creating economic advantages such as reductions in
costs of raw materials and waste disposal.

Current Actions, Programs and Operations Page 35
55Appendix
Action 2.1: Short-Term. Page 38
Complete an annual communication campaign to
Chula Vista residents on toxic reduction efforts that
includes educational social media posts to reinforce
campaign messages and informs the community about
“Toxic Free Day.” Conduct surveys to evaluate results.
(Start Q1 2023)
Action 2.2: Short-Term. Page 38
Place QR codes on all printed educational materials
(ﬂyers, brochures, fact sheets, signage) covering
sustainability and Zero Waste to direct users to speciﬁc pages on the Chula Vista CLEAN website. (Start Q1
2022)
Action 2.3: Medium-Term. Page 38
Increase collection of properly disposed toxic
materials each year at the HHW facility and other take
back events with a goal of up to 14 additional tons a year. (Start Q1 2022)
Task 3. Page 39
Promote and Educate
on Zero Waste Principles
The key is to create a community of “Zero Waste
Champions” including children, residents, business
leaders, city staﬀ, elected oﬃcials, and other interested parties. A more inclusive Zero Waste marketing
program throughout Chula Vista will have to reach all
corners of the community so it permeates all aspects
of life, including new community development,
commerce, and government.

Current Actions, Programs and Operations Page 39
Action 3.1: Short-Term. Page 40
Conduct four additional Zero Waste Workshops
anually as separate events (live or virtual) or
incorporate into larger city events. Simultaneously,
conduct similar classes (live and virtual) at City
libraries. (Start Q3 2022)
Action 3.2: Short-Term. Page 41
Collaborate directly with five schools in the
Sweetwater Union High School and Chula Vista
Elementary School District schools to offer waste
reduction education sessions. Utilize current, reliable information from educational sources specific to
educating children on sustainability. (Start Q4 2022)
Action 3.3: Short-Term. Page 41
For schools with Eco-Clubs/Groups, coordinate
with Group Leaders, to conduct an annual summit
workshop during Earth Month (in April) to further
educate on Zero Waste principles, actions, and
learning opportunities and support school’s Green
Week activities. (Start Q4 2022)
Action 3.4: Short-Term. Page 41
Develop specific messaging on Zero Waste strategies
that staff can use when communicating with
residents, businesses, and other City departments
to help educate and change behaviors. This would
include educational information on use of virgin and
recycled materials to produce consumer products.

Update messaging annually to include more practices.
(Start Q2 2022)
56 Appendix
Action 3.5: Short-Term. Page 42
Establish a network of 30 volunteers to serve as “sorter associates or liaisons” at four City events annually.

Provide students (middle, high school, college) and
other interested community members, including
Master Composter Program participants, with training
opportunities for participation to fulﬁll community
service requirements. (Start Q4 2022)
Action 3.6: Short-Term. Page 42
Annually provide a robust and comprehensive list of
Zero Waste websites available on a dedicated Zero
Waste webpage on the City’s CLEAN website to
expand the educational opportunities for Chula Vista
residents, businesses, schools, and other interested
parties. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 3.7: Short-Term. Page 42
Initiate the Zero Waste Business Certiﬁcation Program,
as an addendum to the CLEAN Business Program. It
will recognize businesses that go above and beyond in
reducing their waste stream. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 3.8: Short-Term. Page 42
Develop Zero Waste educational information for Chula
Vista Zero Waste Champion education and recognition
program covering waste reduction, effective recycling,
proper household hazardous waste disposal, reducing
or eliminating the use of toxic products, food waste
prevention, and composting at home. (Start Q3 2022).

Action 3.9: Short-Term. Page 42
Annually recognize a unique “Zero Waste Champion”
as part of the Sustainability Commission’s
CLEAN Sustainability Champion Awards. Other
public acknowledgements will also be conducted.
(Start Q1 2023)
Action 3.10: Short-Term. Page 42
Create Zero Waste guidelines for building
deconstruction. (Start Q1 2022)
Task 4. Page 43
Support the Recycling Industry as an
Innovative Engine for Economic Development
The changes to the recycling market provide
opportunities for partnerships with businesses, the
community, and other entities to explore best uses
of innovative and smart technologies to significantly
reuse these materials. This presents the possibility of developing markets and remanufacturing facilities for
these materials locally and throughout California and
an untold potential to create new businesses and jobs.

By keeping these raw materials local, the actions in
this task will also help reduce development of GHGs
from shipping materials overseas.

Current Actions, Programs and Operations Page 44
Action 4.1: Short-Term. Page 44
Collaborate with local jurisdictions and regional
economic councils, specifically the South County
Economic Development Council and the East
County Economic Development Council, to create
partnerships to promote, attract, and locate materials
recycling businesses in Chula Vista and South
County. (Start Q1 2022).
57Appendix
Action 4.2: Medium-Term. Page 44
Facilitate three Recycling Market Development
Zone loans for development of the recycling market
or materials management facilities in the South Bay
region. (Start Q1 2022)
Action 4.3: Long-Term. Page 44
Research and develop a Resource Recovery Facility
at the Otay Landfill to divert up to 90% of solid and
organic wastes from the landfill by employing reuse,
repair, recycling, and composting technologies. This
facility would serve as a hub for resource recovery and reuse of materials with an educational component for
businesses and residents. (Start Q1 2024)
Task 5. Page 45
Improve Education in Trash and
Recycling Programs to Reduce Contamination
and Increase Diversion
According to the U.S. EPA, recycling not only reduces
the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserves
natural resources, it also prevents pollution by
reducing the need to collect new raw material for
manufacturing and reduces GHGs. Recycling also
helps create new, well-paying jobs in the recycling
and manufacturing industries in the United
States. Educational actions will include innovative
communication methods to reach the residential
and business communities to help enact behavioral
changes to improve trash and recycling operations.

Current Actions, Programs and Operations Page 46
Action 5.1: Short-Term. Page 47
Develop innovative ways to reach businesses
and residents in Chula Vista. This will include
conducting a multi-year, multi-faceted “Recycle
Right” information campaign. The campaign will
resonate and elicit behavior change throughout the
City by stressing that proper recycling techniques
and waste reduction actions are ingrained in our way
of life. The campaign will feature simplified “Easy as 1-2-3” and “Recycle Right” campaign messages that
clearly specify what items are recycled and placed in
recycling bins. Messages will include “Keep it Clean,”
“Scrape or Wipe,” “Keep It Loose,” and “No Plastic
Bags in Recycling Bins.” (Start Q2 2022)
Action 5.2: Short-Term. Page 47
Complement the multi-year “Recycle Right”
information campaign with annual updating of the
City’s CLEAN website recycling pages with recycling
FAQs and City-produced and industry-available
videos to reinforce and emphasize behavior change
needed for proper recycling. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 5.3: Short-Term. Page 47
Conduct multiple on-site audits to educate 1,500
businesses annually on proper recycling and trash
disposal and right-sizing service levels. Encourage
and assist businesses to develop “in-house” waste
disposal and recycling plans to help each establishment determine how much waste is generated by their
operations. This audit eﬀort will be modiﬁed to support Task 6 to reduce and divert organic materials from
landﬁlls. (Start Q1 2022)
58 Appendix
Task 6. Page 48
Keep Organic Materials Out of Landfills
Currently, organics are the largest component of
the City’s trash representing approximately 44
percent of the waste stream. A statewide study
commissioned by CalRecycle in 2014 and the 2016
Waste Characterization Study of waste from Chula
Vista homes and businesses sent to the Otay Landfill
reaffirms this finding. The City’s implementation
of California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383) to divert
organic waste from the landfill is a key component of
Task 6.

Current Actions, Programs and Operations Page 48
Action 6.1: Short-Term. Page 50
Implement a fully operational program for compliance
with SB 1383. (Start Q1 2022)
Action 6.2: Short-Term. Page 50
The City will work with Chula Vista residents and
businesses to implement services and develop a strong
public outreach, education, and participation program
to fulﬁll requirements of SB 1383 by all organic waste
generators. (Start Q1 2022)
Action 6.3: Short-Term. Page 50
Monitor all organic waste generators for compliance
with state organic waste diversion laws. Utilize
innovative smart technologies and software to enhance
and increase eﬃciency for data collection and analysis
for compliance reporting. (Start Q4 2022)
Action 6.4: Short-Term. Page 50
Increase education and awareness for residents to
understand the benefits of composting by conducting
one additional seven-week Master Composter
Workshop each year to train 30 or more people on
backyard composting. (Start Q3 2022)
Action 6.5: Short-Term. Page 50
Develop other compost-focused educational activities
at various locations throughout the City with up to two opportunities each year. (Start Q2 2022)
Action 6.6: Short-Term. Page 50
Conduct two NatureScape Workshops per year and
include a component on the benefits of composting.
(Start Q2 2022)
Action 6.7: Short-Term. Page 50
Work with Republic Services, the Otay Landﬁll Operator
to develop compost markets in the region to increase
compost production and distribution. (Start Q1 2024) Action 6.8: Short- Term. Page 50
Work with local nonproﬁt organizations to
initiate a residential gleaning program. Excess
fruit and vegetables could be picked through a
coordinated eﬀort from residents’ properties for
local distribution to those in need. (Start Q1 2023)
Action 6.9: Medium-Term. Page 50
Identify and evaluate technologically advanced solutions like anaerobic digestion facilities and traditional
composting methods to manage high solids organic
waste like landscape waste. (Start Q1 2024)
59Appendix
Design by Mint and Merit
Acknowledgements
— Collaborative
Engagement
The City of Chula Vista’s Office
of Sustainability prepared the
Zero Waste Plan.

The City would like to
celebrate and acknowledge
those who advised and
provided input.
• Technical support from R3
Consulting Group Inc. and
Rick Anthony Associates
• Chula Vista Sustainability
Commission
• Community feedback from
residents, businesses and
other community members
provided during virtual
presentations and via
online public comments.

Chula Vista City CouncilMarch 1, 2022

Chula Vista City Council
March 1, 2022