CITY OF COMMERCEAGENDA REPORTCITY OF COMMERCEAGENDA REPORT
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: Update to Environmental Procurement Policy to Include SB 1383 Organics Recycling Requirements Meeting Date: April 26, 2022
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council will consider approving the Resolution to adopt a the updated Environmental Procurement Policy to include SB 1383 Organics Recycling as required by the State of California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
BACKGROUND:
The State of California continues to expand its recycling regulations that cities must comply with. The State’s most recent efforts include Senate Bill (SB) 1383, which went into effect January 1, 2022 as a State-mandated Organics Recycling law. In preparation for this new mandate, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 781 on December 7, 2021, to add Chapter 6.12 – Organic Waste Disposal Reduction to Title 6 of the Commerce Municipal Code. This mandate also requires cities to establish a procurement policy for the procurement of organic waste and recycled content products.
The City of Commerce adopted an Environmental Procurement Policy on July 1, 2014, that encourages purchasing environmentally-friendly products containing recycled content and services, however this new regulation necessitates an updated policy.
SB 1383 requires the City to procure a specified amount of recovered organic waste products to support organic waste disposal reduction targets and the markets for products made from recycled and recovered organic waste materials. The procurement requirements under SB 1383 specifically require that the City purchase recycled-content paper products, recycled-content printing and writing paper as well as renewable gas products from organic waste. The City’s 2014 Procurement Policy required a 20% recycled content amount for paper products purchased. However, the new requirements increase it to 30%.
In addition to the implementation of citywide organics recycling and edible food recovery for residents and businesses, a city’s Procurement Policy must meet State-set targets for the respective city. These city-specific targets are set by California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) which specifies that the City provide for the procurement of 0.8 tons of locally derived organics per capita each year times the City’s residential population. CalRecycle will notify the City of its Annual Recovered Organic Waste Product Procurement Target and post it on their website. These targets are meant to be achieved by buying soil amendment mulch and through the purchase of natural gas derived from anaerobic digestion of food scraps and green waste.
Staff will notify each department, vendors and contractors of the City’s new Procurement Policy, which would require the purchase and use of State-certified compost and mulch and renewable gas. In addition, as part of the outreach and education component of the SB 1383’s roll-out, workshops will be made available to promote composting as well as to promote the benefits of soil amendment for plants, mulching around trees, and a topcoat for lawns and parks.
Staff will monitor and report compliance to the State annually as required. CalRecycle will review and verity the City’s threshold targets as part of their annual compliance audits. Staff will provide the City Council updates on the City’s and refuse and recycling hauler compliance as needed in the future. Staff recommends adopting the Procurement Policy to incorporate SB 1383.
ALTERNATIVES:
Approve staff recommendation
Disapprove staff recommendation
Provide further direction to staff
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact is unknown at this time.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC GOALS:
The agenda item relates to the 2016 Strategic Plan
Community Quality of Life
Guiding Principle #5:
Foster environmentally conscious initiatives and continue to identify and develop city codes that support a clean, well-maintained, sustainable community.
Respectfully submitted: Edgar P. Cisneros, City Manager Approved by: Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works Prepared by: Gina Nila, Deputy Director of Public Works Operations Reviewed by: Josh Brooks, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Vilko Domic, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Noel Tapia, City Attorney
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution
Updated Environmental Procurement Policy
2014 Environmental Procurement Policy