Transportation and Environment Committee (t&e)
October 6, 2025

TO: TRANSPORTATION AND

ENVIRONMENT

COMMITTEE
FROM: Jeff Provenzano
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: September 15, 2025
Approved Date:
9/17/2025
COUNCIL DISTRICT: CITYWIDE
SUBJECT: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element Report

RECOMMENDATION
(a) Accept the Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element Report.

(b) Cross-reference this report to the November 18, 2025, City Council meeting for consideration and approval by the full City Council to incorporate this element into the Climate Smart San José Plan.

SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
The Climate Smart San José plan1 (Climate Smart) identified solid waste as a topic for future consideration that could be incorporated into updates of the Climate Smart plan.

The waste reduction and diversion goals in the Zero Waste Element (ZWE) will help the City move towards its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 and also serves as an update to the 2008 Zero Waste Strategic Plan.

Compostable materials disposed of in landfills account for approximately 20 percent of the methane emissions in California.2 One ton of methane in the atmosphere has over 80 times the warming impact of one ton of carbon dioxide for 20 years after it’s released, making it a particularly destructive greenhouse gas (GHG). Reduction of waste generated and disposed would thereby reduce the GHG emission impacts of solid waste which contribute to climate change.

By implementing the new zero waste strategies in the proposed ZWE, the City could reduce the GHG emissions released in San José by approximately 244,000 metric tons 1 The original Climate Smart San José plan can be accessed here:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/32171/636705720690400000 2 CalRecycle. 2025. “California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy.” Available at:
https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp
T&E COMMITTEE: 10/06/25
ITEM: (d)2.

TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 15, 2025
Subject: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element

of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. In 2021, Environmental Services Department (ESD)-managed solid waste and recycling programs diverted 63 percent of waste from landfills. By implementing zero waste strategies, the City aims to reach 82 percent diversion from landfills by 2030 and 96 percent diversion from landfills by 2050.

City Council (Council) approval of the proposed ZWE would allow staff to proceed with ZWE implementation and formally incorporate its strategies and metrics into the Climate Smart plan during the next plan update. As outlined in the original Climate Smart plan, updates to the plan are intended to follow the Envision San José 2040 General Plan’s (General Plan’s) four-year review cycle. This approval would also confirm the City’s support for the ZWE’s goals and actions, without changing the City’s General Plan.

BACKGROUND
In 2008, the City adopted its Zero Waste Strategic Plan and established a goal of zero waste by 2022, becoming one of the first cities in the nation to do so. In San José, zero waste is defined as landfilling no more than 10 percent of waste. This standard recognizes that there will continue to be some materials, including legacy materials generated in prior decades (such as treated wood and asbestos), that must be landfilled at the end of their useful life. In February 2018, Council approved the Climate Smart plan, with specific goals and milestones to reduce communitywide GHG emissions in alignment with the 2016 Paris Agreement, designed to prevent global temperatures from rising by more than 2ºC (or 3.6ºF), which includes milestones to significantly reduce GHG emissions by 2050. Climate Smart focuses on three targeted climate action areas - mobility, energy, and water – and the associated quality of life cobenefits. In 2019, the City declared a “climate emergency.” In November 2021, Council adopted a resolution to work towards communitywide carbon neutrality by 2030, and in June 2022 approved the Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 to further focus staff’s efforts and accelerate work towards this new goal. Council approved the addition of a Natural Working Lands Element to the Climate Smart plan in April 2023.

The Climate Smart plan identified solid waste as a topic for further study. The ZWE proposes a roadmap to reduce solid waste-related GHG emissions and reduce material to landfills, and serves as an update to the 2008 Zero Waste Strategic Plan. This work aligns with efforts at the state level to address zero waste in the context of climate change. California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is working with a contractor to identify gaps in its existing programs and develop a comprehensive statewide Zero Waste Plan to move California away from a single-use economy to a fully circular and zero waste economy. CalRecycle is expected to publish its Zero Waste Plan in 2026.

Climate Smart staff conduct periodic estimates of GHG emissions resulting from activities in San José (communitywide GHG inventories) to provide a benchmark for San José’s progress towards its carbon neutrality goal. The communitywide GHG

TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 15, 2025
Subject: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element

inventories (most recently completed for 20233 and previously conducted 2008, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2021 inventories) help the City to evaluate the impact of its initiatives and programs. In the 2023 communitywide GHG inventory, solid waste accounted for 8 percent of total communitywide GHG emissions. The 2023 inventory informed the 2025 update to the Climate Smart plan, which aims to ensure the City’s climate strategies remain targeted, up-to-date and identify areas where adjustments or new approaches are needed. The strategies identified in the proposed ZWE can contribute to the City’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 while also providing valuable co-benefits such as preventing waste and reducing climate impacts associated with production and transportation of goods before they are managed as waste.

ANALYSIS
Zero Waste Element Development Process
ESD staff, in coordination with consultants, Ruth Abbe and Associates and Cascadia Consulting Group, developed the ZWE in three stages: first, a technical analysis leading to a draft ZWE; second, community and stakeholder engagement; and third, this updated proposed ZWE to align with the City’s 2021 community wide GHG inventory and to reflect new legislation leading to the final, proposed ZWE. The 2021 community wide GHG inventory was utilized for the analysis since that was the most current information available at the time. These stages are detailed further below.

In the first stage of work, from 2020 to 2023, ESD staff and consultants worked to define the scope of the ZWE, assess the City’s net GHG emissions resulting from the solid waste sector, and to reevaluate the prioritization of the City’s zero waste strategies. The analysis also included the effects of changing waste regulations on City programs, and local reuse potential and infrastructure related to solid waste and landfill capacity.

Consultants utilized data collected during the first stage to create a draft ZWE, which was further refined by City staff. The ZWE focuses only on ESD-managed solid waste programs and services for the following sectors: residential, commercial, construction & demolition, and City facilities. This scope was chosen because the ZWE serves as an update to the 2008 Zero Waste Strategic Plan, and the City has direct control over these areas. Conversely, sectors like schools, colleges, jails, self-hauled materials, encampment trash, illegal dumping, and litter were excluded from the analysis due to limited City influence or concurrent efforts to address these issues.

In the second stage of work, ESD Staff conducted a series of outreach and engagement events from January 17, 2024, to February 11, 2024. This was done to ensure the ZWE accurately reflected the priorities and concerns of the community. This included a 3 2023 Inventory of Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/122510/638866287441830000

TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 15, 2025
Subject: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element

community survey, a community meeting, and an online open house, where over 200 community members provided feedback.

City staff sent invitations to the community meeting directly to representatives of neighborhood associations, business associations and community-based organizations.

Information on the survey and how to participate in the meetings and provide feedback through the online open house portal was also shared publicly on the City website and in social media posts by ESD.

In the third stage of work, which occurred in 2024 and early 2025, ESD, in coordination with the third-party consultant, Cascadia Consulting Group, updated the draft ZWE. The update incorporated community feedback regarding priority strategies, revised GHG estimates associated with each strategy, and incorporated information on new California legislation regarding single-use packaging and single-use plastic food ware.

The project team then conducted three separate analyses to understand the potential of each zero waste strategy to divert waste from landfill and thereby lead to GHG emissions reductions. First, an emissions analysis showed total waste-related GHG emissions from City-managed waste programs. The project team gathered activity data and then calculated San José’s waste-related GHG emissions associated with landfill, composting, and anaerobic digestion. Next, an avoided emissions analysis specified the total GHG emissions reductions achieved if the ZWE’s diversion goals are met. Finally, a diversion potential forecast revealed the amount of waste diverted and the associated GHG emissions reductions by strategy, if the strategies are implemented to an extent that meets the ZWE’s diversion goals.

Structure and Impact of the Proposed ZWE
The proposed ZWE includes goals, strategies, milestones, and supportive City actions for reducing the GHG emissions associated with solid waste while aligning with the City’s General Plan. It follows the Zero Waste Hierarchy (shown in Figure 1 below) by focusing first on rethinking and redesigning systems, then reducing, and finally reusing items to prevent waste. Within this framework, staff also considered four key factors to guide zero waste strategy development:

1. Support state efforts to reduce methane emissions from compostable materials in landfills.

2. Minimize disposal to preserve landfill capacity.

3. Prevent waste to address the climate and waste impacts associated with production and transportation of goods before they are managed as waste.

4. Provide racially equitable, inclusive, and culturally competent services.

TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 15, 2025
Subject: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element

Figure 1: Zero Waste Hierarchy
The proposed ZWE lays out 13 broad City-led zero waste strategies (Figure 2) that reflect all areas of the Zero Waste Hierarchy besides destructive disposal. It also includes three foundational strategies – community engagement, materials characterization, and research & development – which underpin all other strategies.

Destructive disposal was not included as it is the least favorable waste management solution and does not support the City’s zero waste goal.

Figure 2: The Element’s Zero Waste Strategies

TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 15, 2025
Subject: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element

The analysis in the proposed ZWE shows that the ZWE strategies could reduce GHG emissions by approximately 244,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per year.

Role of the City and Next Steps
If approved by Council, the goals, strategies, milestones, and supportive City actions in the proposed ZWE will be incorporated into the Climate Smart plan during the next plan update and, as with the other Climate Smart plan goals, the City would be supporting the advancement of goals associated with the ZWE.

Climate Smart San José Analysis
The proposed ZWE supports the goals of Climate Smart San José. Its strategies to reach zero waste are expected to:
 Reduce net GHG emissions associated with disposal of solid waste  Reduce energy or water use consumption, or increases in demand for renewable energy

EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Staff will provide progress updates to the Transportation and Environment Committee and/or Council as part of the Climate Smart San José updates.

COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS
Approval of the ZWE will not result in any immediate City funding needs. As indicated in the ZWE, it is aligned with the General Plan and staff will typically play a supportive role to further its goals by providing recommendations to residents and businesses. Staff may seek grants or present budget proposals in alignment with ZWE initiatives in future budget processes.

COORDINATION
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, the City Manager’s Budget Office, and the Department of Energy.

PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the Council Agenda website for the October 6, 2025 Transportation and Environment Committee meeting.

TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
September 15, 2025
Subject: Climate Smart San José Zero Waste Element

Staff shared the draft ZWE with community stakeholders through a series of outreach and engagement events from January 17, 2024, to February 11, 2024. This included a community survey, a community meeting, and an online open house. Invitations to the community meeting were sent directly to representatives of neighborhood associations, business associations and community-based organizations. Information on the survey and how to participate in the meetings and provide feedback through the online open house portal was also shared publicly on the City website and in social media posts by ESD.

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
On November 21, 2024, the Climate Advisory Commission received a briefing on the Zero Waste Element. The Commission did not take formal action on the item.

CEQA
Exempt, File No. PP17-001, Statutory Exemption for feasibility and planning studies with no commitment to future actions. This Zero Waste Element identifies strategies to meet the City of San José’s Climate Smart goals, but there is no commitment to future actions or approvals of projects.

PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution. /s/
Jeff Provenzano
Director, Environmental Services
For questions, please contact Valerie Osmond, Deputy Director, Integrated Waste Management, at [email protected] or (408) 535-8557.

ATTACHMENT
Zero Waste Element
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 1
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ
Zero
Waste
Element
Updated April 2025
Attachment
2 All of us together
can make ZERO
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 3
Message from Jeff Provenzano,
Director of Environmental
Services
Let’s not throw
away this
opportunity
How does San José become a zero-waste city?
It takes effort from
every resident, business,
stakeholder, and City
organization to help make
San José a zero-waste city.

As you know, the world
has limited resources and
sending items to landfill
wastes valuable resources.

Like its parent document,
Climate Smart San José,
this Zero Waste Element
highlights what we, as a City,
along with the community,
can do to lower carbon
emissions that contribute to
climate change. Specifically,
this Element focuses on
reducing waste and finding
alternatives to disposal.

The key to meeting zerowaste goals is to move away
from efforts that make a
person’s day difficult and
link waste reduction to the
good life that includes more
experiences, emphasizes
a better community,
and makes life easier for
everyone.

Through design, our
current waste collection
programs do a great job of
preventing most waste from
going to landfill, but there
is still much work to do and
opportunities to leverage
that can make a difference.

This Element includes
actions that are innovative,
cost-effective, and inclusive.

Implementing the actions
in this Element is only part
of an ongoing effort to
work with our residents,
businesses, and City to meet
our sustainability goals.

We look forward to having
you participate in this effort
and appreciate your ideas
and contributions.

Jeff Provenzano
Director, Environmental
Services Department
City of San José
4 Contributing
Authors
Jeff Provenzano
Director,
Environmental Services
Department
Kerrie Romanow (retired)
Chief Sustainability Officer
Director,
Environmental Services
Department
Environmental Services Staff
Anne Balis
Julie Benabente
Nora Cibrian
Ngan Doan
Mathew Dorfman
Michael Gonzales
Shikha Gupta
Hannah Greenberg
Yael Kisel
Jorge Luna
Omar Numair
Sharon Newton (retired)
Valerie Osmond
Megha Prakash
Lauren Romanazzi
Alyssa Rice-Wilson
Ria Varghese
Kathryn Walsh
Consultant Team
Ruth Abbe, Abbe &
Associates LLC
Environmental Science
Associates
Randall Russell, WSP
HDR Engineering, Inc.

Edited by Cascadia
Consulting Group
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 5
6 Acronyms and
Definitions
CALGreen: California green
building code.

California Department of
Resources Recycling and
Recovery (CalRecycle):

The state department
that oversees California’s
waste reduction and waste
management programs.

Carbon Neutrality: Net zero
greenhouse gas emissions
within a given year from fuel
use, grid-supplied energy,
and treatment of waste.1
Construction & demolition
(C&D) waste: Waste from
construction processes,
which is not typically sent to
landfill.

City of San José (City): The
San José city government.

City facilities: Buildings
and other locations owned
and managed by the City,
including offices, parks, and
public buildings.
1 City of San José to Pledge Carbon Neutrality by 2030 | News List | City of San José (sanjoseca.gov) Climate Smart San José
(Climate Smart): The City’s
communitywide initiative
to address climate change.2
This Zero Waste Element
is a component of Climate
Smart.

Commercial waste
commodities: Solid waste
collected from commercial
facilities, including sourceseparated recycling
(“customized”), sourceseparated organics (“wet”),
and non-organic garbage
(“dry”).

Compostable materials:

Materials typically accepted
for use in industrial compost
or digestion systems.

Consumption: The process
of obtaining and using
goods and services.

Diversion: The process of
directing materials away
from landfill or incineration
by recycling, composting, or
other organics processing.
2 Climate Smart San José. Available at: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/ environmental-services/climate-smart-san-jos
Environmental Services
Integrated Waste
Management Division
(IWM): The City Division that
oversees garbage collection,
recycling, and innovative
programs to enhance quality
of life in San José.

Greenhouse gas (GHG): A
type of heat-trapping gas
that warms the atmosphere
and causes climate change,
such as carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), and nitrous
oxide (N2O). Greenhouse
gases are released during
the combustion of fossil
fuels and during some
organic processes, such
as the decay of organic
material in an environment
containing little to no
oxygen.

Legacy materials: Materials
generated in prior decades
that must be landfilled
at the end of their useful
life (such as treated wood
and asbestos from existing
buildings).

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 7
Materials Recovery
Facility (MRF): A solid
waste management plant
that receives, separates,
and prepares recyclable
materials for marketing to
end-user manufacturers.

Metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent
(MTCO2e): A way of
describing emissions of a
gas based on its climate
change-causing potential.

Paris Climate Agreement:

An international agreement
to take action on climate
change adopted by 196
countries and cities at
Conference of the Parties
(COP) 21 in Paris, on
December 12, 2015.

Plastic Pollution Prevention
and Packaging Producer
Responsibility Act (SB 54):

This California state law,
passed in 2022, sets
standards for single-use
packaging and plastic
food serviceware items to
ensure that these items
are effectively recycled or
composted. It also creates
a requirement to reduce
plastic single-use packaging
and plastic food serviceware.

These goals are to be met
through an extended
producer responsibility
(EPR) program, which shifts
the burden for responsibly
managing materials at the
end of their useful life from
local governments to the
producers of the materials.
3 ZWIA “Zero Waste Definition.” 2018. Available at: https://zwia.org/zero-waste-definition/ Problem materials:

Materials that do not have a
viable market for recycling
or composting. Examples
include painted or treated
wood and composite
materials (items made up of
two or more material types,
such as sporting equipment,
solar panels, and plasticlined envelopes)
Recyclable materials:

Materials for which recycling
technologies, programs, and
markets are well developed,
readily available, and
currently utilized.

Renewable: Any material or
energy source that can or
will be replenished naturally
in the course of time.

Solid waste: Discarded
materials disposed of in
landfills and incinerators.

Sustainable harvesting: A
method of harvesting that
provides a constant supply
of resources throughout
the landscape, with future
resource yields unaffected
or improved by current
harvesting methods.

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA): The national
agency tasked with
overseeing environmental
protection programs and
regulations.

Zero waste: 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.3 To reach
zero waste, San José aims to
reach 90 percent diversion
from landfills by 2050.

Zero Waste International
Alliance (ZWIA): An
international group that
sets forth internationally
recognized zero waste
standards, policies, and best
practices for communities
and businesses.
8 00 Executive Summary 11
Zero Waste is Part of the Climate Solution 12
Plan Structure 14
Roadmap of Strategies 15
Recommended Actions 16
01 Plan Development 21
Overview 22
Climate Smart San José 23
Other Plans and Policies 25
Zero Waste Hierarchy 30
Key Factors Considered in Strategy Development 31
How Community Feedback Shaped this Element 34
02 Programs and Leadership to Date 37
Overview 38
San José Integrated Waste Management Programs 38
Metrics 47
03 Zero Waste Strategies 51
Overview 52
Zero Waste Strategies 54
Metrics and Targets 66
Future Zero Waste Solutions 67
04 Resident and Business Zero
Waste Playbook 69
Overview 70
Resident Playbook on Zero Waste 70
Business Playbook on Zero Waste 72
05 Technical Appendix 75
A-1 Key California Waste Legislation 77
A-2 Bay Area Basin-Wide Methane Strategy 89
A-3 10-Year Waste Management Plan Options 99
A-4 Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Waste Diversion
Estimates Methodology 115
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 9
Table of
Contents
Tables
Table 1. Projected C40 Targets 27
Table 2. California Waste Reduction and Diversion Policies 28 Table 3. Projected Metrics and Progress Milestones 66
Figures
Figure 1. Zero Waste Hierarchy 12
Figure 2. Approximate Yearly MTCO2e Reductions 13
Figure 3. Zero Waste Strategies and Impacts 15
Figure 4. Climate Smart Pillars and Strategies 23
Figure 5. Estimated MTCO2e Emission Reductions 24
Figure 6. Zero Waste Hierarchy Components 30
Figure 7. Residential Program Material Flow 40
Figure 8. Commercial Program Material Flow 43
Figure 9. Generation and Diversion Rates 47
Figure 10. San José Calendar Year 2019 Baseline Diversion and Disposal Tons and Diversion Rate by Sector 48
Figure 11. Disposal of Compostable and Recyclable Materials in San José and Statewide 49
Figure 12. San José Zero Waste Element Strategies 53
10 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 11
00 Executive
Summary
12 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Zero Waste is Part of
the Climate Solution
The City of San José (City)
has long been a leader
in zero waste, providing
cutting-edge programs to
its residents and businesses
and investing in innovative
technology solutions.

This Zero Waste Element
(Element) looks at zero waste
through the lens of Climate
Smart San José (Climate
Smart), the City’s climate
action plan aligned with the
Paris Climate Agreement
(Paris Agreement).

The Zero Waste Element
is designed to supplement
the strategies in Climate
Smart by mitigating the
climate impacts of solid
waste (discarded materials
disposed of in landfills
and incinerators) and
consumption (the use
of goods and services by
residents, businesses, City
operations, and others).

San José is prioritizing
programs to reduce waste,
which is at the top of the
zero-waste hierarchy (see
Zero Waste Strategies and
Figure 1). Therefore, the
City has set goals both
to reduce the amount of
waste that is sent to landfills
and to reduce the
overall amount of waste
generated in San José.

Strategies are based on
the hierarchy and contain
a foundational category
that supports all levels of
the hierarchy.

Implementing new
zero waste strategies
will help the City reduce
waste and increase
diversion from landfill
disposal while contributing
to the City’s goal of carbon
neutrality by 2030. By
implementing the new zero
waste strategies in the Zero
Waste Element, the City
aims to reduce greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions
released in San José by
approximately 244,000
metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent (MTCO2
e)
per year (see Figure 2).

The strategies will also
reduce GHG emissions
associated with the
production, processing, and
transportation of goods that
are used and disposed of in
San José. Although these
lifecycle emissions are not
currently measured in San
José’s communitywide GHG
Figure 1. Zero Waste Hierarchy4
4 Zero Waste International Alliance. “Zero Waste Hierarchy.” Available at: https://zwia.org/zwh/ inventories, they make up a
significant proportion of the
total emissions associated
with goods and are critical to
address.

In 2021, the City-managed
solid waste and recycling
programs diverted 63
percent of waste from
landfills and residents
generated 0.8 tons of waste
per person per year. By
implementing zero waste
strategies, San José aims
to reduce generation to 0.7
tons per person per year
by 2030 and 0.5 tons per
person per year by 2050.

Through these strategies,
San José also aims to reach
82 percent diversion from
landfills by 2030 and 96
percent diversion from
landfills by 2050.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 13
Figure 2. Approximate Yearly MTCO2e Reductions5
5 U.S. EPA. 2023. “Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.” Available at: epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gasequivalencies-calculator.

The scope of this Element
is City-managed solid waste
programs and services
for the following sectors:
residential, commercial,
construction & demolition,
and City facilities. Waste that
is not managed through City
programs includes waste
from school and college
campuses, jails, self-hauled
materials, illegal dumping,
and litter. Schools, colleges
and jails typically have waste
services provided through
their own contractors,
and the City has limited
influence on these services.

Over the Zero Waste
Element planning
timeframe, The City will
pursue these focus areas
based on the zero-waste
hierarchy:
• Foundational strategies
support all other
strategies through
engagement, data
collection, and research.
• Rethink/Redesign
strategies reduce
lifecycle impacts of
goods by making
purchasing more
sustainable.
• Reduce strategies focus
on waste prevention to
decrease the amount
and toxicity of waste
generated.
• Reuse strategies extend
the life of reusable
materials and save
edible food to feed
hungry people.
• Recycle/Compost
strategies support and
expand systems to
keep materials in their
original production
loop and protect the
full usefulness of the
materials.
• Materials Recovery
strategies maximize
recovery of materials
from mixed waste after
source separation.

Source separation is
defined as the process of
sorting and separating
various types of waste
materials at their point
of origin.
14 Plan Structure
The Climate Smart San
José Zero Waste Element
consists of four chapters
outlining San José’s solid
waste system and strategies
to address climate change
and reduce the amount of
landfilled waste in San José.

1. Plan Development
provides a background
to the planning process,
including an introduction
to Climate Smart San José,
the City’s climate and
zero waste goals, current
state legislation, and key
factors considered in
the development of zero
waste strategies.

2. Programs and
Leadership to Date
describes San José’s waste
management programs
and leadership in the zerowaste field.

3. Zero-Waste Strategies
showcases the City’s
planned strategies to
make strides towards zero
waste across six focus
areas. It also outlines the
GHG emissions reduction
and waste diversion
potential of each strategy
and an overview of
innovative solutions that
are beyond the planning
horizon of this Element.

4. Community Playbooks
offer ideas to help
residents and businesses
better understand and
implement zero waste
initiatives.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 15
Roadmap of Strategies
The Element outlines
13 strategies and detailed
actions across six focus areas
that the City will implement
to reduce GHGs and make
strides toward zero waste.

The City expects that all
strategies will positively
impact the climate and
the City’s waste generation
and diversion goals.

Some strategies provide
a foundation for the City’s
other strategies, while others
create direct, quantifiable
benefits beyond the City’s
current diversion tons and
GHG emissions reductions.

Figure 3 presents the
six focus areas and their
associated strategies.

Numbers are rounded to
the nearest hundred. While
the total diversion tons and
emissions reductions may
not appear to equal the sum
of all parts, each figure is
rounded independently to
reflect the most accurate
whole number. Some
strategies do not have
quantified emissions
reductions or diversion tons
because they are supportive
of other strategies.

Figure 3. Zero Waste Strategies and Impacts
n
e,
e,
Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable Purchasing Citywide
Lead by Example
Food Waste Prevention
Surplus Food Recovery
Repair & Reuse
Construction & Demolition Recycling
Reduce Disposal of Compostable
Materials in Landfills
Recycling Market Development
Technology for Higher Diversion
Target
Annual
Diversion
Tons
Target
Annual
MTCO2e
Reduced
REDUCE

RECYCLE/

COMPOST

MATERIALS

RECOVERY
REUSE

RETHINK/REDESIGN
47,200
NA
NA
59,600
29,600
4,700
8,300
300
4,400
29,400
57,600
1,100
64,900
29,900
NA
NA
22,400
13,800
3,000
8,200
200
15,200
80,800
105,000
4,000
123,400
Annual Total 307,300 244,300
Community Engagement
Materials Characterization
Research & Development

FOUNDATIONAL
16 Recommended Actions
The table below lists the 31 recommended actions for the City to implement.

Recommendations are categorized as either short-term (implemented within 8 years or less) or long-term (planned to be implemented after 8 years). The 8-year timeframe aligns with current waste hauler contract lengths.

FOUNDATIONAL
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Community
Engagement
Design and implement education/behavior change
programs that identify and address barriers to
community waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

S
Community
Engagement
Build and maintain relationships with communitybased organizations and schools, particularly equity priority communities.

S
Community
Engagement
Create outreach materials and ensure that signage
and messaging are clear and appropriate for San
José’s diverse communities.

S
Community
Engagement
Evaluate the effectiveness of community programs by
collecting feedback from residents and businesses.

Integrate feedback into solid waste programs and
public outreach.

S
Materials
Characterization
Conduct regular waste characterization studies to
identify diversion opportunities and track progress
towards waste reduction goals.

S
Materials
Characterization
Evaluate and leverage waste characterization data to
design zero waste strategies, policies, and community
engagement initiatives.

S
Materials
Characterization
Evaluate and leverage waste data to inform collection,
processing, and disposal contracts. L
Materials
Characterization
Expand waste characterization, diversion and disposal
studies to assess programs services, operations and
improve zero waste strategies.

L
Materials
Characterization
Incorporate municipal solid waste management
best practices into collection, processing and hauler
contracts.

L
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 17
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Research and
Development
Support innovation by working with industry,
government, and educational partners on research,
development, and policies.

L
Research and
Development
Fund and implement pilots to find solutions to reduce
generation and disposal of problem materials and
items that are hard to reuse, recycle, or compost.

S
Research and
Development
Conduct research to inform future municipal
collection infrastructure requirements for new multiuse and high-density developments.L Research and
Development
Develop solid waste set-out guidelines that maximize
public right-of-way access for multi-modal transit and
collection vehicles.

L

RETHINK/REDESIGN
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Sustainable
Packaging
Build awareness about the impacts of SB 54 through
community campaigns. S
Sustainable
Packaging
Expand state-level efforts to reduce the impacts
of single-use plastics and plastic food serviceware
through pilots and promoting behavior change.

L
Sustainable
Purchasing
Citywide
Review purchase practices for City office supplies and
equipment. S
Sustainable
Purchasing
Citywide
Pilot the use of reusables within City operations and at community event. S
18 REDUCE
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Lead by Example
Generate support from residents and businesses for
zero waste programs by implementing pilot projects in
City operations.

S
Lead by Example Monitor and expand successful pilot projects in City operations; share successes with the community. L
Food Waste
Prevention
Reduce residential and commercial food waste
through citywide education and outreach campaigns. S
Food Waste
Prevention
Participate in research or programs led by Joint
Venture Silicon Valley to prevent food waste among
businesses and organizations.

S
REUSE
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Surplus Food
Recovery
Continue to enforce surplus food donation as required
under SB 1383. S
Surplus Food
Recovery
Improve equitable access to food by identifying and
addressing capacity limitations in the regional food
recovery system.

S
Surplus Food
Recovery
Explore a neighborhood gleaning program to donate
excess fruit from residential fruit trees to food recovery organizations.

S
Repair & Reuse Promote reuse, rental, and repair through online directories, material exchanges, and direct assistance. S Repair & Reuse Coordinate repair fairs and fix-it clinics in neighborhood centers and libraries. S
Repair & Reuse Expand refill opportunities for residents and businesses. S
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 19

RECYCLE/COMPOST
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Construction
& Demolition
Recycling
Explore new incentives and/or mandates to help
increase diversion at C&D facilities. S
Construction
& Demolition
Recycling
Based on findings, implement incentives and/or
mandates to promote resource recovery at C&D
facilities. Continue to explore opportunities to enhance the C&D program.

L
Reduce Disposal
of Compostable
Materials in
Landfills
Continue to enforce SB 1383 requirements that
minimize the disposal of compostable materials in
landfills.

S
Recycling
Market
Development
Support market and infrastructure development for
recycling commodities and continue to leverage the
City’s Recycling Market Development Zone program.

L

MATERIALS RECOVERY
Strategy Action
Short (S) or
Long (L) term
Technology for
Higher Diversion
Increase diversion by pursuing enhanced technology
upgrades in the City’s waste processing facilities. L
20 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 21
01 Plan
Development
22 PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Overview
This chapter provides
background on the
development of this
Zero Waste Element,
including context for the
City’s emphasis on waste
prevention. The strategies
presented in this Element
build on the zero waste
commitment that has
guided the City since 2008.

They also reflect the City’s
multiple commitments to
take ambitious action to
address climate change.

Specifically, this chapter
discusses:
• Climate Smart San
José, the overarching
planning effort that this
Element will support.
• Other plans and
policies that shaped
the development of this
Element, including the
City’s Zero Waste Goal,
the City’s commitment
to the C40 Cities
Advancing Zero Waste
Declaration, and state
policies related to
climate and waste
management.
• The Zero Waste
Hierarchy, which is
the primary material
sustainability framework
the City uses to
emphasize waste
prevention.
• Key factors considered
in developing zero
waste strategies for this
Element.
• A summary of
community feedback
received throughout
the planning process
and how input shaped
the final contents of the
Element.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 23
Climate Smart San José
With the adoption of
Climate Smart in 2018,
San José joined 392 other
cities across the U.S. that
promised to honor and
uphold the Paris Agreement.

Climate Smart set ambitious
goals for energy, water,
transportation, and local
jobs.

In 2019, San José
joined nearly 1,000 local
governments across 18
countries to declare a
Climate Emergency. As part
of the declaration, San José
committed to prioritizing
efforts to become a
zero-waste city. Then, in
November 2021, the San
José City Council passed
a resolution to achieve
carbon neutrality by 2030.

As a result, the Zero Waste
Element was created as an
update to the Climate Smart
plan and the City developed
the Pathway to Carbon
Neutrality by 2030, which
recommends focused and
accelerated Climate Smart
strategies. The Element
supports these goals by
presenting strategies
to mitigate the climate
impacts of solid waste.

The Element will be
integrated into Climate
Smart as a new strategy in
Pillar 3 (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Climate Smart Pillars and Strategies
Pillar 1
A Sustainable &
Climate Smart
City
Transition to a
renewable
energy future
PILLARS of what
residents want
Climate
and water

STRATEGIES
Densify our city
to accommodate
our future
neighbors
Create clean,
personalized
mobility choices
Create local jobs
in our city to
reduce vehicle
miles traveled
Make
commercial
goods movement
clean and
efficient
Embrace our
Californian
climate
Make homes
efficient and
affordable for
our families
Develop
integrated,
accessible public
transport
infrastructure
Improve our
commercial
building stock
Achieve
Zero
Waste
Pillar 2
A Vibrant Cit of
Connected &
Focused Growth
Pillar 3
An Economically
Inclusive City of
Opportunity

1.1 2.1 2.3 3.1 3.3

1.2 Protect and
Expand Natural
and Working
Lands

1.3 2.2 2.4 3.2 3.4
24 Meeting Paris Agreement Requirements
By implementing
the waste prevention
and diversion strategies
identified in the Element,
San José aims to reduce
GHG emissions within
the City by approximately
155,000 MTCO2e by 2030
and 244,000 MTCO2e per
year by 2050 (see Figure
5). The predicted emission
reductions resulting from
San José Climate Smart’s
10 Strategies are shaded in
blue, purple, and orange
and the predicted emission
reductions resulting from
the Zero Waste Element
are highlighted in green.

Together, these measures
will lead the City along a
Paris Agreement-aligned 2ºF
pathway.

Figure 5. Estimated MTCO2e Emission Reductions
Baseline Paris-compliant 2°C pathway California AB32 (EO-S-3-05 and EO-B-30-15) Natural and Working
Lands Element
contribution

1.3 1.1
Densify our city to
accommodate our
future neighbors

2.1 Provide affordable,
efficient homes for
our families

2.2 Create clean,
personalized
mobility choices

2.3 Provide high-quality,
accessible public
transit infrastructure

2.4 Create local jobs
in our city to
reduce VMT

3.1 Improve our
commercial
building stock

3.2 Make commercial
goods movement
clean and efficient
Transition to a
renewable energy
future

3.3 1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
2030
2032
2034
2036
2038
2042
2040
2044
2046
2048
2050

0.0 CITYWIDE EMISSIONS
Millions of carbon dioxide equivalent per year (MtC02=2e/yr)

10.0 8.0

6.0 4.0

2.0 1.1

2.4 2.3

2.2 2.1

3.3 3.2

3.1 Meeting Paris Requirements
ZWE
ZWE

1.3 Zero Waste Element
contribution to meeting
the Paris Agreement
(~244 Thousand MTCO2e
in 2050)
Climate Smart GHG Reduction Strategies
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 25
Other Plans and Policies
San José’s Zero Waste Goal
In 2008, San José adopted
its Zero Waste Strategic Plan
and established a goal of
zero waste, becoming one of
the first cities in the nation
to do so. San José embraces
the aspirational goal of
zero waste and recognizes
the internationally peerreviewed definition of zero
waste, developed by the
Planning Group of the Zero
Waste International Alliance
(ZWIA) in 2004.6
Zero waste starts
with reducing waste by
rethinking and redesigning
to fully reduce the climate,
health, and other impacts
associated with solid waste.
6 ZWIA. 2018. “Zero Waste Definition.” Available at: https://zwia.org/zero-waste-definition/.

What cannot be prevented
should be accounted for
through reuse, diversion,
and recovery, with landfill
disposal as a last resort.

Recognizing that there
will continue to be some
materials, including legacy
materials generated in prior
decades (such as treated
wood and asbestos), that
must be landfilled at the
end of their useful life, San
José’s performance measure
for zero waste is 90 percent
diversion from landfills.

San José defines zero
waste as: Promoting the
highest and best use of
materials to eliminate
waste and pollution, with
the ultimate goal of
reducing waste
generation by more than
90 percent. Zero waste
entails shifting
consumption patterns,
more carefully managing
purchases, and
maximizing the reuse of
materials at the end of
their useful life. Ultimately,
it calls for the City,
residents, and businesses
to reevaluate what is
considered waste.
26 CASE STUDY:

Ashley Merz opened The
Source Zero, a zero waste
lifestyle store in downtown
San José, in 2018.

Her shop provides
household, clothing, and
body care products with
many refillable and reusable
options (instead of singleuse disposables). It offers
workshops, speakers, and
do-it-yourself classes.

The store represents an
independent way of
sourcing materials, products,
and goods. Ashley also
supports other womenowned small businesses by
offering their products for
sale.
“It can be difficult to go
completely zero waste...
but it’s not about going
completely zero waste
or being perfect. It’s
about each small action
that a person can take.

One small action leads
to another and then
another.”
- Ashley Merz
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 27
C40 Cities Advancing Toward Zero Waste Declaration
In 2018, San José joined
other international leaders
in zero waste to define
specific milestones and
commitments by joining as
a signatory to the C40 Cities
Advancing Toward Zero
Waste Declaration. San José
was one of the 23 pioneering
cities and regions that
committed to significantly
cutting the amount of waste
they generate, accelerating
them on the path toward
zero waste.

The City committed to:

1. Reducing waste
generation per capita by
at least 15 percent by 2030
compared to 2015; and

2. Reducing the amount
of materials disposed
of in landfills by at least
50 percent by 2030
compared to 2015, and
increasing the diversion
rate away from landfill
to at least 70 percent by
2030.

The Zero Waste
Element builds on these
commitments and identifies
the policies, programs, and
infrastructure needed to
achieve these goals. By
implementing the policies
and programs highlighted
in this Element, San José
is expected to exceed C40
targets in 2030 and establish
new leadership levels for
2040 and 2050 (see Table 1).

Table 1. Projected C40 Targets
Target
2021
2030
(Projected)
2040
(Projected)
2050
(Projected)
Generation
Tons Per Capita 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5
Landfill
Disposal Tons 315,000 157,000 78,500 31,400
Diversion Rate 63% 82% 91% 96%
Carbon
Emissions from
Waste Sector
(MTCO2e)
248,000 124,000 62,000 25,000
28 California State Laws
Recognizing the urgency
of the climate crisis and the
need to act boldly to protect
California’s future, the
California State Legislature
has passed several pieces
of legislation to reduce
GHG emissions by reducing
waste and increasing
recycling and composting
statewide. Most of these
bills have requirements that
are implemented at the
local level. The strategies
outlined in this Element
account for and leverage
state regulations, and the
City will assist its residents
and businesses in complying
with state requirements.

For example, the zero waste
strategies of community
engagement, surplus food
recovery, and food waste
prevention will support the
City and its residents in
meeting the requirements
of California’s Short-Lived
Climate Pollutant Reduction
Law (Senate Bill 1383).

Table 2 presents existing
statewide policies related
to waste reduction and
diversion.

Table 2. California Waste Reduction and Diversion Policies 2011Mandatory Commercial Recycling (Assembly Bill 341) Establishes a statewide goal of 75 percent source reduction, recycling, and composting by 2020. Requires large commercial generators and multifamily complexes to recycle. 2014
Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (Assembly Bill 1826) Requires large commercial generators and multifamily complexes to divert organics from landfill by subscribing to collection service, managing organics on-site, or selfhauling organics to a processing facility. 2016
Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction (Senate Bill 1383) Establishes targets to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the statewide disposal of compostable materials waste from the 2014 level by 2020. It also aims to accomplish a 75 percent reduction by 2025, and establishes an additional target that not less than 20 percent of currently disposed of edible food is recovered for human consumption by 2025.
2019Customer Access to Recycling (Assembly Bill 827)
Requires businesses, public entities, and schools to provide recycling and compostable materials containers adjacent to garbage containers. 2022
Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Senate Bill 54)
Establishes a statewide goal that by 2032, all single-use packaging and single-use plastic foodware will be recyclable or compostable. It also creates goals for 65% of single-use plastic packaging and single-use plastic foodware to be recycled by 2032, and 25% of single-use plastic packaging and single-use plastic foodware to be source reduced by 2032.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 29
Appendix A-1 includes an
expanded description of
the Mandatory Commercial
Organics Recycling Law
(Assembly Bill 1826), the
Short-Lived Climate
Pollutant Reduction
Law (Senate Bill 1383),
the Plastic Pollution
Prevention and Packaging
Producer Responsibility
Act (Senate Bill 54), and
the requirements for
implementation of these
programs.

Appendix A-2 describes
the requirements of a key
regional strategy, the Bay
Area Basin-Wide Methane
Strategy, which was
developed to reduce the
region’s methane emissions
in support of the California
Air Resource Board’s
methane reduction goal (40-
45 percent below current
levels by 2030). The Bay
Area Basin-Wide Methane
Strategy focuses on limiting
emissions from significant
methane releases, including
regional landfills, through a
proposed set of rules.
30 Zero Waste Hierarchy
The zero waste hierarchy, created by the Zero Waste International Alliance (Figure 1 and Figure 6), describes a progression of policies, programs, and infrastructure to support the development of a zero waste system, from highest and best to lowest use of materials. The components of the hierarchy are presented in more detail in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Zero Waste Hierarchy Components

ZERO WASTE
HIERARCHY Recovery
Disposal Prevention
Design and purchase products/
materials from reused, recycled or
sustainably-harvested renewable, nontoxic materials to be durable, repairable, reusable, fully recyclable or compostable,
and easily disassembled.

Minimize quantity and toxicity of
materials used.

Maximize reuse of materials and products.

Support and expand systems to maintain the
circular flow of materials to preserve their full
usefulness and ensure their continued utility.

MATERIALS RECOVERY: Maximize materials
recovery from mixed waste processing and after
source separation.

RESIDUALS MANAGEMENT: Examine materials that remain
and use this information to refine the systems to rethink, reduce, reuse, and recycle in order to prevent further discards.

DESTRUCTIVE DISPOSAL: Landfill or incineration.

REDUCE

RECYCLE/

COMPOST
REUSE

RETHINK/REDESIGN
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 31
The Zero Waste Element
of Climate Smart includes
the first five focus areas of
the zero waste hierarchy,
as well as a “Foundational”
focus area with strategies
that support all of the
levels of the zero waste
hierarchy, except disposal.

This Element does not
include disposal, which is
the least favorable waste
management solution and
does not support the City’s
zero waste goal.

Key Factors Considered in Strategy Development
In developing the
strategies in the Element,
the City evaluated its tenyear waste management
options and considered
additional sustainable
solid waste management
systems. These are described
in Appendix A-3. The
strategies constitute the
best available approaches
for reducing waste and
maximizing recovery in
order to achieve GHG
emissions reductions..

Within this framework
and in concert with existing
waste management plans
and policies, the City
considered four key factors
to guide zero waste strategy
development.

The factors are described
as follows:

1. Support state efforts
to reduce methane
emissions from
compostable materials
in landfills: Align with
state efforts to prevent
food waste, rescue food,
and improve composting
rates.

2. Minimize disposal
to preserve landfill
capacity: Reduce waste
generation and improve
diversion rates to preserve
nearby landfill capacity for
hard- to-recycle materials
and legacy materials in
the next few decades.

3. Prevent waste to address
lifecycle impacts:

Emphasize strategies that
reduce waste generation
to avoid the climate and
waste impacts associated
with production and
transportation of goods
before they are managed
as waste. It is important for
San José to support efforts
to reduce solid wasteassociated GHG emissions
that occur beyond the
city’s boundaries given
their connection to our
community.

4. Build on the Inclusivity
of Climate Smart San
José: Provide racially
equitable, inclusive, and
culturally competent
services.

Support state efforts to reduce methane emissions from compostable materials in landfills
Compostable materials
disposed of in landfills
contribute the largest share
of GHG emissions associated
with waste generated
within the city. When they
decompose in landfills,
compostable materials
release methane, a powerful
GHG.

According to CalRecycle,
compostable materials
waste in landfills accounts
for approximately 20 percent
of the methane emissions
32 in California.7 One ton of
methane in the atmosphere
has over 80 times the
warming impact of one
ton of carbon dioxide for
20 years after it’s released,
making it a particularly
7 CalRecycle. 2023. “California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy.” Available at: https://calrecycle. ca.gov/organics/slcp/.
destructive GHG.

State legislation (SB 1383)
recognizes the outsized
climate impacts of disposing
of compostable materials
and sets targets to recover
edible food and divert
compostable materials
from landfill. Several of the
zero waste strategies in
this Element support this
legislation by minimizing
the disposal of compostable
materials in landfill.

Minimize disposal to preserve landfill capacity
The City aims to increase
diversion from landfill and
reduce waste generation
in part to conserve landfill
capacity throughout the
next few decades.

Several landfills within
Santa Clara County are
slated to close within the
next 15 to 35 years, including
Newby Island Sanitary
Landfill (estimated closure
date 2041), Guadalupe
Sanitary Landfill (estimated
closure date 2048), and
Kirby Canyon Recycling and
Disposal Facility (estimated
closure date 2059).

When these landfills
close, waste disposal costs
and GHG emissions will
likely increase significantly,
particularly due to the need
to transport waste at least 80
miles further to the nearest
landfill in Monterey County,
or beyond. Rethinking,
reducing, reusing, recycling,
composting, and recovering
as much waste as possible
will preserve local landfill
capacity for materials that
are impossible or impractical
to reuse, compost, or recycle.

Prevent waste to address lifecycle impacts
The City’s 2021 inventory
of community-wide GHG
emissions estimated
that the City’s solid waste
sector accounts for
approximately 6 percent
of citywide emissions. The
inventory’s estimate of
solid waste emissions is
based on tons of materials
diverted and disposed of
through the City’s zero
waste programs for the
residential, commercial, and
construction and demolition
(C&D) sectors.

However, this inventory
does not account for the full
lifecycle impacts of goods
and services – the impact
of materials and products
over the course of their
lifetimes, from creation
to disposal and eventual
decay.8 A significant portion
of GHG emissions and waste
impacts occurs during the
production and transport of
8 Rochester Institute of Technology. 2020. “What is life cycle assessment (LCA)?” Available at: https://www.rit.edu/ sustainabilityinstitute/blog/what-life-cycle-assessment-lca. 9 Oregon DEQ. 2021. “Waste Impact Calculator Web App.” Available at: https://rstudioconnect.deq.state.or.us/ content/706a4deb-f353-4d08-826d-85bf7856c154/.
goods and services, before
most items reach the city’s
borders.9
While the inventory
scope aligns with industry
standards, it is important
for San José to support
efforts to reduce solid waste
associated GHG emissions
that occur beyond the
inventory’s scope given
their connection to our
community.

San José is aligning its
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 33
goals with programs aimed
at waste prevention, which is
at the top of the zero waste
hierarchy, as envisioned
by both the United States
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and by the
California Department of
Resources Recycling and
Recovery (CalRecycle).

The hierarchy is a pyramid
showing which solid waste
strategies are the most
preferred (waste prevention)
and which should be
used only after trying all
other options (disposal).

For example, while waste
prevention through
repairing and buying less
clothing creates the most
environmental benefits,
reuse, such as donating
clothes to a thrift store, is a
solid second-best option.10
Some items have larger
lifecycle waste and climate
impacts than others, so
10 Oregon DEQ. 2023. “Waste Prevention and Reuse.” Available at: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/mm/pages/wasteprevention-and-reuse.aspx; U.S. EPA. 2023. “Reducing and Reusing Basics.” Available at: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/ reducing-and-reusing-basics.
11 Oregon DEQ. 2021. “Waste Impact Calculator Web App.” Available at: https://rstudioconnect.deq.state.or.us/ content/706a4deb-f353-4d08-826d-85bf7856c154/.
these items are a higher
priority for waste prevention.

The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality
has identified food waste,
textiles, electronic waste
(e-waste), and paper fiber
as items with relatively large
lifecycle costs.11 Strategies in
this Element will prioritize
these items for reduction
and recovery.

Build on the Inclusivity of Climate Smart San José
The City strives to center
equity within the zero waste
strategies in this Element.

Racial and social equity
is achieved when race or
social status can no longer
be used to predict life
outcomes, and everyone
can prosper and thrive.

As a process, it explicitly
prioritizes communities that
have been economically
deprived and underserved.

It establishes a practice for
creating psychologically safe
spaces for racial groups that
have been most negatively
impacted by policies and
practices.

The zero waste strategies
within this Element are
designed with these
equity principles in mind,
and provide specific
considerations for the City
to prioritize for equitable
implementation. In
alignment with these equity
values, the City strives
to achieve its ambitious
recycling and zero waste
goals across the city, while 1)
adapting engagement and
programmatic strategies
across diverse communities
in order to meet their
needs, 2) considering
ways to develop trust
and maintain culturally
sensitive communication,
and 3) working to
minimize any unintended
consequences of programs
by communicating with
impacted communities
through pilot programs
before city-wide
implementation of
programs.

In the interest of
language access and
equity in practice, the City
will continue to provide
communication materials
to the public in English,
Spanish, and Vietnamese
to reach San José’s diverse
community. Language
translations offered are
informed by socio-economic
data of the communities we
serve, and languages are
added as the community
need develops.
34 How Community Feedback Shaped this Element
To ensure the Element accurately reflects the priorities and concerns of the community, the City conducted a series of outreach and engagement events from January 17 to February 11, 2024. This included a community survey, a community meeting, and an online open house.

Engagement Opportunity Number of Participants Description Survey 73 respondents
A set of 21 questions about awareness and attitudes
toward recycling, composting, waste prevention,
and the critical barriers and motivators related to the strategies in the Element.

Community
meeting 10 participants
A 1.5-hour virtual meeting where participants
discussed which elements of the waste system
they understand and care about, and how they see
themselves in the Element.

Online
open house
114 comments and
5,051 site views
An opportunity for community members to provide
feedback on the full Element draft in their own time.

Community members indicated that preventing waste is very important to them (including 81% of survey takers) and said that they want to see the positive impacts of recycling in their communities. Their feedback shaped the contents of the Element, as described below.

Community Feedback Change to the Element
While some participants said that recycling
is easy, others said that there are some
community barriers to recycling in the city.

There is a call-out box in the
Community Engagement strategy
describing community barriers that the
City can design programs to address.

Participants had ideas for community
education, such as reaching schools, community
events, and multifamily residences; improving
signage; ensuring low-income communities
have knowledge and resources to access waste
programs; and conducting education and
outreach around zero waste principles.

The Community Engagement strategy
names these community priorities as
considerations for future outreach and
engagement.

Participants requested more education around
food waste prevention and sustainable
eating.

The Food Waste Prevention strategy
notes that sustainable eating can be
part of education.

Participants said that they would be interested
in participating in fix-it clinics (74% of survey
takers) and suggested partnering with
organizations such as fix-it clinics, Second
Harvest Food Bank, and thrift stores.

The Surplus Food Recovery and Repair
& Reuse strategies name businesses
and organizations that the City will
explore partnerships with, including fixit clinics.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 35
36 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 37
02 Programs and
Leadership to
Date
38 programs and leadership to date
Overview
The City of San José
uses its innovative waste
management system and
extensive data collection to
understand the types and
sources of waste across the
city and the potential impact
of zero waste strategies.

The zero waste strategies in
this Element build on the
City’s successful and awardwinning programs and
prioritize materials that are
generated and disposed of
in the largest quantities by
key waste generators.

This chapter discusses:
• An overview of City waste
programs, including
residential, commercial,
C&D, and City facilities
programs.
• Data describing
recycling, composting,
and disposal rates and
the composition of
landfilled waste.

San José Integrated Waste Management Programs
The Environmental
Services Integrated Waste
Management (IWM) Division
oversees garbage collection,
recycling, and innovative
programs to enhance quality
of life. City staff administers
waste removal in San José,
managing contracts with
four residential haulers, a
commercial hauler, and an
anaerobic digestion facility
that serve more than 10,000
businesses, 216,000 singlefamily dwellings, 115,000
multi-family dwelling units,
and about 150 City facilities.

The agreements were
renegotiated in 2020 and
extended to 2032 for the
commercial hauler and 2036
for the residential haulers.

Through its service
providers, the City has
invested in recycling,
composting and anaerobic
digestion facilities that are
models for communities
across the state and around
the world. As the “Capitol
of Silicon Valley,” San José
is uniquely positioned
to take advantage of
technology innovations and
entrepreneurship. Several
state-of-the art processing
facilities are located in San
José and Santa Clara County,
including material recovery,
mixed waste processing,
composting, and anaerobic
digestion facilities, which
helps keep transportation
emissions low.

This section describes the
City’s four waste
management programs:
residential, commercial,
C&D, and City facilities. For
each one, it describes waste
collection, waste
management and
processing, and
engagement tactics.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 39
Residential
Collection of Residential Waste
All residences are
mandated by municipal
code to have garbage,
recycling, and yard
trimmings collection service.

Residential services for
single-family households
and multifamily complexes
include multiple programs
to incentivize and encourage
recycling and composting
over unnecessary disposal:
• The City of San José
utilizes a Pay-as-youthrow (PAYT) system,
first introduced in 1993.

Residents are charged
based on the amount
of garbage they throw
away, rather than a
fixed collection fee. This
provides a financial
incentive to recycle more
and generate less waste.

If single-family dwelling
residents occasionally
need more capacity, they
can purchase a garbage
sticker and leave an extra
bag of garbage next to
their cart.
• Residents are offered
unlimited recycling
and yard trimmings
collection. San José is
one of the only cities
nationwide that provides
weekly collection of
yard trimmings loose
on the street as part of
residents’ garbage fee.

This method allows for
large quantities of clean
material to be collected
and composted.
• Single-family dwelling
residents can order free
containers and place
used motor oil and
filters on the curb next
to carts for free pickup
and recycling.
40 Processing and Disposal of Residential Waste
The City sends all
recycling, yard trimmings,
and garbage collected
from residents to Materials
Recovery Facilities (MRFs)
that further sort the material
and maximize diversion
before the material goes to
landfill (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Residential Program Material Flow
Residential Program Material Flow
Recycle Garbage + Compostable Materials Yard Trimmings
Multi
family Single
family
Multi
family
Single
family
Recycling MRF Mixed Waste Processing MRF
Newby Island
Landfill
GreenWaste Z-Best
Compost Facility
◀ Residue
◀ Residue
◀ Residue
◀ Organics
Citywide
▶
◀ Citywide
Citywide ▶
Citywide ▶
Organic
Compost
Landscape
Compost
CO2 CH4
Recycling
Commodities
Recycling
Commodities
Uncontainerized
Containerized
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 41
Residential recycling is
processed at MRFs in San
José where commodities,
including glass, metal,
paper, and plastic, are
collected to be sold for
remanufacturing.

Yard trimmings
are processed at the
GreenWaste MRF, then
taken to the GreenWaste
Z-Best Composting Facility
in Gilroy, where the compost
is sold as a soil amendment
to landscapers and farmers.

Residential Garbage
is sorted at the
GreenWaste MRF. The
MRF uses technology and
manual labor to remove
compostable materials (food
scraps and compostable
paper) for composting at
the GreenWaste Z-Best
Composting Facility.

This process ensures all
residential garbage is sorted
and no waste materials
go directly to landfills for
disposal without first being
processed and recovered
when possible.

Outreach and Engagement for Residents
Residential program
staff have implemented
widespread public outreach
to educate residents
about effective recycling,
safe waste disposal, waste
reduction, local regulations,
and other topics. Residents
receive information from:
• The SanJoseRecycles.
org website, which
includes information
about what can be
recycled, videos and
detailed instructions
about how to recycle
right, frequently asked
questions, and a place
to sign up for the City’s
monthly e-newsletter.
• The City’s general
services and
information line (3-1-1).

Residents can use the
phone line, online portal,
or mobile phone app to
get up-to-the-minute
information on the City’s
programs and services.
• Collection service
providers’ websites and
customer service lines.

Collection and service
providers also provide
technical assistance to
multifamily complexes
through their websites
and customer service
lines.

In spring 2022, the
City partnered with
four communitybased organizations
to implement a major
public engagement
campaign. Its goals
were to direct residents
to SanJoseRecycles.
org to recycle right and
understand suggestions
for community
engagement moving
forward. The campaign
used communications
tactics including digital
ads, postcards, letters,
flyers at community
centers and libraries, bus
ads, bus shelter ads, radio
commercials, television
commercials, television
segments, videos, and
social media.
42 Commercial
Collection of Commercial Waste
Republic Services, an
exclusive franchise service
provider, operates the
commercial solid waste
collection system in San
José. This specialized
collection system consists
of three distinct waste
commodities: sourceseparated recycling
(“customized”), sourceseparated compostable
materials (“wet”), and noncompostable recycling and
garbage (“dry”). Businesses
are required to provide
accompanying indoor/
outdoor recycling and
compostable materials
containers alongside all
garbage containers, and
ensure proper separation of
recycling and compostable
materials through bin
inspection and education to
employees.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 43
Figure 8. Commercial Program Material Flow Commercial Program Material Flow “Wet” “Dry” “Customized”
GreenWaste Renewable
Energy Digestion Facility
Republic Services
Materials Recovery Facility Residue ▶
Residue ▶
◀ Residue
◀ Customized”
“Wet”
▶
“Dry”
◀
▶
Dry”
Direct Landfill ▶
Recycling
Commodities
Energy
GreenWaste Z-Best
Compost Facility
Organic
Compost
Landscape
Compost
Newby Island
Landfill
CO2 CH4
Residue ▶
The “wet” collection
service for compostable
materials includes food
waste, coffee grounds,
landscape waste, food and
drink soiled paper/fiber
products, and food soiled
napkins.

The “dry” collection
service includes recyclables
and everything not included
in the “wet” service.

The “customized”
option provides collection
service for source separated
recyclables.
44 Processing and Disposal of Commercial Waste
“Wet” material
is processed at the
GreenWaste Renewable
Energy Digestion Facility
in San José, the first largescale commercial dryfermentation anaerobic digestion facility in the
United States. This facility
produces clean, renewable
energy while simultaneously
producing a feedstock for
composting.

Some “dry” material and
all “customized” material
are processed at the Newby
Island Resource Recovery
Park in Milpitas.

Outreach and Engagement for Commercial Customers
The City and Republic
Services coordinate to
provide information
regarding waste prevention
to businesses using inperson and digital tactics.

Tactics include waste audits
and proactive outreach
visits to provide education
about waste reduction
and proper separation
of materials. Educational
materials distributed during
these visits include multilingual brochures, posters,
and quarterly postcards.

The City’s Business
Engagement Leads and
Republic’s Sustainability
Advisors work together to
perform direct outreach to
businesses, encouraging
them to increase diversion
and add “wet” (compostable
materials) and “customized”
(recycling) services.

Information about waste
reduction strategies is
also available digitally on
Republic’s San José-specific
website.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 45
Construction and Demolition (C&D)
The City manages
multiple non-exclusive
haulers for C&D collection
for new construction,
remodeling, and demolition
projects and residential
clean-outs. Businesses
and residents may choose
their own hauler from a list
of non-exclusive haulers
or can haul the material
themselves to City-certified
C&D recycling facilities.

These facilities can process
and recycle C&D debris.

In 2001, the City of San
José introduced the
Construction and
Demolition Diversion
Deposit (CDDD) Program to
incentivize building permit
holders to utilize Citycertified C&D recycling
facilities. The program then
evolved to respond to the
California Green Building
Code (CALGreen) Title 11
mandate: alongside the C&D
diversion deposit, which
mandates 50% diversion for
demolitions and alterations,
it incorporated a
requirement to divert 75% of
C&D waste from new
construction and tenant
improvements, aligning with
CALGreen. The CDDD
program acts as a bridge
connecting permit holders,
authorized C&D haulers, and
City-Certified C&D facilities
which include GreenWaste
Zanker Resource Recovery
Facility and Premier
Recycling Company,
pictured below.
46 City Facilities
Separate recyclables
collection is provided in all
City facilities. Yard trimmings
are also collected and
composted. Garbage from
City facilities and public litter
containers, on public rightsof-way, and in business
districts is sorted at the
GreenWaste MRF where
recyclable and compostable
materials are recovered.

With the exception of the
City’s corporation yards,
all mixed waste from Cityowned facilities is sorted
to ensure no recoverable
material goes directly to
landfill for disposal. E-waste,
including batteries and
all electronic devices, is
also collected from City
facilities and is sent to Santa
Clara County’s Hazardous
Household Waste Program.

The City-wide Surplus
Program allows for City staff
to donate any surplus items
(such as furniture and tools)
that could be useful to other
staff from City facilities. The
Surplus Program helps to
promote reuse of the
material, reduces the need
to purchase new items, and
extends products’ lifecycles.

To support the City’s
zero waste goals, the
Environmental Services
Department provides
assistance to other City
departments to increase
waste reduction and
recycling.
2022 City of San José City Council
Commendation
IWM Residential Program team and haulers
recognized for uninterrupted collection
service throughout the COVID pandemic
2017 California Resource Recovery
Association
Outstanding Practices in Venue/Event
Resource Recovery Award
2016 Keep America Beautiful National Community Improvement for Litter Improvement
2016 California’s Department of
Resources Recycling and Recovery
Best Outreach Focused on Non-English
Speakers
2015 Solid Waste Association of North
America
Environmental Innovation Center
Household Hazardous Waste Facility
2013 Governor’s Environmental &
Economic Leadership Commercial Waste Management System
2013 Solid Waste Association of North
America Commercial Waste Management System
2012 Green City Waste & Recycling News Residential Recycling Program 2009 California Resource Recovery
Association
San José Urban Compost Marketing
Program
Program Awards
San José has long been
a leader in sustainability
and zero waste and is at
the forefront of California
jurisdictions in program
innovation. The City has
been recognized for its
zero waste leadership at
the state and national
level and has won awards
for this leadership, as
listed below.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 47
Metrics
Diversion Rates
Figure 9. Generation and Diversion Rates
San José’s policies,
programs, and infrastructure
have contributed to the
City’s high diversion rates.

In 2021, 536,000 tons were
diverted from landfill
disposal through programs
managed by the City,
resulting in 50 percent
diversion. This number
does not include materials
delivered to landfills from
sources in San José that
are not directly managed
through City programs.

These sources include
schools, universities,
hospitals, and jails, which
have separate waste hauling
agreements and contractors.

Diversion rates are
typically expressed in the
percentage of diversion
from landfills using the
formula outlined in Figure 9.

Diversion
rate Total
Generation
Total
Diversion
Materials
Recovery Facility
Compost
Facility
Materials
Recovery Facility
Compost
Facility
Landfill
Total
Disposal Generation TotalDiversion
Materials
Recovery Facility
Compost
Facility
Landfill
48 Figure 10. San José Calendar Year 2021 Baseline Diversion and Disposal Tons and Diversion Rate by Sector
All City Programs
315,000 tons to landfill
536,000 tons diverted
851,000 tons generated
= Diverted (recovered
recycling and organics)
City Program Diversion
= Problem Materials (items that are
not compostable or recyclable)
= Compostable lost to landfill
= Recyclable lost to landfill
Landfill
KEY:
= 2,000 tons
29%
20%
51%
Landfill
Residential
126,000 tons to landfill
300,000 tons diverted
426,000 tons generated
70%
Diverted
3%
53%
44%
Landfill
Construction
& Demolition
78,000 tons to landfill
149,000 tons diverted
227,000 tons generated
66%
Diverted
54%
1%
45%
Landfill
Commercial
109,681 tons to landfill
80,000 tons diverted
189,000 tons generated
42%
Diverted
City Facilities
2,000 tons to landfill
7,000 tons diverted
9,000 tons generated
78%
Diverted
63%
Diverted
Diverted Landfill
23% 22% 55%
Diversion + Landfill (2021 Baseline Data)
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 49
Composition of Landfilled Waste
The City conducted
composition studies in 2019
to estimate the amount and
types of materials disposed
of in landfills from the
residential and commercial
sectors. Statewide
characterization studies
were used to estimate the
composition of landfilled
materials for City facilities
and C&D.

These studies indicated
that 65 percent of material
disposed of in landfills could
have been diverted for
recycling or composting; of
all the material landfilled, 57
percent was recyclable and
8 percent was compostable.

Compared to statewide
landfill composition studies,
San José landfills contained
a slightly larger proportion
of recyclable material and
a significantly smaller
proportion of compostable
material (see Figure 11).

Figure 11. Disposal of Compostable and Recyclable Materials in San José and Statewide 57%
Recyclable
8%
Compostable
San José
52%
Recyclable
34%
Compostable
Statewide
Hard-to-recycle materials
“Hard-to-recycle” refers to materials or items that pose challenges in the recycling process due to their composition or shape.

Plastic bags and polystyrene (Styrofoam) are considered hard-to-recycle materials.

Polystyrene is made of more than 90 percent air, making it bulky and lightweight.

These characteristics make the recycling of polystyrene inefficient due to the energy and resource costs of collection and transport.12
At MRFs, where recycling is sorted, plastic bags can become entangled in machinery, adding time, labor costs, and safety risks to employees who must shut down the entire operation to climb into the dangerous machinery to remove the bags.13 This Element aims to reduce the production and purchasing of hard-to-recycle items city-wide, both to reduce waste and make recycling easier and more efficient. 12 The Recycling Partnership. 2019. “Is Styrofoam Recyclable?” Available at: https://recyclingpartnership.org/ communitiesforrecycling/is-styrofoam-recyclable/.
13 City of San José. 2020. “ESD Extra: Top Troublemakers: Plastic Bags.” Available at: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/ Home/Components/News/News/1750/4699?fsiteid=1.
50 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 51
03 Zero Waste
Strategies
52 ZERO WASTE STRATEGIES
Overview
San José approved 13
strategies for the Zero
Waste Element that focus
on preventing waste to
address lifecycle impacts,
centering racial and social
equity, preventing methane
emissions from landfilled
compostable materials, and
minimizing disposal (see
Key Factors Considered in
Strategy Development). The
strategies are organized into
six focus areas:
• Foundational strategies
support all other
strategies through
engagement, data
collection, and research.
• Rethink/Redesign
strategies reduce
lifecycle impacts by
making purchasing
more sustainable.
• Reduce strategies focus
on waste prevention to
decrease the amount
and toxicity of waste
generated.
• Reuse strategies extend
the life of reusable
materials and save
edible food to feed
hungry people.
• Recycle/Compost
strategies support and
expand systems to
keep materials in their
original production
loop and protect the
full usefulness of the
materials.
• Materials Recovery
strategies maximize
recovery of materials
from mixed waste after
source separation.

Source separation is
defined as the process of
sorting and separating
various types of waste
materials at their point
of origin.

Full implementation
of each strategy will
substantially decrease waste
across all City programs
and set the City on the path
towards its goal of carbon
neutrality by 2030 (see
Figure 12). The diversion and
GHG emissions reduction
potential of some strategies
were not quantified
because these strategies are
supportive to others.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 53
Figure 12. San José Zero Waste Element Strategies
n
e,
e,
Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable Purchasing Citywide
Lead by Example
Food Waste Prevention
Surplus Food Recovery
Repair & Reuse
Construction & Demolition Recycling
Reduce Disposal of Compostable
Materials in Landfills
Recycling Market Development
Technology for Higher Diversion
Target
Annual
Diversion
Tons
Target
Annual
MTCO2e
Reduced
REDUCE

RECYCLE/

COMPOST

MATERIALS

RECOVERY
REUSE

RETHINK/REDESIGN
47,200
NA
NA
59,600
29,600
4,700
8,300
300
4,400
29,400
57,600
1,100
64,900
29,900
NA
NA
22,400
13,800
3,000
8,200
200
15,200
80,800
105,000
4,000
123,400
Annual Total 307,300 244,300
Community Engagement
Materials Characterization
Research & Development

FOUNDATIONAL
54 Zero Waste Strategies
FOUNDATIONAL: Community Engagement
All communities in the
City of San José have a role
in reducing waste. To pursue
a zero waste culture change,
additional investment
in behavior change will
be needed to encourage
behavior change.

The City will implement
new programs to support
a transition to zero
waste behaviors among
community members, such
as reusing items, recycling
right, and reducing recycling
contamination. Behavior
change programs involve
identifying the barriers
to a behavior, developing
and piloting programs to
overcome these barriers,
implementing programs
across the community,
evaluating the effectiveness
of the programs, and sharing
ideas and success stories. The
entire process underscores
equitable language access
and plain communications
that can easily be understood
by all members of the public
we serve.

For each zero waste
strategy, the City will lead an
outreach effort to identify
eligible customers, collect
information, and share
resources on the policies,
programs, timeline, and
goals. Additional behavior
change outreach materials
and strategies will be phased
in as more zero waste
strategies are finalized.

As part of this work, the
City will build and maintain
ongoing relationships
with San José’s diverse
community-based
organizations, schools,
cultural event centers, and
multifamily residences to
reach residents; ensure
signage and messaging are
clear and appropriate; and
collect feedback to improve
future campaigns.

Community Input
Community members
who participated in
engagement for the
Element said that barriers
to diverting and reducing
waste include:
• Limited access to
recycling in public
spaces.
• Difficulty recycling and
disposing of household
hazardous waste
and hard-to-recycle
materials.
• The convenience of
single-use plastics.
• Confusing product labels.
• Uncertainty that items
put into the recycling
bin are recycled and
lack of awareness that
food waste in the wet
stream is diverted.

Through the
implementation of the Zero
Waste Element, the City will
continue to ensure that:
• All residents and
businesses have access
to programs and services
and knowledge of
zero waste principles,
especially low-income, ,
historically under-served
communities.
• Services are provided
equitably and consistently
across the City.
• Outreach materials are
produced in multiple
languages, accessible to
those with disabilities,
and are designed to be
easy to follow.
• Fees are based on
the cost-of-service
and do not fall
disproportionately on
any one community or
sector within the City.
• Community feedback
shapes ongoing
implementation of the
zero waste strategies.
47,200
Annual Diversion
Tons
29,900
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 55
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Design and implement education/behavior change programs that identify and address barriers to community waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. S Build and maintain relationships with community-based organizations and schools, particularly equity priority communities. S
Create outreach materials and ensure that signage and messaging are clear and appropriate for San José’s diverse communities. S
Evaluate the effectiveness of community programs by collecting feedback from residents and businesses. Integrate feedback into solid waste programs and public outreach.

S
FOUNDATIONAL: Materials Characterization
As the City moves forward
to consider future changes
to its zero waste policies
and programs, the City
will undertake periodic
characterization, diversion,
and disposal studies to
track progress and better
understand components
of the materials stream
that are less understood,
including C&D debris and
self-haul sectors.

The City will use waste
characterization data to
inform future zero waste
strategies and community
engagement initiatives,
ensuring that programs
are designed to meet
the greatest needs to
achieve the City’s goals,
as well as the needs of
specific communities
(see FOUNDATIONAL:

Community Engagement
strategy).

This strategy
focuses on
research for
future strategies.

Diversion tons and
GHG reduction were
not quantified.

Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Conduct waste characterization studies to identify diversion opportunities and track progress towards waste reduction goals. S
Evaluate and leverage waste characterization data to design zero waste strategies, policies, and community engagement initiatives. S Evaluate and leverage waste data to inform collection, processing, and disposal contracts. L
Expand waste characterization, diversion and disposal studies to assess programs services, operations and improve zero waste strategies. L Incorporate municipal solid waste management best practices into future collection, processing and hauler contracts. L
56 FOUNDATIONAL: Research and Development
As the Capital of Silicon
Valley, San José has been a
leader in innovation and has
participated in pilot studies
aimed at fostering and
measuring the potential of
novel recycling solutions.

To encourage future
technology development,
the City will fund and
implement programs,
including pilots, to find
solutions to reduce
generation and disposal
of problem materials and
items that are hard to reuse,
recycle, or compost. To
do this, the City will: work
collaboratively with industry,
other government entities,
and educational institutions;
connect with the latest
developments, innovation,
and innovative funding
(including venture capital);
pursue state and federal
grants geared towards
waste reduction; and work
with local universities and
entrepreneurs on research,
development, and policies to
support innovations.

San José partnered
with Novoloop (formerly
BioCellection) to test new
technology for chemical
recycling of waste plastics.

Novoloop converts
polyethylene from plastic
bags, bubble wrap, pallet
wrap, agricultural film,
and take-out containers
into feedstock for
consumer brands.

This strategy
focuses on
research for
future strategies.

Diversion tons and
GHG reduction were
not quantified.

Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Fund and implement pilots to find solutions to reduce generation and disposal of problem materials and items that are hard to reuse, recycle, or compost.

S
Conduct research to inform future municipal collection infrastructure requirements for new multi-use and high-density developments. L Develop solid waste set-out guidelines that maximize public right-of-way access for multi-modal transit and collection vehicles. L CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 57
RETHINK / REDESIGN: Sustainable Packaging
Packaging makes up
over a quarter (27 percent)
of the contents of landfills
in California.14 Because
packaging originates from
large companies and
national or international
supply chains, the national
or state level is best suited
to address packaging waste.

San José is committed to
supporting and building on
state-level efforts related to
SB 54, a law that addresses
the impacts of single-use
packaging and plastic food
serviceware. To do this, the
City will build awareness of
state actions and potential
impacts for residents,
promoting behavior change
in the process.
59,600
Annual Diversion
Tons
22,400
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
San José’s Foam Food
Container Ordinance,
fully effective as of
January 1, 2015, requires
all restaurants to use
non-foam food service
ware for both dine-in
and takeout. San José’s
“Bring Your Own Bag”
Ordinance, adopted in
2012, encourages waste
reduction and reuse by
banning plastic bags and
placing a minimum 10-
cent fee on bags provided
by retail stores.
14 CalRecycle. 2023. “SB 54: Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.” Available at:
https://calrecycle.ca.gov/packaging/packaging-epr/.

Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Build awareness about the impacts of SB 54 through community campaigns. S Expand state-level efforts to reduce the impacts of single-use plastics and plastic food serviceware through pilots and promoting behavior change. L RETHINK / REDESIGN: Sustainable Purchasing Citywide
The City will be a leader
in sustainable purchasing
by practicing reuse and
sustained use of goods,
purchasing used products,
and purchasing products
made from recovered or
recycled materials, such as
compost and mulch.

The City will build upon
its existing environmentally
preferred purchasing policy
by piloting initiatives related
to sustainable purchasing
within City operations with
the intention of adapting
and expanding them
citywide. For example,
the City’s Environmental
Services Department has
piloted reusable dishes for
meetings and will strategize
ways to encourage and
enable reuse of dishware
and other items across all
City departments and for
community events.
29,600
Annual Diversion
Tons
13,800
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Review purchase practices for City office supplies and equipment S Pilot the use of reusables within City operations and at community events . S 58 REDUCE: Lead by Example
San José is a leader in
implementing innovative
zero waste programs for its
residents and businesses.

The City will implement
waste prevention and
diversion best practices
throughout City operations
(e.g., offices, parks, and
public facilities, such as
libraries and community
centers). In doing so, the City
will generate more support
from both residents and
businesses for new zero
waste policies and programs.

For example, the City will:
• Further advance the
interdepartmental
GoGreen teams or
champion program
to help implement
sustainability initiatives
in San José City
facilities and operations
and integrate zero
waste strategies into
the Climate Smart
Challenge.
• Implement reduce,
reuse, and recycling
events, such as repair
cafes.
• Promote reusable dishes
at City-run programs
and research other pilot
projects and partnership
opportunities around
reusables.
• Raise awareness
amongst employees
of the City’s Surplus
Program, identify areas
for improvement and
increase participation
from all departments.
• Explore updates to
waste bin signage in
City facilities to increase
diversion.
• Explore additional
special recycling
programs to implement
in City facilities.
4,700
Annual Diversion
Tons
3,000
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Generate support from residents and businesses for zero waste programs by implementing pilot projects in City operations. S
Monitor and expand successful pilot projects in City operations; share successes with the community. L
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 59
REDUCE: Food Waste Prevention
The City will conduct
citywide education and
outreach campaigns to
reduce household food
waste. The City will leverage
existing regional outreach
campaigns to understand
community barriers and
leverage opportunities to
educate its residents and
businesses on how they can
eat sustainably and reduce
food waste at home.

The City will also
participate in research
or programs led by Joint
Venture Silicon Valley to
implement innovative
food waste prevention
initiatives among foodgenerating businesses and
organizations in San José.
8,300
Annual Diversion
Tons
8,200
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Reduce residential and commercial food waste through citywide education and outreach campaigns. S
Participate in research or programs led by Joint Venture Silicon Valley to prevent food waste among businesses and organizations. S 60 REUSE: Surplus Food Recovery
According to the Second
Harvest Food Bank of Silicon
Valley, one in four people
in Santa Clara County are
at risk of hunger. The City
will continue to participate
in the Santa Clara County
Food Recovery Program in
order to reduce hunger in
San José and prevent the
disposal of edible food in
landfills.

The City will ensure that
some types of large food
generators, such as large
hotels, restaurants, venues,
and grocery stores, enter
written agreements with
food recovery organizations
and services and donate
their available surplus edible
food, as required by SB 1383.

At the same time, the
City will work to identify and
address capacity limitations
in the regional food recovery
system while fostering
equitable access to food and
supporting food recovery
initiatives. As food donations
increase, it will be important
to ensure that they remain
high quality and match the
needs and desires of the
people and organizations
receiving donations.
300
Annual Diversion
Tons
200
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Joint Venture Silicon Valley15
Silicon Valley is known for its innovation, and this extends to food recovery with the efforts of the non-profit organization Joint Venture Silicon Valley (Joint Venture). By convening stakeholders across sectors to collaborate in a non-traditional setting, stimulating investment, supporting government programs, and developing creative strategies to prevent food waste and rescue food, Joint Venture has made a major impact on the food recovery network in and around San José since launching the Santa Clara County Food Recovery Steering Committee in 2016.

Joint Venture’s ongoing Food Recovery Initiative coordinates the efforts of jurisdictions and businesses to prevent food waste through a variety of projects. The Santa Clara County Food Recovery Program and its Steering Committee, another part of the Initiative, oversee the implementation of SB 1383 food recovery in the county. Most recently, the Food Recovery Initiative authored their 2022 report “Making the Most of Surplus Food,” which provides recommendations on expanding food recovery and waste prevention. 15 Joint Venture Silicon Valley. Available at: https://jointventure.org/.

Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Continue to enforce surplus food donation as required under SB 1383. S Improve equitable access to food by identifying and addressing capacity limitations in the regional food recovery system. S
Explore a neighborhood gleaning program to donate excess fruit from residential fruit trees to food recovery organizations. S CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 61
In the U.S., 40 percent of all food that
is produced is wasted. Food disposed
of in landfills creates methane, a
potent greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times
more effective than carbon dioxide at
trapping heat in the atmosphere over
a 100-year period.
62 REUSE: Repair & Reuse
Repairable items make
up just 2-5 percent of the
waste stream, but their value
is estimated to be as high as
$550 per ton (2007 dollars).

Repaired products hold
significantly greater value
than recovered materials.16 By
reframing repair as an act of
care, the promotion of repair
can adopt a broader value
orientation that is likely to
resonate with individuals. The
development of a thriving
repair economy relies on a
willingness to adopt new
consumption and ownership
practices.17
Zero waste programs
focus on reuse programs as
a way to reinvest the value
of discarded materials and
products back into the local
economy and to create
jobs. According to research
conducted by the Institute
for Local Self-Reliance, reuse
programs create almost
200 times as many jobs as
landfilling and incinerating
materials.18
16 Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 2022. “Repair, Reuse, and Economic Growth in America.” Available at: https://ilsr. org/repair-reuse-and-economic-growth-in-america/.
17 Heather A. Rogers, Pauline Deutz, Tomás B. Ramos. 2021. “Repairing the circular economy: Public perception and participant profile of the repair economy in Hull, UK.” Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105447. 18 Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 2021. “New Report from Global Anti-Incineration Alliance: Zero Waste Creates 200 Times More Jobs Than Landfills and Incinerators.” Available at: https://ilsr.org/new-report-from-global-anti-incinerationalliance-zero-waste-creates-200-times-more-jobs-than-landfills-and-incinerators/. 19 Habitat for Humanity ReStore. 2023. Available at: https://www.habitat.org/restores.

The City will provide
online directories, material
exchanges, and direct
assistance to promote
reuse, rental, and repair
businesses, including zero
waste vendors and caterers;
reuse organizations that
recover materials, including
bulky items, for reuse (such
as the Habitat for Humanity
ReStore at the San José
Environmental Innovation
Center); and repair fairs and
fix-it clinics in neighborhood
centers and libraries.
4,400
Annual Diversion
Tons
15,200
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Repair cafés and fix-it
clinics are free events
where people get together
to fix their broken
possessions. Visitors bring
things they want fixed
and work collaboratively
with volunteers to repair
them. When the volunteer
repair work is coupled with
teaching, visitors become
more self-reliant and learn
how to fix items instead of
throwing them away and
buying new ones.

Habitat ReStores are
operated by local
Habitat for Humanity
organizations. ReStores
accept donations and
sell items to the public,
thereby diverting reusable
household items and
building materials from
area landfills.19 These
stores create multiple
community benefits by
creating and sustaining
jobs, as well as giving new
life to used items.

Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Promote reuse, rental, and repair through online directories, material exchanges, and direct assistance. S
Coordinate repair fairs and fix-it clinics in neighborhood centers and libraries. S Expand refill opportunities for residents and businesses. S CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 63
RECYCLE / COMPOST: Construction & Demolition Recycling
The City’s Construction
& Demolition ordinance
requires builders and
permit holders to recycle
75 percent of materials
from new construction and
tenant improvements and
50 percent from alterations
and demolitions. To support
compliance, they must
deliver C&D waste to Citycertified facilities or use a City-authorized C&D hauler.

The C&D sector is a key
focus for the City, as many of
the materials that currently
go to landfills are generated
at construction sites,
including self-haul loads.

The City will continue
to examine the success of
the current programs and
identify improvements
to align with current
markets and zero waste
strategies. The City will
explore new incentives and/
or mandates to promote
resource recovery and
increase diversion at C&D
facilities, such as building
deconstruction and use of
refurbished and salvaged
materials.
29,400
Annual Diversion
Tons
80,800
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Explore new incentives and/or mandates to help increase diversion at C&D facilities. S
Based on findings, implement incentives and/or mandates to promote resource recovery at C&D facilities. Continue to explore opportunities to enhance the C&D program.

L
RECYCLE / COMPOST: Reduce Disposal of Compostable Materials in Landfills
The City will continue
to implement programs
to enter into SB 1383
compliance (see California
State Laws), including
monitoring and minimizing
contamination of
compostable materials at
covered residences and
businesses, conducting
outreach to compostable
materials generators
about the requirements,
applying for and utilizing
grant funds to support
data management and
monitoring, coordinating
a food recovery program,
and purchasing organic
materials such as compost.

This strategy aligns with
other strategies to support
SB 1383 implementation
(see REUSE: Surplus Food
Recovery and RETHINK /
REDESIGN: Sustainable
Purchasing Citywide).
57,600
Annual Diversion
Tons
105,000
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Continue to enforce SB 1383 requirements that minimize the disposal of compostable materials in landfills. S
64 RECYCLE / COMPOST: Recycling Market Development
Placing materials in a
recycling bin is just the first
step in recycling. Those
materials aren’t truly recycled
unless they have a market
and become a source
material for new products.

San José has one of
the most comprehensive
recycling programs in
the nation. The City is
designated as a Recycling
Market Development Zone,
a CalRecycle program that
provides loans, technical
assistance, and free product
marketing to fuel new
businesses that divert waste
from landfills.20 The City
will continue to leverage
this program to access
funding and offer loans and
20 CalRecycle. 2023. “Recycling Market Development Zone San José. Available at: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/ BizAssistance/RMDZ/Zones/Details/33
incentives to manufacturers
that use recycled feedstock.
1,100
Annual Diversion
Tons
4,000
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Support market and infrastructure development for recycling commodities and continue to leverage the City’s Recycling Market Development Zone program.

L
MATERIALS RECOVERY: Technology for Higher Diversion
The City recognizes that
even though residents
and businesses strive to
recycle and compost, some
recoverable materials end
up discarded in the garbage.

The City’s waste processing
facilities are designed to
sort and compost or recycle
these materials. The City and
its contractors will continue
to pursue enhanced
technology upgrades
for processing discarded
materials and recovering
recyclable and compostable
materials at local facilities,
which will increase diversion
across all City programs.

San José is unique in the
amount of solid waste facility
infrastructure located within
city and county limits. Local
waste processing aligns with
the goals of Climate Smart
San José by keeping the
GHG emissions associated
with transport of solid waste
low, since waste does not
have to be hauled over long
distances for processing or
disposal.
64,900
Annual Diversion
Tons
123,400
Annual MTCO2e
Reduced
Recommended Actions
Short or
Long term
Increase diversion by pursuing enhanced technology upgrades in the City’s waste processing facilities. L
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 65
“Beyond its compelling economic
impact, manufacturing is an especially
critical sector for its “equity impact”:
more than any other sector available
to those without experience or
significant educational attainment,
manufacturing offers the potential for
diverse residents to build livelihoods
through living wage employment
and entrepreneurship.” San José’s
Manufacturing Real Estate Landscape:

Sustaining Jobs, Economic Impact,
and Shared Prosperity for Diverse
Residents - January 2020
66 Metrics and Targets
The Zero Waste Element builds on the City’s commitments to reduce waste generation, increase diversion, and reduce disposal. The City estimates that fully implementing the 13 strategies in this Element will significantly reduce waste generated per capita, waste landfilled, GHG emissions, and increase the City’s diversion rate.

Vision
San José will implement a broad set of strategies to significantly reduce waste and increase diversion from landfill disposal while contributing to the City’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

Table 3. Projected Metrics and Progress Milestones

INDICATORS

PER CAPITA
WASTE

GENERATION

CITY PROGRAM

DIVERSION

PERCENTAGE

WASTE TO

LANDFILL
CARBON

EMISSIONS

METRICS
Tons of waste
generated per
person per year
Percentage of
waste diverted
from landfill
across all City
programs
Landfill disposal
across all City
programs
Emissions from
these strategies

PROGRESS

MILESTONES
Tons of waste
per person per
year
Percentage of
waste diverted
from landfill
Tons of waste
sent to landfill
per year
Metric tons of
CO2e emitted
per year
2021 0.8 63% 315,000 248,000
2030 0.7 82% 157,000 124,000
2040 0.6 91% 78,500 62,000
2050 0.5 96% 31,400 25,000
The City maintains a dashboard to monitor progress on the implementation of Climate Smart. The Climate Smart Data Dashboard is publicly available on the City’s website.21 21 City of San José. “Climate Smart Data Dashboard.” Available at: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/ departments-offices/environmental-services/climate-smart-san-jos/climate-smart-data-dashboard.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 67
Future Zero Waste Solutions
The Zero Waste Element
focuses on the strategies
that San José will pursue
to reduce waste, increase
recycling and composting,
and reduce GHG emissions.

This corresponds with the
City’s carbon neutrality goal
and the milestones of the
C40 Advancing Toward Zero
Waste Declaration.

The 13 strategies in this
Element were chosen
based on what is feasible
to implement in the next
ten years. Future zero waste
programs could include:
• Widespread systems
change for waste
prevention through new
technologies, behavior
change campaigns, and
increased research and
development.
• Innovative aerobic
biological processes like
windrow composting,
aerated static pile
composting, and black
soldier fly processing.
• Improved anaerobic
biological processes
through emerging predigestion technologies.
• New and emerging
technologies to increase
the recycling rates of
hard-to-recycle materials
like solar panels, electric
car batteries, and
refrigerants.
• Conversion technologies
like gasification.
68 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 69
04 Resident and
Business
Zero Waste
Playbooks
70 RESIDENT AND BUSINESS AND ZERO WASTE PLAYBOOKS
Overview
Achieving zero waste
will require action across
San José’s communities,
including from residents
and businesses. The
Resident Playbook on
Zero Waste and Business
Playbook on Zero Waste
that follow list key steps that
residents and businesses
can take to conserve
resources and prevent waste
from reaching landfill.

Resident Playbook on Zero Waste
Become a zero-waste advocate. Check all the boxes.

For San José to achieve zero waste, everyone needs to do their part. Here’s how residents can participate. Visit the Climate Smart Challenge platform at climatesmartsjchallenge.org for more information, ideas, and local resources.
‰ Sign up for a Climate
Smart GoGreen Team
Climate Smart GoGreen
Teams are a fun, easy way
to connect with friends
or neighbors, learn about
sustainability and resilience,
and take actions that make
a difference. No experience
or preparation required!
Together, you will learn
how to reduce your carbon
footprint, live healthier,
save money, get prepared
for disasters, and have a
lot of fun along the way.

Visit SJEnvironment.org/
GoGreenTeams for more
information.

Impact: Improve community
resilience; reduce waste and
ultimately help reduce GHG
emissions.
‰ Recycle Right and reduce
contamination (no food,
no wish-cycling)
WISH-CYCLING (verb)
Putting non-recyclable
materials in the recycling
bin with the hope that
they will be recycled,
which leads to higher
contamination rates in the
recycling stream.

Impact: Better for
environment, cleaner
materials stream; ensure
other recyclables aren’t
contaminated; encourage
proper disposal of difficult
items; reduce pollution;
reduce landfill use; creates
jobs; can ultimately help
reduce residential recycling
costs.
‰ Buy less, buy used or
borrow, rent instead of
buy
Use what you already have
before purchasing new and
share with your neighbors.

Shop reused and donate
unwanted items; join
an online Buy Nothing
group; host a clothing
swap, baby equipment
swap, or free little library.

Buy items intended to last
(for example, sturdy and
timeless clothing instead of
trendy items).

Impact: Save money; allow
others to reuse items still
in good condition; reduce
waste.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 71
‰ Repair broken items
Find ways to repair
broken items; take items
to repair shops; attend a
fix-it clinic; support tool
lending libraries; use online
resources like YouTube
videos to learn. Fix-it clinics
are public events in which
experts in repair and reuse
guide residents to learn
new skills (like sewing on
a button, changing a cell
phone battery, or repairing
bikes and electronics).

Impact: Source reduction;
save money by repairing and
reusing.
‰ Bring your own
Use reusable bags when
shopping; pack a zero-waste
lunch (with a reusable lunch
box, water bottle, utensils,
and napkin).

Bring your own container
for leftovers at a restaurant
or potluck; keep reusable
utensils and straws in your
purse, backpack, or glove
compartment. Bring your
own mug or reusable bottle
for beverages.

Impact: Reduce single
use plastics to keep our
waterways clean, protect
wildlife, and reduce blight.
‰ Find out how to recycle
“hard-to-recycle” items
Some things can’t go in
the curbside bin but can
still be recycled. Learn how
to Recycle Right by visiting
SanJoseRecycles.org. Learn
how to dispose of household
hazardous waste by visiting
HHW.org.

Impact: Save money and
the environment too!
‰ Notice and prevent food
waste
Keep an eye on the food
scraps your household
creates. Take an inventory
of food at home before
shopping. Plan meals in
advance. Refrigerate or
freeze leftovers in clear
containers with labels.

Preserve extra fruits and
vegetables by freezing,
pickling, canning,
dehydrating, or making jam.

Impact: Save money;
provide food to those in
need; reduce waste.
‰ Go paperless
Avoid printing; use
digital methods for
storing, managing, and
sharing documents and
communications.

Impact: Better for the
environment, help reduce
GHG emissions associated
with paper fiber.
‰ Eat less meat
Eat less meat to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
and conserve resources.

Livestock produce methane
during digestion and
meat production involves
significant energy and
resource use.

Impact: Better for the
environment, help reduce
GHG emissions associated
with meat production.
‰ Compost at home or
find a local compost
program
Compost food scraps to
generate healthy soil for
your garden and reduce
the amount of material
you throw in your garbage
container. Home compost
workshops are available for
residents. Or find a local
composting program that
will accept your food scraps.

Impact: Higher and
better use of compostable
materials, compost has
more nutrients and is
beneficial for home gardens;
can ultimately help reduce
residential garbage costs.
72 Business Playbook on Zero Waste
Businesses lead the way to zero waste! Most strategies save money and the environment too.

For San José to achieve zero waste, everyone needs to do their part. Here’s how businesses can participate.
‰ Donate food and track
food waste
Recover edible food and
work with food recovery
organizations to collect and
redistribute food to insecure
community members.

Impact: Potentially reduce
food purchasing and
disposal costs, divert food
waste from landfill, and
provide unsold items to
those in need.
‰ Purchase
environmentally
preferred products and
packaging
Use products with
recycled content, non-toxic
products, recyclable or
compostable products, and
use reusable foodware in
restaurants.

Impact: Increase
recyclability of used
products and decrease
waste generated.
‰ Avoid single-use food
service ware and
packaging
Invest in reusable
silverware that will last years.

Invest in a dishwasher to
clean reusable foodware.

Impact: Reduce costs and
prevent tons of waste from
going into landfills.
‰ Implement business
recycling programs
Address hard-to-recycle
items, including batteries.

Encourage good recycling
practices, make it fun,
and offer contests and
challenges for employees.

Use technology to reduce
waste: Applications (e.g.,
LeanPath) for food waste
reduction, sensors on
dumpsters to monitor waste
generated/collected.

Conduct a simple waste
audit to see what’s in the
waste stream and how to
reduce it.

Impact: Support
companywide culture
change, team building, and
employee satisfaction.
‰ Prepare your loads to
maximize recovery at
construction sites
It is not necessary to have
multiple containers on site.

Instead, containers can be
matched to each phase of
the job and swapped in or
out.
• When the framers are
working, it’s time for a
wood box.
• When the wiring,
plumbing, and
appliances are being
installed, it’s time for a
metal box.
• When gypsum drywall is
being installed, it’s time
for a drywall box.
• If you’ve planned the
job well from the
construction side, you’ve
already done most of the
work required to recycle.

Impact: Source separation
enhances value, reduces
costs, of processing, and
makes compliance easier to
document.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 73
74 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 75
05 Technical
Appendix
76 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 77
A-1 Key California
Waste
Legislation
78 section A-1
Short-Lived Climate
Pollutant Reduction
(SB 1383)
SB 1383, or the ShortLived Climate Pollutants
bill, sets to reduce statewide
methane emissions by
40-percent by targeting two
sectors: 1) dairy and livestock
manure, and 2) organic
waste landfill disposal. This
goal mandates a 50-percent
reduction in organic waste
disposal by 2020 and
75-percent reduction by
2025. CalRecycle (California’s
Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery),
the state’s waste authority,
adopted formal regulations
in November 2022 to
outline steps they deemed
necessary to achieve these
goals. These supporting
requirements span across
several disciplines within the
waste sector and include,
but are not limited to, the
following:
• Organic Waste
Collection Services
• Public Education and
Outreach
• Generators of Organic
Waste
• Regulation of Waste
Haulers
• Edible Food Recovery
Programs
• Capacity Planning
• Recovered Organic
Waste Products
Procurement
• Reporting and
Enforcement
For the purposes of
this analysis, the primary
focus is on the City’s ability
to achieve the targeted
organic waste diversion
goals in a sustainable,
economical, and practical
manner. While there are
several factors that play a
role in achieving this goal,
SB 1383’s Article 3, Organic
Waste Collection Services
and Article 12, Procurement
of Recovered Organic Waste
Products are instrumental
in understanding key
requirements the City is
subject to.

Article 3. Organic Waste Collection Services
SB 1383 outlines three approved waste collection methods:

Three-container Waste Collection Services
In this waste collection
system, there is a designated
container for each waste
type: a green bin for organic
waste, blue bin for nonorganic recyclables, and a
gray bin for non-organic,
non-recyclable solid waste.

The containers may be
completely separate, or
split (e.g., one container
split for recyclables and
solid waste materials). This
collection system also allows
for additional containers
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 79
for increased recovery,
such as use of a fourth
brown container for food
waste. Jurisdictions that
use the three-bin system
may allow organics to be
co-collected in the gray
bin (e.g., solid waste bin) if
the gray bin is received at
a High Diversion Organic
Waste Processing Facility. If
residents are instructed to
throw all organic waste, such
as food waste, in the green
bin then the jurisdiction is
not required to use a “High
Diversion Organic Waste
Processing Facility”. This
is one key advantage with
using a three-container
collection system.

A “High Diversion Organic
Waste Processing Facility”
is a facility that achieves
50-percent or greater
recovery of its organic waste
fraction by January 1, 2022,
and then 75-percent or
greater recovery by January
1, 2025. For example, if a
facility determines its annual
organic waste fraction is
10,000 TPY, it must achieve
at least 5,000 TPY recovery
by 2022, then 7,500 TPY by
2025 to be eligible for this
classification. If the facility
fails to meet this recovery
rate for two consecutive
quarters, then the facility
is no longer considered to
be achieving high diversion
causing the jurisdictions
that rely on this facility to
be in violation of these
regulations.

Two-container Waste Collection Services
The two-container system
outlines two possible
combinations: 1) an organic
waste green bin and a nonorganic waste grey bin, or
2) a non-organic recyclables
blue bin and a grey bin for
solid waste and co-collected
organic waste. For both of
these combinations, the
grey bin must be sent to
a High Diversion Organic
Waste Processing Facility
since this collection method
allows for the intentional
comingling of both organic
and non-organic wastes.

Unsegregated Single-Container Waste Collection Services This collection system
uses a single grey container
to collect all wastes, organics,
recyclables, and nonorganic, non-recyclable solid
waste. This container must
be sent to a High Diversion
Organic Waste Processing
Facility.

Article 12. Procurement of Recovered Organic Waste Products Starting January 1,
2022, all jurisdictions were
required to procure annually
a quantity of recovered
organic waste products
to meet their annual
procurement target, which
has been established at 0.08
tons of organic waste per
resident per year. Eligible
products include: compost,
renewable gas, electricity
from biomass conversion,
and mulch, however each
has specific restrictions:
• Compost must be
produced at a permitted
facility, and may
include digestate from
anaerobic digestion
(AD) facilities but the
digestate must be
aerobically composted.
80 • To be eligible, renewable
gas must be generated
from organic waste,
however wastewater
treatment plants do
not count. This targets
the renewable gas
generated from AD
facilities. The renewable
gas can be used as a
transportation fuel, for
electricity, or for heat.
• Biomass conversion
facilities are specifically
called out as qualifying
sources of electricity.
• Mulch product also has
specific restrictions, such
as mulch only qualifies
if the jurisdiction has an
enforceable ordinance to
require mulch producers
comply with the
physical contamination,
maximum metal
concentration, and
pathogen density
standards for land
application.

The organic waste product
procurement target is based
on January 1, 2021 population
estimates reported by the
California Department of
Finance and the targets are
in effect from January 1, 2022
through December 31, 2026.

Using these estimates, the
City with a population of
1,029,782 is required to
procure 82, 383 tons of
recovered organic waste
products made from
California, landfill-diverted
organic waste per year,
beginning January 1, 2022.

The summary below shows
the quantities if the City
were to satisfy the
procurement target using
100 percent of one eligible
product type, however the
City is allowed to mix-andmatch the products to reach
the procurement target.

Compost
Renewable Gas
Electricity from Biomass
Conversion
Mulch
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 81
City of San José Procurement Targets
• Compost: 47,782 tons
• Renewable Gas:
→ 1,730,034 diesel gallon
equivalents, OR
→ 19,936,580kilowatthours of electricity,
OR
→ 1,812,416 therms for
heating
• Electricity from Biomass
Conversion: 53,548,664
kilowatt-hours
• Mulch: 82,383 tons
In October 2022, Governor
Newsom signed into law, AB
1985, thereby establishing
a phase-in period for
jurisdictions to comply
with the recovered organic
waste product procurement
requirements of SB 1383,
with full compliance
required by January 1, 2025
(30 percent of procurement
target by January 1, 2023, 65
percent by January 1, 2024
and 100 percent by January
1, 2025).

AB 2346 was signed into
law in September 2024
and aims to provide more
flexibility for jurisdictions
in how they meet their
recovered organic waste
product procurement
targets under SB 1383. The
AB 2346 statute is effective
January 1, 2025 and expands
the types of products that
are eligible for procurement
credit, authorizes local
jurisdictions to invest in
specified activities related to
organic material recycling in
lieu of procuring recovered
organics, and making other
changes to the calculations
used to establish
procurement credits and
targets.
82 section A-1
Mandatory
Commercial
Organics Recycling
(AB 1826)
Under AB 1826, also
known as the mandatory
commercial organics
recycling mandate,
jurisdictions are required to
implement organic waste
recycling programs for
their commercial entities.

Specifically, business,
including multifamily
residential dwellings (MFDs)
with five or more units, were
required to arrange organic
waste recycling services
beginning on January 1, 2016.

The jurisdictions’ programs
are expected to include
conducting outreach,
educating businesses on
how to recycle organic
waste in the jurisdiction,
and monitoring to identify
businesses not recycling
and inform them of the law
and how to recycle organic
waste. Beginning August 1,
2017, jurisdictions were to
include information about
their organic waste recycling
program implementation in
the annual report submitted
to CalRecycle.

The requirements for
the businesses themselves
are phased according
to the amount of waste
the business generates
per week. Organic
waste recycling services
were required to be
arranged according to the
following thresholds and
implementation schedule:
• By April 1, 2016:

Businesses that
generate eight cubic
yards of organic waste
per week
• By January 1, 2017:

Businesses that
generate four cubic
yards of organic waste
per week
• By January 1, 2019:

Businesses that generate
four cubic yards or more
of commercial solid
waste per week
• By July 1, 2020: AB 341
and AB 1826 covered
businesses must
provide organics and
recycling containers
at front-of-house to
collect waste generated
from customers and/or
residents
• By Summer/Fall 2021: If
CalRecycle determines
that the statewide
disposal of organic waste
in 2020 has not been
reduced by 50 percent
of the level of disposal
during 2014:
→ Thresholds will be
lowered to businesses
that generate two
cubic yards or more
of commercial solid
waste per week, and
→ Certain exemptions
may no longer be
available.

In September 2020,
CalRecycle made the
determination that the
AB 1826 threshold needed
to be lowered to regulate
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 83
businesses and MFDs with 5
or more units that generate
two or more cubic yards
per week of solid waste,
recyclables, and organics.

This bill came into effect
prior to SB 1383, and helped
pave the way for introducing
organic waste recycling
services. At the time,
many haulers decided to
implement a third container
to their commercial
accounts in part to not
impact the existing “grey”
and “blue” containers and
in part to ensure maximum
program flexibility. This
phased approach allowed
haulers to transition their
commercial customers
gradually into a threecontainer system which
helped to manage overall
program costs specifically
with regards to public
outreach and education.
84 section A-1
Plastic Pollution
Prevention and
Packaging Producer
Responsibility Act
(SB 54)
SB 54, the Plastic Pollution
Prevention and Packaging
Producer Responsibility
Act, was signed into law in
2022. SB 54 aims to shift
the responsibility for plastic
pollution and packaging
waste from local jurisdictions
to producers. The goals of SB
54 are as follows:
• 100% of single-use
packaging and singleuse plastic foodware
will be recyclable or
compostable by 2032
• 65% of single-use plastic
packaging and singleuse plastic foodware will
be recycled by 2032 (with
interim targets of 30%
recycled by 2028 and
40% recycled by 2030)
• 25% of single-use plastic
packaging and singleuse plastic foodware will
be sourced reduced by
both weight and units
by 2032 (with interim
targets of 10% source
reduced by 2027 and
20% source reduced by
2030)
• 10% source reduction
must come from
shifting to reusable or
refillable product types,
or from eliminating
a plastic component
from products by 2032
(interim targets of 2%
source reduction from
reuse or refill by 2027
and 4% source reduction
from reuse or refill by
2030)
These goals must be
met by the producers of
covered materials (singleuse packaging and singleuse plastic foodware) as a group, not by each producer
individually. Therefore, some
producers may achieve
minimal source reduction,
while other producers
may achieve greater than
25% source reduction.

The law also bans the use
of expanded polystyrene
foodware in California
unless producers are able to
demonstrate that expanded
polystyrene meets specified
recycling rates, beginning
with a 25% recycling rate in
2025 and increasing until
2032, when the material
would need to meet a 65%
recycling rate.

In order to accomplish
the goals set forth in
SB 54, producers are
required to join a Producer
Responsibility Organization
(PRO); any producers who
are not part of the PRO must
submit documentation
to CalRecycle to become
Independent Producers
and fulfill their obligations
under SB 54. Producers
must pay fees to the PRO,
the amount of which varies
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 85
by producer, depending
on the amount and types
of covered material that
a producer creates or
distributes. The PRO, in
turn, must use part of these
fees to pay the costs that
local jurisdictions and local
recycling service providers
incur when collecting,
transporting, and processing
covered material, as well
as the cost to educate the
public about proper sorting
of covered material. This
payment mechanism is
the implementation of the
fundamental purpose of SB
54— to shift responsibility
from local jurisdictions
to producers of covered
material.

Alongside the payment
mechanism that SB 54
creates, the law also requires
covered material to be
processed and recycled at
responsible end markets. It
establishes documentation
requirements that producers
and the PRO must fulfill,
to be clarified through the
rulemaking process, to
ensure that material is sent
to responsible end markets;
the PRO is also required to
make investments to create
responsible end markets if
they do not already exist.

Additionally, SB 54
created a new fund, the
Plastic Pollution Mitigation
Fund, in the State Treasury.

From 2027-2037, at least
$500 million of the fees
collected by the PRO must
be deposited into this fund
each year. The PRO may
collect up to $150 million of
this amount from plastic
resin manufacturers who
sell plastic covered material
to producers who are
participants in the PRO.
60% of the fund must be
used to reduce the historical
and current public health
and environmental justice
impacts of plastics. The
other 40% must be used
to monitor and reduce the
environmental impacts of
plastics on ecosystems and
human health (50% of this
part of the money is also
required to benefit residents
in disadvantaged or lowincome communities).

SB 54 also created an
Advisory Board with 13
voting members to review
the PRO Plan and Budget
(which must be submitted
to the Board by April 2026)
and advise CalRecycle on
the proposed regulations,
among other duties. Two
voting member seats are
reserved for representatives
of environmental justice
communities. One of
these seats is reserved
for a representative of an
environmental justice
organization, and the
other seat is reserved
for a representative of a
disadvantaged or lowincome community or
rural area. The inaugural
members of the Advisory
Board were chosen in 2023,
and the Advisory Board
began meeting to fulfill
their statutory obligations in
February 2024.

SB 54 requires CalRecycle
to conduct a needs
assessment on items related
to the implementation of
SB 54. The components
of the needs assessment
are a Source Reduction
Baseline Study; a Collection,
Processing, & End Markets
Study; a Source Reduction
& Materials Design Study;
a Consumer Education
and Access Study; and a
Current & Needed Statutory
Funding Provisions Study.

The needs assessment
must be complete before
the PRO can create their
Plan and Budget (which
must be approved by
CalRecycle by January 1,
2027). Administrative costs
that CalRecycle incurs to
implement SB 54, such as
costs associated with the
needs assessment, must be
reimbursed by the PRO.

Since one of the
requirements set forth in
SB 54 is that single-use
packaging and single-use
plastic foodware must be
recyclable or compostable
by 2032, the law requires
local jurisdictions to collect
and divert from landfill
covered materials that
CalRecycle determines are
recyclable or compostable.
86 Jurisdictions that cannot
collect a material for
specified reasons can apply
for an exemption through
CalRecycle.

The definitions
for “recyclable” and
“compostable” were
established in California law
in 2021; these definitions
are used in SB 54 as well,
to ensure consistency
across materials’ life cycles.

Recyclability is defined
within SB 343, which limits
the use of chasing arrows
and regulates recyclability
claims beginning in
July 2025. In order to be
considered recyclable,
materials must be collected
by recycling programs
that cover at least 60%
of the state’s population
and accepted for sorting
into defined streams at
facilities that serve at least
60% of California’s recycling
programs.

Compostability is defined
in AB 1200 and AB 1201.

Compostable materials must
meet ASTM standards, be
free of PFAS, distinguishable
from non-compostable
products, designed to
be “associated with the
recovery of desirable organic
wastes,” and accepted for
use in the National Organic
Program, a federal program
that develops standards
for organic agriculture,
beginning in January 2026.

The list of Covered
Material Categories that
meet these criteria was first
published in December 2023
and updated in July 2024.

The list must be updated
annually by CalRecycle,
beginning in 2025. As of
December 2023, CalRecycle
considers all bioplastics to
be neither compostable nor
recyclable, though this could
change through future
updates.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 87
88 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 89
A-2 Bay Area
Basin-Wide
Methane
Strategy
90 section A-2
Bay Area BasinWide Methane
Strategy
Methane represents the
second largest type of GHG
emissions in the region
and accounts for about 10
percent of the Bay Area’s
GHG inventory. Additionally,
methane is a potent and
short-lived GHG, with a
20-year Global Warming
Potential (GWP) of 86 and
an atmospheric half‐life
(average lifespan) of 12
years (compared to 20 to
200 years for CO2
).1 Due to
these factors, the Bay Area
Air Quality Management
District (BAAQMD) is
targeting reductions in
methane emissions paired
with its ongoing efforts
to reduce CO2
emissions
to address long‐term
climate stability. Reducing
methane emissions would
also provide the co-benefit
of reducing emissions of
associated co‐pollutants,
which can include key
climate, criteria, and toxic
1 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), 2018. DRAFT Regulation 13: Climate Pollutants, Rule 1: Significant Methane Releases. September 2018. Available at https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/ regulation-13-rule-1/documents/20180913_wr_1301-pdf.pdf?la=en. Accessed December 2020. 2 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), 2017. Spare the Air, Cool the Climate, A Blueprint for Clean Air and Climate Protection in the Bay Area – Final 2017 Clean Air Plan. April 19, 2017. Available at https://www.baaqmd. gov/~/media/files/planning-and-research/plans/2017-clean-air-plan/attachment-a_-proposed-final-cap-vol-1-pdf.pdf?la=en.

Accessed December 2020.
pollutants, resulting in
added climate benefits and
improvements to public
health.

The Basin-Wide Methane
Strategy is a control measure
within BAAQMD’s 2017
Clean Air Plan that aims to
better quantify and reduce
emissions of methane,
and its co-pollutants,
from all stationary and
area sources throughout
BAAQMD’s jurisdiction, by
implementing a coordinated
strategy that combines
research, rulemaking,
collaborations with state
agencies, and other
programs.2
This strategy was
developed and will be
implemented to reduce the
region’s methane emissions
in support of the California
Air Resource Board’s
(CARB’s) methane reduction
goals (40 – 45 percent below
current levels by 2030).

Elements of this strategy
include:
• Intensifying efforts to
improve BAAQMD’s
methane emissions
inventory
• Considering
amendments to existing
BAAQMD Regulation 8
Rule 2: Miscellaneous
Operations (Regulation
8-2) to prohibit
significant methane
leaks throughout the
district
• Collaborating with
state agencies on their
methane rules under
development
• Identifying cost effective
and technically feasible
methane emissions
reduction opportunities
throughout the Bay Area
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 91
• Considering the removal
of methane exemptions
from existing BAAQMD
rules when appropriate
As part of identifying
methane reduction
opportunities in the solid
waste sector BAAQMD
has taken leadership in
a regulatory structure
to limit GHG emissions
including methane. The
BAAQMD Regulation 13
series proposed rules are
the first attempts by a
regional air district to move
beyond regulating criteria
air pollutants and toxic air
contaminants and into
driving GHG reductions.

Additionally, BAAQMD has
proposed amendments
to the existing BAAQMD
landfill rule (Regulation 8
Rule 34: Solid Waste Disposal
Sites) with stricter control
and fugitive leak standards
and will evaluate if methane
emissions from facilities
currently exempt from this
rule warrant regulation.

In addition, BAAQMD
proposed new regulations,
specifically Regulation 13
Rule 1: Significant Methane
Releases (Regulation 13-
1); Regulation 13 Rule 2:

Organic Materials Handling
Operations (Regulation 13-
2); and Regulation 13 Rule
3: Composting Operations
(Regulation 13-3), to reduce
methane emissions from
facilities that were previously
not regulated. Currently,
there are no BAAQMD rules
specifically designed to
address large releases of
methane. The implications
and challenges of these
rules on solid waste handling
and disposal facilities are
discussed below.
92 section A-2
Amendment to Regulation
8, Rule 34: Solid Waste
Disposal Sites
Current Regulation
Generally, there are
three levels of regulatory
authority governing air
quality and GHG emissions
from landfills: federal,
state, and local. Each tier
of regulation has different
requirements and different
levels of stringency that are
imposed in order to control
emissions. At the local level,
BAAQMD Regulation 8 Rule
34: Solid Waste Disposal
3 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), 2005. Regulation 8: Organic Compounds, Rule 34: Solid Waste Disposal Sites. June 15, 2005; revised April 24, 2018. Available at https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/ reg-8-rule-34-solid-waste-disposal-sites/documents/rg0834.pdf?la=en. Accessed December 2020. 4 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), 2019. Regulation 8: Organic Compounds, Rule 34:

Solid Waste Disposal Sites Concept Paper. May 2019. Available at https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/ regulation-8-rule-34/documents/20190606_cp_0834-pdf.pdf?la=en. Accessed December 2020.

Sites (Regulation 8-34)
adopted in May of 1984,
regulates emissions of both
methane and non-methane
organic compounds
from landfill surfaces and
landfill gas collection and
control systems. It also sets
a minimum destruction
efficiency for landfill
gas control systems and
energy recovery devices.3
The regulation has been
amended and updated
to align with updates
made to the federal
requirements and EPA’s
updated New Source
Performance Standards
and Emissions Guidelines.

Through a Memorandum
of Understanding with the
State, BAAQMD enforces
both Regulation 8-34 and
CARB’s Landfill Methane
Regulation.

Purpose of the Amendment
Based on emissions
research and analysis, the
BAAQMD has determined
that landfills are the
single largest source of
methane in the Bay Area,
generating emissions 1.3-

2.3 times greater than
current emissions inventory
numbers reflect.4 As part
of an amendment to
Regulation 8-34, BAAQMD is
prioritizing regulatory efforts
to control emissions of
methane and non-methane
volatile organic compounds
from solid waste disposal
facilities and to improve
the level of compliance for
all facilities accepting and
disposing of solid waste.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 93
Requirements
The amendment process
will be implemented in two
phases.
• Phase 1 amendments
to Regulation 8-34 are
envisioned to include:
→ Coordination and
alignment with
current State and
federal regulations,
and
→ Best management
practices that will
reliably reduce
methane emissions.
5 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), 2019. Regulation 8: Organic Compounds, Rule 34:

Solid Waste Disposal Sites Concept Paper. May 2019. Available at https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/dotgov/files/rules/ regulation-8-rule-34/documents/20190606_cp_0834-pdf.pdf?la=en. Accessed December 2020. • Phase 2 of amendments
would occur
subsequently, as
ongoing and future
research produces new
findings to inform best
practices and emissions
controls
Draft amendments to
Regulation 8-34 would
impact all solid waste
disposal sites above a
threshold amount of waste
in place.5 The “bright line”
threshold is still under
consideration. Regulation
8-34 currently applies to
landfills with one million
tons of decomposable solid
waste in place. Potential
updates would primarily
focus on active landfills,
since permanently closed
landfills generate a declining
volume of landfill gas over
time. Though language for
the draft rule is currently in
the early stages, the draft
amendments will include
best management practices
that would address areas
such as implementing
more rigorous monitoring;
inspection and maintenance
programs; regulating
breakdown events; energy
recovery device best
practices; daily, intermediate
and final covers; and
working face management.

BAAQMD will also examine
the existing state and federal
regulations to identify areas
where requirements can
feasibly be made more
effective, practical, and
restrictive.

Anticipated Challenges to the City
When adopted,
implementation of the
amended Regulation
8-34 would likely add
more rigorous monitoring,
inspection and maintenance
requirements which
would require additional
equipment and personnel.

It is likely that there will be
specific requirements and
procedures that will need
to be implemented on a
daily basis in addition to
more frequent reporting
requirements. These
more rigorous and more
frequent compliance
requirements will require
capital expenditures and
additional labor resources
to implement. Additional
challenges may become
apparent once the BAAQMD
has progressed further with
the rule amendment. These
requirements are expected
to have a moderate to
significant impact on the
City budget.
94 section A-2
Proposed New
Regulation 13,
Rule 1: Significant
Methane Releases
Purpose of the Rule
The purpose of Regulation
13-1 is to limit significant
methane emissions from
all regulated sources
throughout BAAQMD’s
jurisdiction. If sources
are subject to more
stringent methane
emission requirements
in amendments to
Regulation 8 they may
receive exemptions from
subsequent source-specific
Regulation 13 Rules that are
being proposed to address
methane emissions from
specific operations. As
mentioned above, currently,
there is no BAAQMD rule
specifically designed to
address and restrict large
releases of methane.

BAAQMD Regulation 8-2
prohibits releases of organic
compounds that exceed 15
lbs./day (and a concentration
of 300 parts per million -
ppm) throughout the region
but methane and natural
gas are excluded from
that prohibition. BAAQMD
Regulation 7: Odorous
Substances addresses
odor complaints while
Regulation 1, Section 1-301
addresses public nuisances
which occur as a result
of a significant methane
release, especially when a
release of odorized methane
occurs near a populated
area. Regulation 13‐1 targets
significant methane releases
even if they do not present
an odor or public nuisance
and seeks to establish a
concentration threshold (in
ppm) above which methane
releases would be prohibited
in the region. This limit
would apply to all BAAQMD‐
regulated stationary sources,
including methane leaks
from landfills, natural
gas facilities, refineries,
wastewater treatment
operations, bulk plants and
bulk terminals.

Requirements
Draft Regulation 13‐1
establishes a limit of 10,000
ppm above which methane
releases must be controlled.

This limit would apply to
all BAAQMD‐regulated
stationary sources including
landfills. Draft Regulation
13‐1 covers both unplanned
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 95
and planned significant
methane releases, including
those that result from
maintenance or repair
operations. Unplanned
significant releases are an
emission of a gas or product
containing methane from
a leak, rupture or similar
event whereas planned
releases include expected
or anticipated venting of a
gas or product containing
methane as a result of
maintenance, inspection,
safety protocols or repair of
equipment.

When a significant
methane release is
detected, the facility owner/
operator shall be required
to minimize the release as
soon as possible and no
later than 72 hours from
initial detection of the
release. Additionally, the
owner/operator must abate
or repair the release to
less than 500 ppm within
14 calendar days of initial
detection of the release or
notification of the release
by the Air Pollution Control
Officer (APCO). A second
significant methane release
from the same source will
be required to be abated
or repaired within seven
calendar days of detection
or notification of the release
by the APCO. A source
with a significant methane
release for a third time shall
be shut down within seven
calendar days of detection
or notification of the release
by the APCO and shall
be replaced prior to recommencing operation.

Anticipated Challenges to the City
Implementation of
this rule would affect all
landfills and add significant
measurement, monitoring,
and record keeping
responsibilities to the City
landfill operators. Landfill
operators subject to this
rule will be required to use
a portable methane gas
detector that is capable of
measuring concentrations
as low as 10,000 ppm,
with a maximum error of
±10 percent to detect a
significant methane release.

Draft Regulation 13‐1
would allow the use of a
variety of technologies
to detect and quantify
methane releases, provided
the equipment meets
stipulated parameters
in Regulation 13‐1. For
detection, Regulation 13‐1
would allow any methane
screening detection device
demonstrated to be capable
of measuring concentrations
of at least 10,000 ppm, such
as certain Forward Looking
Infrared cameras. For
compliance with abatement
standards, laser equipment
or handheld combustible
gas indicators capable
of measuring methane
concentrations of at least 100
ppm are recommended.6 All
detectors must be approved
by BAAQMD to measure
methane releases prior to
6 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), 2018. Draft Regulation 13: Climate Pollutants, Rule 1:

Significant Methane Releases. August 28, 2018; revised September 13, 2018. Available at https://www.baaqmd.gov/~/media/ dotgov/files/rules/regulation-13-rule-1/documents/20180913_dr_1301-pdf.pdf?la=en. Accessed December 2020. their use for compliance
with draft Regulation 13‐1.

BAAQMD staff is developing
methods to measure the
methane concentration of a
release.

The Rule also includes
specifics of monitoring
and record keeping
requirements following
a significant release and
provides procedures to
estimate concentrations
and mass emissions. Draft
Regulation 13‐1 does not
require monitoring for
methane releases through
a formal Leak Detection
and Reporting (LDAR)
program prior to the initial
detection of a significant
96 release; however, facilities
that are already required by
State or federal regulations
to monitor for methane
leaks will detect significant
methane emissions,
and thus, abate them
in accordance with the
proposed requirements
of draft Regulation 13‐1.

Facilities may also become
aware of an unplanned
significant release via
process upset indicators
or odor complaints from
the general public. Some
facilities or operations
are already monitoring
for methane at different
frequencies per existing
federal, State or Air District
rules. Currently, methane
emissions from solid waste
disposal sites are required
to be monitored under
Regulation 8-34.

The costs to abate
methane releases would
vary widely depending
on the type of source and
nature of the release. There
are four types of costs to
consider: 1) the cost for
technology to initially
detect potential releases, to
monitor each release during
the abatement process
and to detect recurring
releases; 2) the cost to
determine mass emissions;
3) the cost to minimize
and ultimately abate the
releases; and 4) the cost
for staff time to maintain
logs and implement
appropriate recordkeeping.

In many cases, facilities
already own and operate
methane detection devices.

Because draft Regulation
13‐1 would not require an
LDAR program for the initial
detection of a significant
leak, implementation of
this rule would add costs
to owners or operators
that do not currently own
methane detection devices
to rent or purchase devices.

Those that already own
equipment would have
to perform an analysis to
ensure the equipment
meets the new regulatory
requirements. There could
also be additional costs to
hire a contractor to survey
the facility for releases and
determine mass emissions
from the release. Additional
costs will be associated
with abatement, including
any replacement of parts
and labor and subsequent
monitoring to ensure
abatement.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 97
98 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 99
A-3 10-Year Waste
Management
Plan Options
100
section A-3
Expand City Role
in Promulgating
Waste Prevention
and Diversion
Programs
Why Focus on City Government?
7 https://www.sanJoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=21999 It can be easier for a
government to enforce
zero waste compliance
on its constituents, rather
than on itself, so why focus
internally? The City of San
José’s impressive zero waste
leadership within its own
departments7 improves
the City’s performance
directly, by reducing its
own disposal tonnage, and
even more importantly,
indirectly, through several
mechanisms:
• By investing in
consistent infrastructure
and behavior within
its own departments,
San José multiplies
the breadth and
effectiveness
of its outreach,
troubleshooting, and
enforcement for the
community at large.

For example, a fire
department is more
likely to request “no
disposables” for its
annual holiday party
catering order, and
to provide positive
and compelling
messaging on the
issue if their own fire
stations rigorously follow
a reusable dishware
policy. Conversely, a
City building inspector
may be less effective in
noticing and promoting
deconstruction
opportunities at a
construction site if their
own buildings’ remodel
was not optimized in this
regard.
• Procurement policies
that focus on waste
minimization provide
an avenue for circulareconomy innovators
to overcome barriers
to entry into the
marketplace.
• By harnessing its ability
to fill infrastructure gaps
and provide publicity,
the City further levels a
playing field that is often
tilted in favor of a linear,
consumption-based
economy.

To expand internal
participation in Zero Waste
practices, the City can draw
on the same techniques
used to expand community
participation:

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 101
• Engagement with
employees in setting
goals and strategies for
achievement
• Publicity and education • Technical and financial
assistance with logistics
and infrastructure
• Monitoring performance • Evaluating,
troubleshooting,
celebrating successes,
sharing best practices
One indicator of
meaningful progress in
adopting Zero Waste
practices is the inclusion of
Zero Waste expectations
and protocols in hiring,
onboarding, and training
manuals for all City positions
and departments.

Below are some
opportunities for the City
of San José to expand its
valuable internal leadership
in striving for zero waste.
102
section A-3
Source Reduction
and Reuse
Programs like those in the following examples could either be provided by the City or supported and advertised by the City.

Reduction of Food Waste
With the implementation
of AB 1826, Mandatory
Commercial Recycling,
several public-private
partnerships sprouted to
rescue edible food and
provide this resource
to communities and
individuals in need.

Waste Not OC is a food
rescue network comprised
of multiple public and
private partners all with the
same goal of preventing
edible food from being
thrown in the waste bin. This
organization partners with
restaurants, grocery stores,
public and private schools,
and hospitals to recover
food and provide it to the
local food bank or kitchens
geared towards food rescue.

Their food recovery model
relies heavily on outreach
to educate food waste
generators on food rescue
and connecting them with
the appropriate partners.
• Food Rescue
• Public-Private
Partnerships
• Mobile Apps for
Reducing Food Waste
Fix-it/Repair Clinics
The Bay Area has several
groups that coordinate local
fix-it/repair clinics. Fixit Clinic
organizes pop-up events
in various locations around
the Bay Area where people
can bring broken items and
receive coaching on how
to fix them themselves.

Upcoming events are
generally posted on their
Facebook page. Due to the
pandemic, repair assistance
has gone virtual, and is
now offered through Zoom
meetings and an online
forum where people can
crowdsource guidance from
around the world on how to
repair items.8 Other nearby
resources are the Repair
Café Silicon Valley9 and
Maker Nexus, a community
makerspace located in
Sunnyvale10.

There are several
volunteer-run bicycle repair
clinics in San José, such as
the San José Bike Clinic,
which is a fiscally sponsored
8 Fixit Clinic. “Joining Zoom Fixit Clinics or the Global Fixers Discord Server.” Posted January 9, 2021. Accessible at https://fixitclinic.blogspot.com. Accessed January 19, 2021. 9 Repair Café Silicon Valley. Available at https://www.repaircafesv.org. Accessed November 26, 2024. 10 Maker Nexus. Available at https://makernexus.org. Accessed November 26, 2024 CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 103
project of the Silicon Valley
Bicycle Coalition,11 and the
free repair clinics offered
by Good Karma Bikes, a
11 San José Bike Clinic. “About San José Bike Clinic.” Available at http://www.sjbikeclinic.org. Accessed January 19, 2021.
12 Good Karma Bikes. “Our Program.” Available at https://goodkarmabikes.org/programs/. Accessed January 19, 2021. 13 https://el-cerrito.org/533/Recycling-Environmental-Resource-Center nonprofit social enterprise
full-service bike shop.12 These
spaces provide the tools,
equipment, and education
to teach residents how to
build, repair, and maintain
their bicycles.

HazMat Reuse Programs
A good living example of
a hazardous waste material
reuse program is that of the
City of Thousand Oaks. This
program collects usable
household products and
makes them available for
free to the public. This has
two major benefits: less
hazardous materials to
disposal and cost savings
for residents instead of
purchasing new products.

Residents simply drop-off
their partially used materials,
and the City stores these
materials in a hazardous
waste storage locker,
complete with spill control
and appropriate ventilation.

This program collects the
following materials for reuse:
• Household Cleaners
• Paints and Solvents
• Pool and Spa Cleaners
• Motor Oil and
Automotive Fluids
• Wood Preservatives and
Sealers
• Adhesives, Glue, Putty,
and Caulk
Materials Exchange Networks / Sharing Libraries
The El Cerrito Recycling
Center13 offers local residents
the opportunity to recycle
and reuse household items.

It accepts and offers the
following items:
• Art and Office Supplies
• Corks
• Garden Pots
• Hangers
• Housewares
• Media (Books,
Magazines, CDs)
• Office Supplies
• Reading Glasses
• Sporting Goods
• Small household
furniture
• Tools and Hardware
• Toys and Games
There are also several
recycled art studios in Los
Angeles that are geared
towards education on waste
reduction and reuse while
promoting art. ReDiscover,
Trash for Teaching, and
CReATE Studio all focus on
collecting donations from
residents or commercial
businesses, and using
these materials that
would otherwise be sent
to recycling or disposal to
create unique artwork.

Opportunities for sharing
libraries could include:
• Recycled Art Materials
• Building Supplies Depot
• Tool Sharing Centers
104
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
EPR programs shift the
responsibility of waste
management from
municipalities to producers
and encourage producers
to invest in improving their
products and packaging
through product design.

Stewardship programs
generally rely on consumerpaid environmental fees
or public funds (e.g. fees
on tires, or automobile
batteries). There is a growing
shift from stewardship
fees to EPR to incentivize
producers to innovate and
reduce the waste associated
with their product.

Examples of two
stewardship programs
within California are the
Mattress Recycling Council,
which benefits from a $16.00
consumer recycling fee on
mattresses or box springs,
and the California Carpet
Stewardship Program, which
generates funding through
a 33 cents per square yard
levied on carpet sold.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 105
section A-3
Food Waste
Prevention and
Recovery
14 https://goodfoodcities.org/cities/
15 https://www.consciouskitchen.org/impact/
16 https://jointventure.org/silicon-valley-food-recovery-initiative/silicon-valley-food-recovery-council In order to further
the underlying goals of
enhancing quality of life
and of the environment,
food waste prevention and
rescue programs should be
prioritized based on their
effectiveness at helping
hungry people transition out
of poverty, and promoting
local, resilient agriculture
and food systems.

To this end, the City’s EP3
already includes guidance
to “ensure that at least 30
percent of direct purchases
of food served in City
facilities is locally grown
and organic.” The City can
expand on this initiative by
taking the lead on SPUR’s
call for Santa Clara County
to adopt the Good Food
Purchasing Policy that has
already been adopted by
already underway in cities
such as Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Oakland, and
Chicago.14 The Good Food
Purchasing Policy provides a
standards-based framework
that allows institutions to
purchase food that is verified
to support human and
environmental health, local
economies, and human and
animal welfare.

If San José’s School-City
Collaborative can help
spread these Good Food
Purchasing policies to the
School District, the benefits
could be especially great,
as serving organic, locally
sourced and prepared food
at schools can reduce food
waste dramatically. A nonprofit-public collaboration
between Conscious Kitchen
and two Marin City public
schools showed as much
as 62 percent reduction in
food and packaging waste
through serving fresh, local,
organic, seasonal food on
reusable service-ware.15
Beyond food purchasing
policies, San José City
departments can develop
customized plans for office
events to ensure that
guest counts are accurate
to prevent over-ordering,
and to put in place a food
donation plan so any leftovers are not wasted. A
valuable resource in this
effort is the Silicon Valley
Food Recovery Council,16
a robust collaborative of
prepared food recovery
programs that provides
both technology and onthe-ground solutions for
getting excess food to
hungry people. Waste Not
OC is an example the City
could follow of a publicprivate partnership in
Orange County that not only
helps generators donate to
food rescue organizations,
but also emphasizes
the prevention of excess
food generation through
tracking.

SB 1383 has a twopronged goal – reduce
methane, a greenhouse
gas that is released
when organic materials
decompose in landfills,
and increase statewide
edible food recovery efforts.

It requires that certain
businesses donate surplus
food instead of throwing
it out as well as places
additional recordkeeping
106
and reporting requirements
on these businesses. Since
the regulations were
finalized in November
2020, City staff have been
engaging regionally with
other cities and with food
recovery organizations
and services in a Countywide work group to discuss
potential collaborative
efforts. Joint Venture Silicon
Valley has been contracted
to manage the Santa Clara
County Food Recovery
Program planning and
implementation.17 This
regional effort will ensure
the City’s compliance
with SB1383 and support
food recovery activities
throughout the county.
17 www.SCCFoodRecovery.org
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 107
section A-3
Enhanced
Construction &
Demolition Waste
Prevention and
Diversion
Deconstruction: The San José Youth Commission recommended in October 2020 that the City follow Palo Alto’s lead in requiring deconstruction instead of demolition city-wide.18 Palo Alto’s deconstruction ordinance requires any project where structures are being removed to salvage all materials identified in a mandatory third-party salvage survey.19 This could help decrease the short-term economic advantages of demolition, allowing for the environmental and job-creation benefits of deconstruction to take root. 18 https://www.sanJoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=65285 19 https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Public-Works/Zero-Waste/Zero-Waste-Requirements-Guidelines/ Deconstruction-Ordinance
108
section A-3
Procurement
and Purchasing
Requirements
The City’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (EP3) requires all City Departments to choose appropriate products, based on attributes such as durability, recycled content, recyclability/compostability, and reusability.20 This policy can be a powerful tool to inspire adaptation and replication of successful initiatives, and accountability to continued progress.

Sharing Economy
20 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/environmental-services/business-schoolresources/environmentally-preferable-procurement 21 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/parks-recreation-neighborhood-services/getinvolved/neighborhood-center-partner-program 22 https://sfenvironment.org/virtualwarehouse
The EP3 could be
improved by highlighting
material sharing as the
most environmentally
beneficial option. San José
already demonstrates
this prioritization through
its innovative Facility
Reuse Program,21 which
makes its 50 community
centers available at no
charge to organizations
and agencies that benefit
San José’s residents. The
“Facility Reuse Program”
has been re-branded
as the “Neighborhood
Center Partner Program”
to recognize that the
strength of the program
is determined by the
community-based partners
that provide services at
the City’s neighborhoodbased facilities. The
sharing economy could
be expanded within City
Government through
a system such as San
Francisco’s Virtual
Warehouse,22 where City
departments can post
surplus items such as office
furniture and supplies,
electronics, and appliances
and other departments can
“shop” for items they need.

Procurement of Recovered Organic Waste Products
Beginning January 1, 2022,
State Bill (SB) 1383 requires
cities and counties to
procure annually a quantity
of recovered organic waste
products to meet their
annual procurement target.

SB 1383 Procurement
Regulations (14 CCR Article
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 109
12) describes the options
available for meeting SB
1383’s requirements for
procurement of recovered
organic waste products:
compost, mulch, and energy
(electricity, heat, or gas)
generated from organic
wastes. The City will have
many opportunities to
meet its procurement goals
through the electrical power
from ZWED, and other
power and fuel projects as
they come online, but in
the short term, compost
and mulch use are the most
promising avenues. San
José can apply compost
and mulch to its natural and
working lands, City parks
and facilities, community
centers and gardens,
and its many BeautifySJ
neighborhood improvement
sites. San José could meet
its recovered organic waste
procurement requirements
by applying compost to
approximately 860 acres
at 50 tons per acre,23 and/
or mulching approximately
4,000 acres at 20 tons per
acre.24 Compost and mulch
can be used in tandem, so
these acreages can overlap.
23 https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publications/Details/998 24 https://web.archive.org/web/20170211113052/https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/ nrcs142p2_006305.pdf
110
section A-3
Logistical and
Behavioral
Challenges
The City has no influence on waste services offered at schools, universities, and jails since these local entities typically have service provided through their own contractors. Evidence has shown that people are resistant to change their behavior and lifestyle even though they are putting enormous pressure on the earth through their high level of consumption.

Therefore, education on the importance of behavior change and sustainable consumption is crucial for the waste management sector in the future.

Food Waste
25 https://web.archive.org/web/20220124184612/https://reducewaste.sccgov.org/sites/g/files/exjcpb691/files/ FoodShiftFinalReport.pdf
26 https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/wasted-food-IP.pdf Thirty-four million pounds
of edible food went to
landfill in Santa Clara County
in 2013, with many additional
millions of pounds going
to anaerobic digestion or
compost, all in a year with a
deficit of about 125 million
meals countywide for
needy families.25 Nationally,
forty percent of the food
produced is wasted, and
producing this wasted
food consumes more than
twenty percent of U.S. land,
four percent of the U.S.
energy budget, and more
than thirty percent of all
consumptive freshwater
use.26
Food losses vary greatly
by food type, and occur
throughout the supply
system – from farm to
table and beyond. Broad
societal changes are
necessary to address some
of the deepest challenges
to food waste prevention,
such as artificially
cheap food, consumer
expectations for cosmetically
“perfect” food, economic
incentives for wasting
and over-purchasing,
and externalization of
environmental and human
costs of wasted food.

The challenges most
applicable to preventing
food waste in San José
include:
• Lack of available staff
at stores, schools, and
institutions to measure
wasted food, manage
edible food donation,
and implement foodwaste prevention
strategies such as
preparing food on-site
and involving consumers
(students, residents,
customers, etc.) in food
choices
• Confusion among
consumers about the
meanings of food label
dates, such as “Best by”,
“Sell by” and “Use by”
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 111
• Barriers to food recovery,
including:
→ Confusion and fear
about liability for
safety of donated
food
→ Lack of food recovery
infrastructure, and
staffing
→ Logistical challenges
to matching supply
and demand with
regard to food type,
time, and geography
→ Lack of awareness
of food donation
opportunities
Institutional Material Streams (Educational, Medical,
Correctional, Corporate Businesses)
Challenges in these
sectors include:
• Schools, jails, businesses,
etc. may require
repeated education
efforts because of
population changeover
• Medical facilities
handle a wide variety
of materials, many of
which are disposable/
hard to recycle and/or
require special handling
to prevent pathogen
spread
• Jails have many security
restrictions that can
hamper the efficient
movement of materials
• Jails and medical
facilities frequently deal
with high-risk situations,
putting non-emergency
factors, such as waste
prevention and diversion,
at a perennial priority
disadvantage
• Corporate Businesses
(Costco. Malls, Target.

Etc.) have their own
region wide solid waste
hauler contractors, often
leading to difficulties in
changing jurisdictional
policies since all changes
must be made at
corporate level
112
Recycling aluminum
cans saves 95% of the
energy required to
make the same amount
of aluminum from its
virgin source. One ton of
recycled aluminum saves
14,000 kilowatt hours
of energy, 40 barrels
of oil, 238 million Btu’s
of energy, and 10 cubic
yards of landfill space.

CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 113
114
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 115
A-4 Greenhouse
Gas Emissions
& Waste
Diversion
Estimates
Methodology
116
section A-4
Overview
27 US Community Protocol | ICLEI USA (Appendix E Solid Waste Emission Activities and Sources) This document describes
this Element’s methodology
to understand greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions
and emissions reduction
estimates associated with
“Zero Waste Strategies”.

The result is a methodology
that is replicable in future
years, lightly updated from
the methodology used to
create the (draft) 2022 Zero
Waste Element, compliant
with the U.S. Community
Protocol (USCP), aligned
with industry standards, and
reflective of the Element’s
strategy-level emissions
reduction estimates based
on 2021 citywide emissions.27
The methodology
describes the sources,
assumptions, and protocol(s)
used to develop GHG
emissions reduction
estimates and diversion
estimates, for each Zero
Waste Strategy.

Methodology
The methodology
encompasses three separate
analyses to ultimately
understand the potential of
each Zero Waste Strategy
to divert waste from landfill
and lead to GHG emissions
reductions:
• An emissions analysis,
to understand wasterelated GHG emissions.
• An avoided emissions
analysis, to understand
the total GHG emissions
reductions achieved if
the Element’s diversion
goals are met.
• A diversion potential
forecast, to understand
the amount of waste
diverted, and the
associated GHG
emissions reductions,
by strategy if they are
implemented to an
extent that meets the
Element’s diversion
goals.

Emissions Analysis
The project team
calculated San José’s wasterelated GHG emissions
associated with the following
destinations: landfill,
combustion, compost,
and anaerobic digestion.

Recycling is not included in
emissions analysis per the
protocol.

To complete the
calculations, the project
team gathered the data
below as applicable:
• Activity data – San José
consumption data (e.g.,
municipally collected
waste tonnage) for each
solid waste destination.
• Landfill characteristics –
Key aspects of landfills
that receive San José’s
municipal solid waste,
such as location, annual
precipitation received,
and methane collection
scenario, that have
implications for solid
waste GHG emissions.

Then, the project team
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 117
calculated the GHG
emissions associated
with solid waste tonnage
decomposition and
28 Waste Reduction Model (WARM) | US EPA
29 Jurisdiction Disposal and Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) Tons by Facility 30 LMOP Landfill and Project Database | US EPA
31 EPA Facility Level GHG Emissions Data
32 Documentation for Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Factors Used in the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) - Management Practices Chapters (epa.gov) (Exhibit 6-8 and Exhibit 6-10). 33 CalRecycle’s RDRS Report 2
34 GHG Facility Details
transportation to each
destination, using the EPA’s
WARM guidance.28 The team
added results from each
solid waste destination into a
summary workbook.

Landfilled Waste
Activity Data & Landfill
Characteristics
The project team first
pulled landfill tonnage,
by sector (residential,
commercial, and C&D), from
the 2021 San José Waste
Characterization; data was
provided by the Integrated
Waste Management division.

Then, the team
determined tonnage by
sector, destination location
(in-boundary or out-ofboundary), and methane
collection scenario input.

Destination location
information came from
CalRecycle’s annual report.29
Methane collection scenario
came from the EPA’s Landfill
Methane Outreach Program
(LMOP) database and the
EPA’s FLIGHT tool.30,31
Emissions Calculations
To calculate GHG
emissions of waste
transported to out-ofboundary landfills, the
project team calculated
a weighted average
of distance traveled to
the landfill, based on
tonnage, and applied the
protocol’s out-of-boundary
transportation emissions
factor to the weighted
average miles traveled.

Emissions factors used are
from WARM v16.32
Next, the project team
transcribed the jurisdiction
waste characterization
material type (from the
2021 San José waste
characterization) to EPA
WARM16 Material Type.

Combusted Waste
Activity Data
San José’s combusted
waste is currently sent to
Covanta Stanislaus. The
project team sourced San
José’s combusted waste
tonnage from CalRecycle’s
annual report and sourced
Covanta Stanislaus’ total
2021 tonnage received
from CalRecycle’s RDRS
(Jurisdiction Disposal
and Beneficial Reuse by
Destination) Report.33
The report indicates
that Covanta Stanislaus
reported a total of 5.75
tons from San José, out of
a total of 250,876.36 tons
from all jurisdictions. All
tons were reported under
“Transformation (Includes
host assigned tons due to
missing reports).”
Emissions Calculations
To calculate emissions
from combusted waste,
the project team sourced
Covanta Stanislaus’ total
2021 emissions from
EPA’s FLIGHT tool,34 then
determined San José’s
portion of emissions by
determining San José’s
portion of tonnage.
118
Composted Waste
35 Documentation for Greenhouse Gas Emission and Energy Factors Used in the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) - Management Practices Chapters (epa.gov) (Exhibit 4-1).

Activity Data
The project team pulled
composted tonnage,
by sector (residential,
commercial, and C&D),
from the 2021 San José
Waste Characterization.

Residential is the only sector
analyzed for emissions – the
commercial tonnage is from
ZWED and therefore those
emissions are accounted for
in anaerobic digestion; C&D
had no composted waste.

Emissions Calculations
The project team
transcribed the Jurisdiction
Waste Characterization
Material Type (from the 2021
waste characterization) to
EPA WARM16 Material Type.

Emissions factors used are
from WARM v16.35
Anaerobic Digestion
Activity Data
The project team
sourced anaerobically
digested tonnage, by sector
(residential, commercial, and
C&D), from the 2021 San José
Waste Characterization.

Emissions Calculations
To calculate emissions
from anaerobically digested
waste, the project team
applied emissions factors
provided by the Lawrence
Berkeley National Lab.

Avoided Emissions Analysis
This analysis estimated
the emissions reductions
associated with achieving
diversion goals in the Zero
Waste Element. To calculate
these emissions reductions,
the project team:
• Added solid waste
tonnages from
recycling, compost, and
anaerobic digestion
by sector (residential,
commercial, and C&D),
and material type, from
the 2021 San José Waste
Characterization.
• Applied the percent of
waste sent to a landfill
with and without
methane collection to
the diverted tonnage.
• Applied EPA WARM v16
landfill emissions factors
to diverted tonnage
to estimate avoided
emissions.

Diversion Potential Forecast
This analysis estimated
the amount of waste
diverted by Zero Waste
Strategy and the associated
GHG emissions reductions
if the strategies are
implemented to an extent
that meets the Element’s
overall diversion goals.

First, to understand
diversion potential of each
Zero Waste Strategy, the
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ | ZERO WASTE ELEMENT 119
project team estimated total
waste diverted, based on the
Element’s diversion goals,
after population growth.

Then they distributed
estimated diversion
potential across strategies
by applying consultantdeveloped capture rates to
tonnage in each material
type from the waste
characterization.

Finally, to understand
emissions reductions by
Zero Waste Strategy, the
total emissions reduction
was distributed across
individual strategies by
separately estimating the
individual tonnage and
emissions reduction of
each strategy, applying an
approach implemented by
the consultant team that
created the 2022 (draft) Zero
Waste Element. Individual
tonnage reductions
by material type were
estimated by making
assumptions around the
percentage (1%, 5%, 10%,
20%, or 25%) of landfill tons
that each strategy would
divert for each sector
(information on the sources
for these assumptions is not
available). Then emissions
reductions factors from
EPA WARM for recycling,
composting, and source
reduction were applied to
those tonnage reductions.

April 2025
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