Item 11 - Orange County Grand Jury Report: Talking Trash: Recyclables and Organic Waste

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Public Works Agency www.santa-ana.org/public-works Item # 11 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report August 20, 2024 TOPIC: Orange County Grand Jury Report: Talking Trash: Recyclables and Organic Waste AGENDA TITLE Receive and File the 2023-2024 Orange County Grand Jury Report: Talking Trash: Recyclables and Organic Waste RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive and file. GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No DISCUSSION The Public Works Agency (PWA) is responsible for the refuse enterprise that oversees solid waste and recycling services to residents and businesses, while maintaining compliance with state mandates. The study was in response to Senate Bill (SB) 1383 that became effective on January 1, 2022. SB 1383 requires implementation of programs for the separation and diversion of organic waste such as food scraps, from landfill disposal. It also makes jurisdictions, e. g. cities, responsible for procuring certain amounts of the recovered organic waste products, i.e., mulch, resulting for the diversion. At the recommendation of the Orange County (OC) Waste & Recycling Agency, the PWA staff worked closely with the OC Grand Jury team to: provide information, answer questions, and guided the jurors on a tour of the Republic Services Material Recovery Facilities in Huntington Beach, CA. The City received commendations for proactively revising their hauler contract to meet SB 1383 requirements, producing a notable and ongoing outreach and education program, distributing compliant waste containers to all residents, and fostering a highly collaborative relationship with their hauler. Through the current agreement with Republic Services, staff worked diligently to not only develop an SB 1383 compliant contract, but also an education program supportive of all customers. The City is working with CalRecycle on a Corrective Action Plan to achieve full compliance.