CAC meeting 12 pdst
rican...@aol.com
COUNTYWIDE INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE/ CRRA San Diego Chapter and Zero Waste San Diego Public Meeting MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA
WHEN: Thursday, March 12, 2026 from 12:00 – 2:00 pm
This meeting will be in-person with the option for virtual attendance
PLEASE NOTE: floor and room change for in-person attendance County of San Diego, Department of Public Works
5510 Overland Ave
3rd Floor, Conference Room #371
(For access - please ring the C&D bell located at the County Surveyor counter) San Diego, CA 92123
MEETING LINK: Join the meeting now
Phone call in through Teams:
Call +1 619-343-2539 and enter the meeting ID 299 560 363 771#
Contact: Steve Weihe 858-694-2559
Submit Agenda Items to Chair Rick Anthony and County Staff Steve Weihe 2 weeks prior to the next meeting: RicAn...@aol.com and Steve...@sdcounty.ca.gov
Should you require any accommodations to attend the meeting, please contact Steve Weihe
Agenda
1. Welcome, Introductions and Attendance
2. Approval, Minutes February 2025
3. Chair’s Report
4. Staff Reports
a. Cities
b. County
c. Haulers
d. Non-Profits
5. Public Comments and Communication
6. Regional Planning Issues
a. Wasting Fee
7. Legislative Update
8. Roundtable
9. Adjournment
Minutes
Thursday, February 12, from 12:00-2:00 p.m.
1. Welcome, Introductions and Attendance (*in-person attendee)
a. Chair
i. Ric Anthony - Zero Waste San Diego*
b. Member
i. Stephen Mergener - Zero Waste San Diego*
c. Guests
i. Steve Weihe - County of San Diego*
ii. Ani Putnam - City of San Diego
iii. Lotte Phoummavong - Goodwill San Diego
iv. Clare Swthenbank-Bowman – Trash4Tokens
v. Helen Kagan - resident
vi. Gabriel Schiering - I Love A Clean San Diego
2. Approval, minutes from January 2025
a. Approved
3. Chair’s Report (Ric Anthony)
a. CRRA 2026 will be held at Sheraton near San Diego airport - https://www.crra.com/conference
b. Zero Waste Symposium - https://zerowastesandiego.org/events-main/#symposium
i. February 18, 2026 9 AM to 5 PM
4. Staff reports
a. City of San Diego
i. Outreach
1. Measure B
a. https://youtu.be/8Y3WVSe4Tk4?si=NISkKmFckMtn_pEh
b. Link to check container delivery https://getitdone.sandiego.gov/ContainerDeliveryLookup
c. For missed pick up requests - Containers | City of San Diego Official Website
2. CalRecycle grant
a. For outreach to residential and commercial properties
A. Project through contractor is wrapping up this week with numbers/totals likely available next meeting
B. Commercial properties
1. Delivered slim jims and worked with business/multifamily complex owners/managers (100+ visited)
3. Fix It Clinics
a. Upcoming Events – San Diego Fixit Clinic
A. In January, Mira Mesa Library event had 100+ attendees (500+ lbs diverted)
4. Events
a. https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/events
5. Questions from attendees
a. How is City tracking events/details?
A. Salesforce and Recyclist
b. Claire shared info about an app she developed – Trash Talk
A. Is collecting all types of plastics/materials in South Africa; MRFs collect from 38 sites (funding through their local government); working with PROs/EPR (Trash4Tokens) – hasn’t launched in San Diego yet (working on funding/grants); partnering with SD Coastkeeper; official partner of Zero Waste Global Alliance
c. Are old bin wheels being recycled? Yes
A. https://youtu.be/8Y3WVSe4Tk4?si=NISkKmFckMtn_pEh
d. Reserve fund
A. Attachment A – Summary of Reserve Balance - https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2025-04/cosd-cost-of-service-study-report.pdf
b. County of San Diego
i. Site Visits
1. Actively visiting Tier I/II businesses and Food Recovery Organizations/FROs (under SB 1383), commercial as well as multi-family residences to assist with recycling and organic waste educational outreach.
2. Visiting more schools to check in on recycling/lunch sorting
ii. Waivers
1. Reviews continue both on organic waste waiver exemptions and self-haul forms for recyclables.
iii. Van wrap
1. Working on finalizing graphics to wrap our County van in Recycle Right and/or Organic Waste recycling messaging.
iv. Events
a. Community Clean up Event in Alpine in late Saturday, 2/28 from 8 AM to 12 PM
A. No HHW
B. Will have recycling bins/options for e-waste, yard waste, mattresses, appliances, scrap metal, and tires.
v. Outreach
1. N&R mailer
a. In final design
b. On organic waste recycling
c. Will be mailed out to all 200K+ unincorporated residents, likely in April 2026
2. Continuing to give out kitchen pails to multifamily residents to help with the convenience of storage/transport. Bringing to tabling events.
3. Through I Love A Clean San Diego, promoted the use of recycled paper bags received at check out to make organic waste (food scrap) recycling easier - blog and press release
a. Instagram reel should be posted this weekend https://www.instagram.com/iloveacleansd/
4. Looking into agricultural plastics recycling options
a. If you know of any farms/contacts, send them our way.
b. Attendees discussed options and where the materials may be going.
5. Working on horse manure diversion options
6. Learned about free curbside textiles collection possibility
a. Eco World Trading is presenting at the Regional Recycling Working Group in April, if you’d like more info.
7. County researching HHW Reuse program at Ramona facility
8. The County-funded Circular Economy Assessment will be presented at the next Regional Recycling Working Group meeting on 2/26 from 10 AM to 12 PM - Click here to join the meeting
9. Hiring for Recycling Specialist II position – closes 2/27 link to posting
10. Solana Center events
a. SB 1383 compliance at schools webinar (unincorporated focused) on 2/26 at 1PM – link to webinar
b. Manure composting webinar 3/4 from 6-7 PM link to webinar
c. ASP (aerated static pile) workshop in Ramona Library 3/7 10-11:30 AM link to webinar
d. Master composter series starts in March at Fallbrook Land Conservancy – link to event
11. Regional Collaboration – any partners?
a. I Love would like to be involved
vi. Self-Haul
1. Some businesses have decided to stop self-hauling recyclables (too much work) and have switched back to cart/dumpster service.
5. Haulers
a. EDCO – no report
6. Non-profits
a. Zero Waste San Diego (ZWSD)
i. Zero Waste Symposium 2026
1. Scheduled for February 18, 2026 (13th annual event) at the County of San Diego Chambers.
ii. Fix-It Clincs
1. https://zerowastesandiego.org/sdfixitclinic/
iii. Reuse and Repair Collective
1. Running classes on sewing, bicycle maintenance; open for rent; has a tool lending library
b. Goodwill
i. Working on reporting
ii. Offering collaboration on donation drives/e-waste
iii. Green Team will be having a Sustainable Fair (location/date/time - TBD)
c. I Love A Clean San Diego
i. Coordinating compost and mulch giveaways for City of San Diego
ii. Events https://www.cleansd.org/events/
d. Sierra Club
i. Ric
1. Discussing artificial turf concerns
e. League of Women Voters– No report
7. Public Comments and Communication
a. Attendees discussed
i. Resource Recovery Facility
1. Consultant working on this project – HF&F
a. No additional info to share
b. Attendees asked if they could provide input
2. What is happening to PLA?
a. San Diego composting facilities cannot handle it (may break down, but not in the current composting time frames)
ii. Compostable bags
iii. Barber project – 3D printing using waste from corn growing (Europe)
iv. PFAS removal technology
8. Regional Planning issues
a. Wasting Fee discussion (from Chair)
i. Ric and others may be reaching out to BOS offices to continue the conversation
ii. Questions remain around whether the Wasting Fee is a tax or fee
1. Looking into it (specific vs. general fee) and implications
9. Legislative update (https://www.calpsc.org/legislation)
Bills introduced/continued:
a. AB-762, Single-use Vaping Devices Sales Ban
This bill would prohibit, beginning January 1, 2026, a person from selling, distributing, or offering for sale a new or refurbished disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device in this state. The bill would define a “disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation device” to mean a vaporization device that is not designed or intended to be reused, as specified. Passed Assembly 1/29/26; in the Senate - first read.
b. AB-823, Solid waste: plastic microbeads.
This bill would, on and after January 1, 2027, prohibit a person from selling, distributing, or offering for promotional purposes in this state a cleaning product, as defined, or a personal care product in a rinse-off product, containing one ppm or more by weight of plastic microbeads that are used as an abrasive, as specified. The bill would, on and after January 1, 2028, prohibit a person from selling, distributing, or offering for promotional purposes in this state a coating, as defined, cleaning product, or personal care product, that contains one ppm or more by weight of plastic microbeads that are not used as an abrasive. Vetoed.
c. AB-864, Hazardous waste: solar photovoltaic modules
This bill would exempt solar photovoltaic modules not identified as hazardous waste and treated as universal waste, as defined, from state hazardous waste regulations, if transferred to a designated recycler for legitimate recycling. Likely dead.
d. SB-45, Recycling: beverage containers: tethered plastic caps.
The bill would require, on and after January 1, 2027, beverage containers, as defined, intended for sale in this state, to have a cap that is tethered to the container that prevents the separation of the cap from the container when the cap is removed from the container by the consumer. (Rick spoke on this one). Dead bill. Per Ric – looking at local ordinances for coastal cities
e. SB-501, Household Hazardous Waste Producer Responsibility Act
This bill would create a producer responsibility program for products containing household hazardous waste and would require a producer responsibility organization (PRO) to ensure the safe and convenient collection and management of covered products at no cost to consumers or local governments. The bill would define “covered product” to mean a consumer product that is ignitable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive, or that meets other specified criteria. Passed Senate on 1/27/26; in Assembly – first read.
f. SB-561 Hazardous waste: Emergency Distress Flare Safe Disposal Act. (Marine Flares)
This bill would create a manufacturer responsibility program for the safe and proper management of emergency distress flares. The bill would define “covered product” to include certain pyrotechnic devices that meet the criteria for household hazardous waste, as specified. The bill would require a manufacturer of a covered product, individually or through a manufacturer responsibility organization, to develop and management of covered products, as specified. Likely dead.
g. SB-615, Vehicle Traction Batteries
This bill would require a battery supplier, as defined, to be responsible for, among other duties, ensuring the responsible end-of-life management of a vehicle traction battery if it is removed from a vehicle that is still in service, as provided, or if the vehicle traction battery is offered or returned to its battery supplier, and reporting information regarding the sale, transfer, or receipt of a vehicle traction battery or module to the department, as provided. Likely dead.
h. AB-80 Carpet recycling: product stewardship for carpet: fines
The act includes a product stewardship for carpet program and a successor carpet producer responsibility program. The product stewardship for carpet program requires a manufacturer of carpets sold in this state, individually or through a carpet stewardship organization, to submit a carpet stewardship plan to the department. The program authorizes the department to administratively impose a civil penalty of $25,000 per day on any person in violation of the program if the violation is intentional, knowing, or negligent. Two-Year bill.
i. SB-353 Income tax: credits: food banks.
The Personal Income Tax Law
and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by
those laws, including, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2017,
and before January 1, 2027, a credit for qualified taxpayers in an
amount equal to 15% of the qualified value of fresh fruits or vegetables and
specified raw agricultural products or processed foods donated to a food bank.
This bill would extend the authorization for those tax credits indefinitely. Two-Year bill.
j. AB-998 Household hazardous waste: vape pens.
Under this bill, a vape pen confiscated by a school as contraband is presumed to have been generated by a household and does not lose its status as household hazardous waste when properly managed and disposed of at a household hazardous waste collection facility or through a household hazardous waste collection program. Two-Year bill.
k. AB-1148 Food packaging: hazardous chemicals.
This bill would authorize the Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations to restrict or prohibit the distribution, sale, or offering for sale in the state of food packaging that contains intentionally added antimony trioxide, bisphenols, or ortho-phthalates, as specified. Two-Year bill.
l. AB 333 – Alanis - Recycling: glass beverage containers: market development payments.
This bill would require the department, subject to the availability of funds, to pay a market development payment to a person who purchases a product, other than a beverage container, that is made with empty glass beverage containers that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Passed Assembly Committee on Natural Resources – 1/12/26
m. AB 337 – Bennett - Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: grant program: edible food
This bill would expand the grant program to provide financial assistance for the recovery of edible food. Re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations 1/15/2026.
n. AB 405 – Addis - Fashion Environmental Accountability Act of 2025
This bill would enact the Fashion Environmental Accountability Act of 2025 and would require fashion sellers to carry out effective environmental due diligence. Dead bill?
o. Bills vetoed by the Governor (previous session):
i. SB 1066 -- EPR for Marine Flares
ii. SB 615 – End-of-life management for vehicle traction batteries
10. Roundtable
a. S. 1194 Recycling and Composting A87ccountability Act
b. S. 1189 Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2024 Passed Senate on 3/12/24.
c. REUSE Act passed the US Senate
d. SB 54 implementation
i. SB 54: Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act - CalRecycle Home Page
11. Adjournment