CAC thursday 12-2 live or virtual
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:
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 January 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, January 8, 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. Helen Kagan, resident
v. Bob hill, EDCO
vi. Kamila Hasleman, City of San Diego - Recycling Specialist II
vii. Amy Stanfield, consultant
2. Approval, minutes from December 2025
a. Approved
3. Chair’s Report (Ric Anthony)
a. CRRA planning meeting was held today (50th conference) – held at Sheraton near San Diego airport
i. Discussing tour possibilities
1. Any ideas from the group?
b. Zero Waste International Alliance – coming up with short/long term plans
c. Zero Waste USA – workshops are upcoming - https://zerowasteusa.org/
d. Zero Waste Symposium - https://zerowastesandiego.org/events-main/#symposium
i. 2/18/26 13th annual event
1. Expected wide array of speakers
4. Staff reports
a. City of San Diego
i. Outreach
1. Measure B
a. https://youtu.be/8Y3WVSe4Tk4?si=NISkKmFckMtn_pEh
b. Light blue bins will be delivered after full roll out of grey (trash) bins
c. Link to check container delivery - https://getitdone.sandiego.gov/ContainerDeliveryLookup
d. For missed pick up requests - Containers | City of San Diego Official Website
e. Adjustments to bin size/quantities will have to wait until 7/1/26.
f. Light blue recycle bin delivery likely to start in Spring (beginning with Monday customers first).
2. CalRecycle grant
a. Billboards/radio/social media is up and running
b. Commercial business outreach
A. Contractor concluded their outreach
c. Multifamily complexes (MFCs)
A. Marketing materials are pending (Ani can share once available). Outreach has concluded.
3. Curbsider annual newsletter was mailed to 225K residents on 12/18 - https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/publications
a. English and Spanish
4. Solana Center contract has concluded; shifting into green bin education vs. backyard composting.
5. Staffing
a. Three internal staff members were promoted Recycling Specialist III
b. Derek Lam- new Supervising Recycling Specialist (promotion)
c. Supervising Recycling Specialist recruitment is open until 1/12
d. Recycling Specialist I position may open in a few months.
6. Question
a. When is my black bin going to get picked up?
A. https://getitdone.sandiego.gov/esdgid/container-removal-request
b. If less than what was requested were delivered, can adjust service on 7/1/26 and can order additional bins (green/blue/grey) 95/65/35 gallon at that time.
c. Why was the decision made to shred and recycle the black bins vs. donate/sell them?
A. Unsure why
d. What is the reserve fee through Measure B
A. Stephen asking for more info on the fund
1. Ani can follow up on specifics during next CAC
e. Beginning 7/1/27 – recycling is going to weekly collection
7. Route reviews
a. Ongoing – focusing on residents who just received grey trash bins (to adjust service should overflow/contamination be noted)
b. Can send Code Officers out on complaint basis
8. Fix It Clinics
a. Upcoming Events – San Diego Fixit Clinic
9. Events
a. https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/events
10. Christmas Tree recycling program
a. Lid will need to completely close (green bin) to be collected
b. 16 drop off locations (12/26-1/16) https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/events/christmas
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.
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 February – date/time is TBD
b. An HHW and E-Waste Collection event was held at Borrego Springs High School Saturday, 11/1
A. Results – 162 vehicles, tonnage report pending
c. An event was held in Borrego Springs on 11/1 which collected 22,261 pounds of hazardous materials and e-waste
A. 4,000 pounds of latex paint
B. 1,320 pounds of gasoline/flammable liquids
C. 1,360 pounds of used oil
D. 9,600 pounds of e-waste (TV’s, monitors, and misc e-waste)
E. 1,530 pounds of lead acid batteries (car batteries)
F. 43% heard about the event from Facebook post/event sharing
v. Outreach
1. OOPS tag procurement
a. Have selected a contractor - ReCREATE
A. Will monitor all three-waste stream and “tag” bins with contamination, targeting multifamily, single family and commercial sectors.
2. Continuing to give out kitchen pails to multifamily residents to help with the convenience of storage/transport. Bringing to tabling events.
3. Planning on promoting the recycled paper bags at check out to make organic waste (food scrap) recycling easier.
a. Anyone that would like to collaborate on this, please let Steve W. know.
4. Looking into agricultural plastics recycling options.
a. If you know of any farms/contacts, send them our way.
vi. Self-Haul
1. Some businesses have decided to stop self-hauling recyclables (too much work) and have switched back to cart/dumpster service.
c. Haulers
i. EDCO
1. In the next few months, EDCO will be completing a single stream recycling study to see how much contamination has been reduced due to bag ban.
a. Anticipating a reduction in contamination; #1 by weight is film plastic (plastic bags)
b. Paper bags will go in mixed fiber bales
2. Markets
a. Buy back centers may be struggling due to low value/scrap (PET plastic)
3. Anaerobic digesters (AD)
a. Two new digesters are being built which will bring total capacity to 186K tons of organics per year; 4 digesters in total. Expected to be completed in 2026.
4. Digestate
a. Compostable bags are problematic for ADs
A. They combine into a slime ball
B. Top contaminants:
1. Plastic bags
2. Waxed cardboard
3. Dirt/rocks
a. Green waste carts are being screened
5. Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
a. Still seeing a lot of batteries (very problematic)
b. Attendee question
A. Are pinecones an issue for AD system?
1. No
d. Non-profits
i. Zero Waste San Diego (ZWSD)
1. Zero Waste Symposium 2026
a. Tentatively scheduled for February 18, 2026 (13th annual event) at the County of San Diego Chambers.
2. Fix-It Clincs
a. https://zerowastesandiego.org/sdfixitclinic/
3. Reuse and Repair Collective
a. Trainings or tour requests – send to Laura or Stephen
ii. Goodwill
1. Working on year end reporting
2. Always looking to partner on events
iii. I Love A Clean San Diego
1. No report
2. Events https://www.cleansd.org/events/
iv. Sierra Club
1. Ric
a. Monthly subcommittee on recycling/zero waste
A. Supporting the Wasting Fee
b. Artificial turf
A. Hard to recycle and toxics concerns
c. Looking for a city to pick up connecting the cap ordinance
A. Surfrider is working on this topic
v. League of Women Voters– No report
5. Public Comments and Communication
a. Attendees discussed
1. Helen
a. Would like to set up an “Ecology Center” to help educate the public using videos, webinars as well as in person classes
b. Farming field trips to help teach composting
A. Ric supports the idea
6. Regional Planning issues
a. Wasting Fee discussion (from Chair)
i. Meetings have been held with the County
ii. Is the fee for something specific or a more general fee?
iii. Would haulers be on board with Wasting Fee?
1. Likely more discussion at Zero Waste Symposium.
7. Legislative update (https://www.calpsc.org/legislation)
2025 bills introduced:
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.
Two-Year bill.
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.
Two-Year bill.
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.
Current Status: May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. 5/23/2025.
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.
Two-year bill
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.
Two-Year bill
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.
Current Status: Passed Assembly; in Senate. In committee: Held under submission.
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.
Current Status: Passed Assembly; in Senate. In committee: Held under submission.
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. 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
8. Roundtable