CAC MEETING 12/11 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
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, December 11, 2025 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
Agenda
1. Welcome, Introductions and Attendance
2. Approval, Minutes November 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, November 13, from 12:00-2:00 p.m.
1. Welcome, Introductions and Attendance (*in-person attendee)
a. Chair
i. Ric Anthony - absent
ii. Stephen Mergener, Zero Waste San Diego*
b. Guests
i. Steve Weihe, County of San Diego*
ii. Ruth Janssen, I Love A Clean San Diego
iii. Ani Putnam, City of San Diego
iv. Lotte Phoummavong, Goodwill San Diego
v. Ron Askeland, Sierra Club/resident*
vi. Helen Kagan, resident
vii. Beryl Flom, League of Women Voters
viii. Bob Hill, EDCO*
2. Approval, minutes from October 2025
a. Approved
3. Chair’s Report (by Stephen Mergener)
a. Chair attended the Zero Waste International conference in Turkey; is in Mexico currently.
b. CRRA will be held in San Diego - August 2026
c. Zero Waste Symposium - https://zerowastesandiego.org/events-main/#symposium
4. Staff reports
a. City of San Diego
i. Outreach
1. Measure B
a. Trash bins should be rolled out citywide in the next 6 months
b. Link to check container delivery - https://getitdone.sandiego.gov/ContainerDeliveryLookup
c. Light blue recycle bin delivery will start in Spring (beginning with Monday customers first)
d. Around 80% of the 20,000 parcels that will need to sign up for private waste services have transferred off of City service
A. NOVs for not still not in compliance will start soon (by mail)
e. https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/trash-service-updates
2. Solana Center contract is ending
3. Fix It Clinics
a. Meghan is the new lead
4. Events
a. https://www.sandiego.gov/environmental-services/recycling/events
5. I Love A Clean San Diego
a. Contract has begun – events are pending
6. Attendees discussed
a. How many bins and sizes were purchased - too many/too little?
A. Less revenue is possible due to more residents selecting smaller trash bins.
B. Per City, route reviews will be completed (through Code Enforcement) for multifamily complexes (1-4 units) to look for overflowing bins, bin size is too small to accommodate all generated waste.
b. County of San Diego
i. Site Visits
1. Actively visiting Tier I/II businesses (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. Solana Center workshops
b. A Residential Cleanup event was held in Julian on Saturday, 10/11 at the Julian Library/High School
A. Of the twenty two trucks/bins/roll off containers filled, fifteen of those were for donation and/or recycling (total tonnage is pending).
c. An HHW and E-Waste Collection event was held at Borrego Springs High School Saturday, 11/1
A. Results – 162 vehicles, tonnage report pending
d. Residential Cleanup event in Fallbrook Saturday, 11/8
A. Results – 375 vehicles, tonnage report pending
v. Outreach
1. I Love A Clean San Diego webinar 11/19 from 11AM to 12 PM https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-ick-to-easy-simple-steps-for-food-scrap-recycling-webinar-tickets-1796752347639?aff=oddtdtcreator
2. OOPS tag procurement
a. Have selected a contractor and finalizing the procurement process.
A. Will monitor all three-waste stream and “tag” bins with contamination, targeting multifamily, single family and commercial sectors.
3. Starting to give out kitchen pails to multifamily residents to help with the convenience of storage/transport. Bringing to tabling events.
4. Newly revised MFC bag designs have been approved and ordered; delivery anticipated by the end of the year.
5. 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. Plastic pricing is at an all-time low currently
a. CRV centers may be struggling due to low payments
A. Attendees discussed
1. CRV centers have to seek reimbursement and front the CRV payment to customers
2. CalRecycle also remits a handling fee to CRV centers but may not be enough to cover costs/etc
B. CRV in the blue bin – paid out to cities/etc using a curbside rate.
1. CalRecycle does composition studies – payment created based on this.
2. Fallbrook event – Goodwill collected over 3,000 lbs of donated materials
a. Paper shredding was available as well
3. City of El Cajon – shredding event (residents only) this Saturday;
a. Goodwill will be onsite for e-waste recycling and compost/mulch giveaway.
4. Paper
a. Dry pulp-China stopped accepting this material – was able to find other markets.
5. MRF film
a. Putting together two test bales to see if potential recycler will accept the material.
b. Film plastic by weight is the largest MRF contaminant
6. Taking in some off-spec agricultural plastics sent to them by the manufacturer (and held until they have 40K lbs/truckload).
7. The two additional anaerobic digesters should be operational in 2026, bringing total organic waste recycling capacity to 186K tons.
8. Attendees discussed
a. Where does Trex get their material from (plastic bags/film)?
A. Grocery stores/bins/etc
b. SB 54
A. Plastic items that are currently landfilled (residual MRF waste) may be able to be sent to a secondary MRF under SB 54 and further separated/recycled.
d. Non-profits
i. Zero Waste San Diego (ZWSD)
1. Reuse and Repair Collective- 611 Beech St. San Diego 92101
a. Tool lending library/bike repair/textiles
2. Zero Waste Symposium 2026
a. Tentatively scheduled for February 18, 2026
A. 13th annual event
3. Fix-It Clincs
a. https://zerowastesandiego.org/sdfixitclinic/
A. Up to 30 fixers repairing 75+ materials at each event.
ii. Goodwill
1. Partnering on events
a. Saw 60+ donors from last event
b. Next event is Saturday, 11/15
c. Conducting tours of the facility
iii. I Love A Clean San Diego
1. Events https://www.cleansd.org/events/
iv. Sierra Club
1. Ron
a. Fire Safe Councils
A. Currently 53 total
B. Looking into a grant for community clean up – trying to capture bulky materials as well, not just from brush clearing.
b. Wasting Fee
A. A group testified in front of the County Board of Supervisors in August 2025
B. In September 2025, met with County staff
C. On Friday, 11/21 they expect to get feedback from County staff
D. Inewsource published on article - San Diego County could raise waste disposal fee by $1 per ton
c. HiSierran
A. Zero Waste will be the theme for next newsletter (quarterly); please send any ideas to Ron for consideration.
v. League of Women Voters– No report
5. Public Comments and Communication
a. Attendees discussed
1. Paint stores will accept excess paint through PaintCare - California paint recycling and drop-off locations — PaintCare
6. Regional Planning issues
a. Wasting Fee discussion (from Chair)
i. None
7. Legislative update (https://www.calpsc.org/legislation)
New 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.
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
a. Helen
i. An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet
1. Using plants to remediate heavy metals from the soil
2. River clean up using small bubbles for capturing microplastics
b. S. 1194 Recycling and Composting A87ccountability Act
c. S. 1189 Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2024 Passed Senate on 3/12/24.
9. Adjournment