ORD 2226 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ordinance 2021-01: Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance The Board of the Alameda County Waste Management Authority ("WMA") hereby ordains as follows: SECTION 1. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS (a) The purpose of this Ordinance is to reduce the amount of organic and recyclable materials deposited in landfills from commercial and residential generators. This Ordinance repeals WMA Ordinance 2012-1 (An Ordinance Requiring Actions to Reduce Landfilling of Recyclable and Organic Solid Wastes from Businesses, Multifamily Residences, and Self - Haulers) in its entirety in order to provide a single and comprehensive framework to achieve its purposes and comply with various state laws as set forth below. (b) The WMA has the power to enact this Ordinance pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement for Waste Management ("JPA"). The JPA grants the WMA the power, duty, and responsibility to prepare, adopt, revise, amend, administer, enforce, and implement the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan ("CoIWMP"), and pursuant to Section 5.m of the JPA, the power to adopt ordinances necessary to carry out the purposes of the JPA. (c) The reduction of organic and recyclable materials deposited in landfills is necessary to carry out the purposes of the JPA and implement the CoIWMP, including the following goals and objectives: • Goal 1 is to "maintain adequate disposal capacity and minimize landfill impacts." Objectives 1.1 and 1.3 prioritize preserving landfill capacity in the short run through reducing landfilled materials, and aim to ultimately eliminate landfills altogether, through elimination of waste and effective recovery of materials. Goal 2 is to "maximize environmental benefits by balancing high volume of recovery with related considerations such as quality of commodities, operating impacts of facilities, and other environmental impacts of programs." Objectives 2.1 to 2.5 affirm the need for infrastructure to manage diversion of organics, minimize environmental impacts of infrastructure, support markets for recovered materials, and reduce contamination. Goal 3 is to "shift from managing discards to reducing consumption, managing materials at their highest and best use, and addressing environmental impacts across the full life cycle of materials and products." Objectives 3.1 and 3.2 prioritize managing materials at their highest and best use and prioritize incorporating climate impacts into WMA programs. • Goal 4 is to "inform and engage the public in waste reduction activities." Objectives 4.2 and 4.3 provide for education of Alameda County residents, schools and businesses and emphasize the need for the public to take action and adopt positive waste reduction habits.