"Reducing waste to zero is something we should 100 percent support," Mayor Faulconer said. "The City of San Diego continues to be an environmental leader and the 'Zero Waste' plan is just the latest step we're taking to leave a better tomorrow for the next generation of San Diegans. There are many ways to reduce, reuse and recycle the trash we collect every day, and this plan sets the City on a path to achieving the ambitious goal of zero waste."

Specifically, the "Zero Waste" plan lays out strategies to achieve a 75 percent trash diversion rate by 2020, a 90 percent rate by 2035, and the ultimate goal of zero waste by 2040. The City's current diversion rate of 67 percent has been relatively constant since 2010.

To reach the 75 percent diversion rate, the City would need to reduce, reuse or recycle an additional 332,000 tons of waste annually. The "Zero Waste" plan has several recommendations to meet that goal, including:

•    Divert fibrous yard trimmings, 18K tons per year
•    Require franchise haulers to reach a 50 percent diversion rate by 2020, 94K tons per year
•    Organics diversion to comply with AB1826, 120K tons per year
•    Revisions to the City's Recycling Ordinance, 13K tons per year
•    Creation of a Resource Recovery Center at Miramar Landfill to assist non-franchise haulers (residents, businesses, etc.) to divert much of their material for reuse, 80K tons per year

The City Council approved the "Zero Waste" plan unanimously today. Mayor Faulconer voted in favor of initiating the strategy when he served on the City Council in 2013.

Source: sandiego.gov