San Diego has made progress toward its "zero waste" goal by diverting 71% of its waste from landfills last year, the highest diversion rate on record. But the city is still behind schedule, having missed its goal of 75% diversion by 2020.
Future goals are an 82% rate by 2030 and 90% by 2035, with the ultimate goal of zero waste added to landfills by 2040.
"The city's diversion rate is a clear signal that San Diegans are embracing recycling and are dedicated to meeting our climate goals," City Councilmember Joe LaCava said in a press release.
The City Council adopted its zero waste plan in 2015, calling for stricter recycling standards from the city's waste haulers and public education campaigns about the importance of waste reduction.
But San Diego has struggled to keep up with its goals after China began refusing to import many recyclable materials from Western countries in 2018. The city has also struggled to fund the Environmental Services Department due to a century-old law that banned charging fees for waste collection from single-family homes.
That law was repealed by voters last year, but the city has yet to develop a new fee system that would fully fund its waste hauling services.
Still, LaCava attributed the city's improvement in waste diversion to "hard work by city staff to educate the public about the impact of waste diversion."
"It is in partnership with residents and businesses — who recognize the importance of recycling and the urgency to eliminate harmful greenhouse gases — that we will continue to see these diversion rates rise in the coming years," LaCava added.
Landfills emit methane, which is roughly 30% as potent as carbon dioxide in terms of its greenhouse gas effect. Still, the city's waste represents only about 3% of it's total carbon footprint. Transportation represents about 57% of emissions, electricity-generation accounts for 19% and natural gas represents 21%.
The city's previous record for waste diversion was 68% in 2012. The rate for 2021 was 63%, and the rates from 2013 to 2020 were between 64% to 67%, according to city data.
"We are very encouraged by our progress in 2022, and believe that 2023 will prove to be even better, after a full year of San Diegans participating in the city's new Organic Waste Recycling Program by diverting their food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste into green bins," Environmental Services Director Renee Robertson said.
According to city officials, from 2021 to 2022, population and employment increased while disposal decreased, which was reflected in the increased diversion rate.
"Diverting waste from our landfills is a crucial part of the city's overall climate action goals, and we are delighted to see the progress to date," Chief Sustainability Officer Shelby Rust Busó said. "We are grateful to all San Diegans who are decreasing their carbon footprint by recycling and reusing materials on a daily basis."
