San Diego has made progress toward its "zero waste" goal by achieving a 71% diversion rate for the amount of waste diverted from landfills last year, the highest on record, officials said Wednesday.
The city missed its Zero Waste Plan goal by only 4% this year, according to data provided by CalRecycle. Future goals are an 82% rate by 2030 and 90% by 2035, with the ultimate goal of zero waste in landfills by 2040, according to a statement from the city.
"The city's diversion rate is a clear signal that San Diegans are embracing recycling and are dedicated to meeting our climate goals," Councilman Joe LaCava said.
The plan calls for handling discarded materials as commodities for reuse rather than for disposal, and includes recycling, composting and other technologies. The city believes the plan is a road map to diverting almost all solid waste from going into landfills.
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"This positive shift toward zero waste is the product of 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.
The city's previous highest waste diversion rate was at 68% in 2012. The rate for 2021 was 63%, and the rates from 2013 to 2020 were in the 64% to 67% range, according to data collected by officials.
"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."
