Livermore – Strategic Plan for High Diversion

Using our combined experience developing high diversion franchise agreements, designing state-of-the-art, community-based social marketing and outreach methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of solid waste diversion programs throughout California, R3 collaborated with our subconsultant, Cascadia, to prepare the Phase 2 Strategic Plan for High Diversion for the City of Livermore (City). R3’s project approach moved beyond eliminating barriers to diversion by incentivizing achievement of high diversion goals for all parties, including solid waste haulers, processors, and generators. Phase 2 built upon the City’s prior success by enhancing current generator-focused programs and requiring haulers of solid waste to share in both the responsibility and reward for diverting waste from landfills. High diversion program options were assessed based on what would cost effectively divert the most tons from disposal.

Through observation of select diversion programs in the field, interviews with the City, LSI, StopWaste and select waste generators, as well as review of detailed tonnage reports and subscription levels, R3 developed a high-level baseline analysis to measure the effectiveness of current diversion programs. Building on this analysis, R3 developed a recommended set of programs with the greatest potential of diverting waste from landfills during – and beyond – the five-year planning horizon. R3 created a set of recommendations that focus on ways in which the City can enhance the effectiveness of current programs, as well as develop new programs to cost-effectively increase diversion for the City.

Additionally, R3 estimated the amount of additional diversion that could be realized by each of the recommended new programs and estimated the cost for each program and the cost per ton that each program will divert. R3 also performed a high-level evaluation of the relationship between LSI’s rate structure and successful diversion behaviors.

Project benefits the City gained include the following:

• Identification of opportunities to encourage and reward achievement of high diversion goals for all stakeholders;
• Strategic planning for higher diversion grounded in a data-driven approach;
• Pursuit of diversion opportunities that most effectively move tons out of landfills per dollar spent; and
• Responsibility and reward for diverting waste from landfills is shared between the City and its franchised waste hauler.