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Compliance Corner – December 2022

While our efforts towards SB 1383 implementation and sustainment will carry on for the foreseeable future, we’re sad to say that our yearlong dedication to SB 1383-related blog posts is coming to an end.

We’ve covered topics ranging from Education & Outreach to Route Reviews & Enforcement, and everything in between. As we close out the year, we are giving you one last post covering information all about Hauler Programs / Management of Haulers.

Ultimately, jurisdictions are the ones responsible for the implementation and maintenance of SB 1383 requirements, however, these goals can only be achieved by working in partnership with the haulers. Franchise agreements have been, and will continue to be, drafted or amended to include SB 1383 language, including specific hauler proposed programs and measures of compliance to ensure that progress is made in the advancement and application of those programs.

Hauler Programs

Whether through sole-sourced negotiations, or through Request for Proposals (RFP) process, jurisdictions are including SB 1383 provisions in the form of a Sustainability and Compliance Plan (nomenclature may vary by agreement) and specific hauler required programs.

The hauler’s proposed plan must describe:

  1. How the hauler will provide outreach and education to residents, schools and businesses.
  2. The material that will be developed and distributed, including its format and distribution method
  3. How the hauler will maintain compliance with the State’s Mandatory Commercial and Organics Recycling mandates (SB 1383, AB 1826, AB 939, AB 341), including when and to whom letters will be sent, how compliance will be documented and reported.
  4. The hauler’s plan for waste audits, route audits, meeting cart color and labeling requirements, and site visits.

The plan also requires the hauler to document and report implementation of each of the plan’s components and other compliance data in an online waste reporting system or another format as designated by the jurisdiction.

Management of Haulers

Hauler programs are incorporated into respective franchise agreements to list specific actions that the hauler will take to assist the jurisdiction that they serve in achieving the requirements of SB 1383. You may ask yourself how jurisdictions are ensuring that haulers are applying the practices described in their proposed plans and franchise agreements.

There are several ways in which jurisdictions are ensuring that SB 1383 related hauler programs are being implemented, such as:

  1. Requirement of Staffing
    • Haulers are required to add a dedicated full-time Sustainability/Compliance Representative, whose responsibilities include conducting site visits and providing outreach and education in support of meeting Franchised and CalRecycle Diversion requirements and to meet State mandates, and all amendments and related subsequent legislation.
  2. Submission of a Sustainability and Compliance Plan
    • This plan can carry a different name, but essentially details the hauler’s plan of action to assist the jurisdiction in which it serves, in all the areas listed under the “Hauler Programs” section above.
  3. Regular Reporting
    • Jurisdictions can monitor and/or manage hauler progress through required reports that are provided monthly, quarterly, and/or annually (or some combination of the three). Some jurisdictions have begun to include a reporting line item requiring the hauler to list efforts made towards, and measured impact from, the reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
  4. Right-Sizing of Containers
    • In an attempt to further increase diversion efforts, haulers are required to proactively assist multi-family and commercial customers in the rightsizing of containers, which includes an evaluation of material generation and increase/decrease of container size and/or frequency of collection.
  5. Administrative Charges
    • If a hauler fails to perform to the agreed upon standards of the franchise agreement in which it operates, jurisdictions have the ability to assess administrative charges to force correction of an identified issue
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To 20 Years, and To 20 More!

Over the past year – and especially the past 6 months – our team has worked extremely hard to propel R3 forward into the future. To not only celebrate the past 20 years, but to plan for the next 20 and beyond. We’ve navigated some big challenges this year: ownership transition, an entire organizational shift, addressing R3 culture, adding 5 people to our staff, and, no biggie, just figuring out our overall purpose, passion, and vision.

Reflecting on the Past

We can’t go any further without acknowledging our founder, Richard Tagore-Erwin. R3 would absolutely be nowhere without his initial vision, his tenacity, and his overall passion for growing the business from his kitchen table into one of the most competitive solid waste consulting firms today.

Steve Harriman was one of the first R3 partners to jump on board and remains a close advocate and friend to the firm to this day. Even years after his departure, he expressed his implicit trust by hiring R3 to support the needs of his division at the City of Rancho Cordova. Generously, he recently took time out of his day to reflect on the impressive growth of the firm, especially from his unique owner-turned-client perspective:

“I’ve always taken pride in being a part of establishing the company. We started from nothing – we didn’t have a phone system, internet, not even chairs – you name it, we needed it. There was so much work to do, and, in the beginning, we paid very little attention to our long-term strategy and employee culture. We simply didn’t need to at that point.

I’m more than delighted to see R3 is thriving and still providing fantastic, high-quality work, while simultaneously maturing and growing the firm into something more than I could have imagined.”

Propelling Into the Future

As we started to look toward the future, we needed to figure out some answers, and to do that, we asked our team things like:

  • Why does R3 exist?
  • What world problem do we want to solve?
  • How can we improve as a firm – both externally, for clients, but also internally, for staff?
  • Who do we ultimately want to become?

These questions posed resulted in the need for developing an R3 roadmap. We knew our roadmap needed to include major steppingstones for R3’s growth, including the creation of a mission statement, an inspirational vision statement, and company values – all in support of unifying and rallying our team around a shared trajectory for the future.

So, throughout 2022, we engaged all staff, conducted several internal workshops and discussions, and worked to develop and revise our statements more times than we can count. Thanks, in large part, to everyone’s contributions and dedication, we are very proud to announce our final mission and vision statements.

The Mission Statement

What R3 does and how we do it; Grounded, tangible, descriptive.

 

The Vision Statement

Why R3 exists; Our “North Star”, motivational, aspirational.

 

What’s Next & A Message from the President

With as much as we’ve accomplished, efforts like these are never really done. In the new year, we will continue to unveil additional components of our evolving organization. This year has only ignited the fire of what R3 can become and we truly look forward to continuing the process of figuring out how to get there.

As we wind-down and say goodbye to 2022, we at R3 are filled with gratitude and joy at the promise of a New Year. We offer our heartfelt thanks and well wishes to every one of our clients and partners – past, present, and future! And, to our R3 team members, we say THANK YOU for your hard work helping to deliver a regenerative future for every community!

As a proper thanks for a job well done, R3 offices will be closed from December 26th to January 2nd . We can’t wait to continue working with you all when we return on January 3rd.

Happiest of holidays and a joyous New Year!

 

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Compliance Corner – November 2022

Enforcement

For November, we’re focusing on SB 1383 enforcement requirements. Although not the most popular topic, enforcement is imperative to accomplishing California’s climate and organic waste diversion goals by the year 2025!

A jurisdiction’s role in SB 1383 compliance monitoring, inspections and enforcement will include approving and issuing waivers to organic waste generators and accepting and investigating written complaints about non-compliance. Beginning in 2024, enforcement will include issuing a Notice of Violation and may progress to issuing administrative citation for repetitive offenses. Jurisdictions may designate provision of Notices of Violation to haulers, but the City must administer the associated penalties.

Managing the Enforcement of SB 1383 Requirements

  • Develop a contamination monitoring and inspection protocol.
  • Many collection haulers have developed contamination tags to be used as an educational tool for generators when contamination has been identified.
  • Follow-up outreach and education and/or Notices of Violation in response to observed violations.
  • Beginning in 2024, it will be beneficial to collect supporting documentation to assess administrative citations as necessary.

CalRecycle Enforcement

CalRecycle released an SB 1383 Compliance Process Guidance document to outline their escalating enforcement process for when jurisdictions are non-compliant. CalRecycle will conduct compliance reviews to identify violations. When CalRecycle identifies a compliance gap during a compliance review they may choose to address the issue informally or issue a Notice of Violation to the jurisdiction, which triggers the following enforcement process.

  • Notice of Violation (NOV): If a jurisdiction is found to be violating one or more requirements, CalRecycle may issue the Notice of Violation with a timeline of between 90 and 180 days to correct the violation.
  • Corrective Action Plan (CAP): When violations are caused by extenuating circumstances, such as natural disasters, delays in obtaining permits, or delayed recycling of organic waste, and the jurisdiction has made substantial efforts towards compliance; a Corrective Action Plan can be placed allowing up to 24 months to comply with an extension of 12 months.
    • Substantial effort is where a Jurisdiction has done everything within its authority and ability to comply. Does not include circumstances where a decision-making body of a jurisdiction has not taken the necessary steps to comply with the chapter, including, but not limited to:
      • Failure to provide adequate staff resources to meet its obligations, or
      • Failure to provide sufficient funding to meet its obligations, or
      • Failure to adopt the ordinance(s) or similarly enforceable mechanisms.

 

Helpful Links

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Compliance Corner – October 2022

Complaint Investigations

For this month, we’re focusing on complaints…

No, not our complaints about the challenges with rolling out SB 1383, and no, not generator complaints about having to pay for another bin and sort more materials…but rather the ability for a community member to submit a complaint to you about compliance issues they have noticed.

Complaint Requirements

Each jurisdiction is required to provide a procedure for the receipt and investigation of written complaints of alleged violations of SB 1383. Complaints must have the option to be submitted anonymously and in writing, which is often a challenge because traditional City complaint portals tend not to allow anonymous complaints.

You might expect the following types of complaints:

  • “My neighbor keeps putting garden hoses in their recycling container!” (Contamination)
  • “The local diner doesn’t have a green container for me to use for food scraps.” (Required bins not available)
  • “I called to get a replacement green cart, and my hauler gave me a brown cart.” (Incorrect bin coloring/labeling)

Or, less humorously…

  • Missing signage or labeling on waste bins
  • Lack of education and outreach materials on how to dispose of materials
  • No inspections of bins
  • No edible food recovery
  • No blue or green waste bin collection service
  • Missing blue or green waste bin

Complaints, generally, should be in writing and include the following information: 

  • The name and contact information of the complainant, if the complaint is not anonymous
  • The identity of the alleged violator, if known
  • A description of the alleged violation including location(s) and all other relevant facts known to the complainant
  • Any relevant photographic or documentary evidence to support the allegations in the complaint
  • The identity of any witnesses, if known

Follow Up Investigation

Municipalities are required to start an investigation within 90 days of receiving a complaint if the jurisdiction determines that the allegations would constitute a violation of SB 1383. The jurisdiction may decline to investigate a complaint if it has determined that an investigation is unwarranted because the allegations are contrary to material facts.

Once a complaint has been resolved the municipality should have a mechanism to notify a complainant of the results of their complaint if the identity and contact information of the complainant are known. The jurisdiction needs to maintain records of all complaints and responses in their Implementation Record. The records shall include the complaint as received and the jurisdiction’s determination of compliance or if a notice of violation was issued.

Recordkeeping of Complaints

Jurisdictions are required to annually report on the number of complaints received and investigated each year in the Electronic Annual Report to CalRecycle.

Warnings and Code Enforcement through 12/31/2023

A jurisdiction’s code enforcement should address a complaint if the issue is a true health concern that results from unsanitary conditions (ideally, more promptly than the maximum of 90 days).  Otherwise, responses to complaints may be conducted by city staff or a designated contractor for SB 1383 related complaints.

From now until December 31, 2023, a jurisdiction is required to provide educational material describing the applicable requirements of SB 1383 in response to violations.

Notices of Violation Issued after 1/1/2024

After January 1, 2024, the jurisdiction shall take enforcement action by:

  • Issuing a Notice of Violation requiring compliance within 60 days of the issuance of that notice.
  • Absent compliance by the respondent within the deadline set forth in the Notice of Violation, the jurisdiction shall commence an action to impose penalties.
  • The jurisdiction may extend the compliance deadlines set forth in a Notice of Violation issued if it finds there were extenuating circumstances including Acts of God, delays obtaining permits or government agency approvals, or if the jurisdiction doesn’t have sufficient organics or edible food capacity and is under a Corrective Action Plan.

Notices of Violation need to include the following information:

  • The name(s), or account name(s) if different, of each person or entity to whom it is directed
  • A factual description of the violations of SB 1383 and/or local ordinances, including the regulatory section(s) being violated
  • A compliance date by which the operator must take specified action(s)
  • The penalty for not complying by the specified compliance date

We will be providing additional details on the Notice of Violation process in next month’s Blog post!

AB 1276 Dual Purpose Complaint Form

On October 5, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (“AB”) 1276 (Carillo) into law.  AB 1276 prohibits a food facility from providing any single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment to a consumer unless requested by the consumer.  AB1276 requires that cities authorize an enforcement agency by June 1, 2022 to ensure that food facilities comply with the law.

Cities and Towns can use the anonymous complaint form or portal that is established for SB 1383 to also be a complaint portal for AB 1276 complaints and other solid waste related matters. If your municipality needs to comply with AB 1276, R3 is available to answer questions and to assist your community in developing a process that will meet the requirements of the law.

 

Helpful Links

https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/complaints/

https://cchealth.org/eh/food/pdf/AB1276Facts-Single-Use-Items.pdf

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Compliance Corner – September 2022

Recordkeeping / Implementation Record (Due 10/1!)

This month, we are clarifying the differences between the regular CalRecycle reporting and the Implementation Record, which is a new requirement introduced by SB 1383. Many of our clients don’t initially realize that they’re actually different requirements, and with the Electronic Annual Report (EAR) this year including so many new questions, the Implementation Record may fall to the wayside.

Recordkeeping requirements for SB 1383 can be complex, particularly the implementation record and the restructured EAR. The EAR is due to CalRecycle by October 1st of this year, which means it’s creeping up fast! Next year and the years following, the EAR will be due August 1st.

An implementation record must be kept by all jurisdictions as a recordkeeping system, with the required documentation for SB 1383, stored for at least 5 years. Additionally, the implementation record can be used to help jurisdictions complete their EAR and offers an easy place to store supporting documentation which may be requested by CalRecycle at any time.

 

Implementation Record

Each jurisdiction should maintain all records required by SB 1383 using an Implementation Record, such as the Model Implementation Record Tool provided by CalRecycle. Some cloud-based software solutions also incorporate the Implementation Record, which needs to be entered by the City and hauler into the software.

The Implementation Record must include the following information:

  1. Ordinances and enforceable mechanisms, which means your SB 1383 ordinance as well as the adopting ordinances for the Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance and CALGreen (or another code chapter if you have one dedicated to Construction and Demolition debris recycling).
  2. Written program descriptions, which means a few paragraphs describing your hauling contract(s) as well as regular activities on the City/County side.
  3. Organic waste service collection method, which is whether you use the 3-container system (garbage, recycling, and organics including food scraps), or another collection system that includes back-end processing to remove organics before landfilling.
  4. Contamination minimization, including route reviews and waste evaluations.
  5. Waivers and exemptions on file.
  6. Education and outreach completed that year (for the October 1 report, this is only for the first 6 months of 2022).
  7. Jurisdiction oversight of hauler programs, including franchise agreements, types of hauler system(s) used, conditions for approvals/denials/revocations, and copies of all required reports.
  8. Edible food recovery, such as education and outreach, monitoring compliance, increasing capacity, funding mechanisms, a list of Tier 1 and Tier 2 edible food generators, and a list of food recovery organizations and services and their capacity for recovery.
  9. Recovered organic waste product procurement, including purchases of qualifying products, written contracts or agreements with direct service providers, and the jurisdiction’s efforts to identify additional procurement opportunities.
  10. Paper procurement, such as copies of invoices, receipts, or other proof of purchase that describe procurement of paper products by volume and type, and percentage of post-consumer waste recycled content for all paper purchases (or explanation of why minimum 30% recycled content paper was not purchased).
  11. Inspection and enforcement activities, which means notes from phone calls and/or site visits, photos, and any other applicable documentation.
  12. Compliance reviews, which means the desktop review of customer compliance with the requirement to subscribe to recycling and organics service.
  13. Investigation of complaints and alleged violations.

Restructured EAR

Each jurisdiction is required to submit an annual report to CalRecycle demonstrating implementation of applicable state laws, including AB 939, AB 341, AB 1826, and, of course, SB 1383. In 2022, each jurisdiction must submit a restructured report including its compliance with the requirements of SB 1383 by October 1, 2022, covering information from January 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022. The report should cover the dates of January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 for SB 1383 requirements newly enacted. Starting in 2023, submittal of the EAR will be required by August 1 and will cover the previous calendar year. The required information for the EAR is outlined below, in the order of the restructured EAR on the Local Government Information Center (LoGIC) online portal.

The good news is that while the new report can be a bit confusing, CalRecycle Local Market Assistance and Development staff has made themselves very available to answer questions, and CalRecycle has also offered a number of webinars, including one next week to answer last-minute questions.

The annual report must include the following information as it relates to the implementation of the following:

  1. Procurement
    • Amount of each recovered organic waste product (ROWP) procured directly by the city, county, or through direct service providers (or both) during the previous calendar year
    • If implementing procurement requirements through an adjusted ROWP procurement target, report the total amount of transportation fuel, electricity, and gas for heating applications procured during the previous calendar year
    • Each type of recycled product procurement
    • SRRE procurement programs description
  2. Edible Food Recovery
    • Number of commercial edible food generators within the jurisdiction
    • Number of food recover services and organizations located and operating within the jurisdiction, that contract with or have written agreements with commercial food generators
    • Total pounds of edible food recovered in the previous calendar year (services/organizations must report amount to the jurisdiction)
  3. Collection Systems
    • Type of collection services provided to residential and commercial generators
    • Number of generators that receive each type of service
    • If applicable, RDRS number of high diversion organic waste processing facilities
    • If applicable, facility that accepts compostable plastics
    • If applicable, facility that accepts and removes organic waste in plastic bags
    • Number of haulers approved (or denied) to collect organic waste in the jurisdiction
  4. Commercial and Residential Programs
    • Material types collected
    • SRRE commercial and residential programs description
    • Large venues and events
  5. Education and Outreach
    • Number of generators that received information and the type of education and outreach used for SLCP, MCR, MORe, and SRRE/HHWE
    • Number of commercial generators that received information and the type of education and outreach used for edible food recovery
    • SRRE education and outreach programs description
  6. Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), CALGreen Building Standards and C&D
    • Number of C&D debris removal activities conducted in compliance with CALGreen
    • C&D material types collected
    • SRRE programs description
  7. Hazardous Waste Programs
    • SRRE hazardous waste programs
  8. Disposal Rate Calculation
    • Disposal tons for reporting year
    • If applicable, disposal reduction credits
    • Calculation factors, including disposal rate accuracy, alternative disposal tonnage, deductions to RDRS disposal tonnage, and/or green material alternative daily cover (ADC)
  9. Waivers and Exemptions
    • Number of generators waived from requirement to subscribe to an organic waste collection service
    • Number of days emergency circumstances waiver was in effect and type of waiver issued
    • Tons of organic waste disposed as a result of emergency waivers
    • Number of generators issued a de minimis waiver
    • Number of generators issued a physical space waiver
    • Number of commercial generators exemptions under MORe and rationale
    • Jurisdictions that receive a waiver from CalRecycle shall report, for each year the waiver is in effect, the number of generators waived from the requirement to subscribe to organic waste collection service
  10. Contamination Monitoring, Inspections, and Complaints
    • Number of route reviews
    • Number of times notices, violations, or targeted educational materials were issued to generators
    • Results of waste evaluations performed and number of resulting target route reviews
    • Numbers of inspections conducted (commercial businesses, and edible food recovery for Tier 1 & Tier 2 generators, food recovery organizations & services)
    • Numbers of complaints received and investigated
  11. Enforcement and Monitoring
    • Numbers of generators included in compliance reviews for SLCP (SB 1383), MORe (AB 1826), and MCR (AB 341)
    • Number of route reviews conducted (or waste evaluations performed) annually for commercial businesses and residential generators
    • Number of inspections conducted by type for commercial edible food generators, food recovery organizations, and commercial businesses
    • Number of NOVs issued, categorized by type of entity
    • Number of penalty orders issued, categorized by type of entity
    • Number of enforcement actions resolved, categorized by type of entity
  12. Facilities
    • SRRE programs description
  13. AB 876
    • Any changes related to AB 876
  14. SB 1383 Enforceable Mechanism Changes
    • Ordinance changes and documentation
    • Types of ordinances
    • Primary and Official Contact changes for jurisdiction
    • SRRE programs description
  15. Planning Documents Assessment
    • Rural petition for reduction in requirements
    • SRRE
    • Household Hazardous Waste Element (HHWE)
    • Non-Disposal Facility Element (NDFE)
    • Areas of concern and conditional approvals
  16. Additional Information and Document Management
    • SRRE and HHWE diversion program management
    • Additional Information

In addition, Counties shall report the following regarding implementation of organic waste recycling capacity planning and edible food recovery planning:

  1. Tons estimated to be generated for landfill disposal
  2. Amount of capacity verifiably available to the county and cities
  3. Amount of new capacity needed
  4. Locations identified for new or expanded facilities
  5. Jurisdictions that are required to submit implementation schedules
  6. Jurisdictions that did not provide information required to the county within 120 days

 

Helpful Links

 

 

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Legislation Update: AB 1276

“Every year in the United States, an estimated 561 billion disposable foodware items are used, resulting in a whopping 4.9 million tons of waste. Unused food accessories including utensils, straws, napkins, condiment packages, and otherwise clog landfills, complicate recycling, and pollute streets and waterways in our communities.”

Assembly Bill (AB) 1276, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, changes the Public Resource Code in the area of single-use food accessories and standard condiments. This is an addition to the single-use plastic straws law and went into effect January 1, 2022.

AB 1276 prohibits a food facility from providing any single-use foodware accessory or standard condiment, as defined, to a consumer unless requested by the consumer, as provided. The bill also prohibits those items from being bundled or packaged in a way that prohibits the consumer from taking only the item desired. The bill authorizes a food facility to ask a drive-through consumer, or a food facility located within a public airport to ask a walk-through consumer, if the consumer wants a single-use foodware accessory (in specified circumstances). The bill requires a food facility using a third-party food delivery platform to list on its menu the availability of single-use foodware accessories and standard condiments and only provide those items when requested, as provided.

AB 1276 requires a city, county, or city and county, on or before June 1, 2022, to authorize an enforcement agency to enforce these requirements.  The bill specifies the first and 2nd violations of these provisions result in a notice of violation, and any subsequent violation is an infraction punishable by a fine of $25 for each day in violation, but not to exceed an annual total of $300. By creating a new crime and imposing additional duties on local governing bodies, this bill imposes a state-mandated local program.

Helpful Links

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Compliance Corner – July 2022

We’ve been talking about SB 1383 for months now (well, in these blog posts anyway – in reality for R3 it’s been years!) and you may be asking yourself….

“This SB 1383 stuff all sounds great in theory, but how do we actually get people to comply?”

The answer to that question is through enforcement. The enforcement provisions in SB 1383 support the efforts of jurisdictions, non-local entities, local education districts, state facilities and federal facilities, and CalRecycle to achieve the state’s climate goals and the 75 percent organic waste diversion goal by 2025 and into the future.

Enforcement efforts can be conducted by jurisdictions directly or through jurisdiction delegated entities. Jurisdictions can delegate responsibilities to contracted haulers servicing their respective cities/counties, or via agreement regional or governmental agencies. For example, a jurisdiction may require its contracted hauler to perform route reviews for container contamination, though the jurisdiction is still ultimately responsible for SB 1383 compliance requirements.

So for this month, we’re focusing on Route Reviews pertaining to SB 1383 compliance:

  • What is a route review?
  • What are a jurisdiction responsibilities?
  • Who holds the jurisdiction accountable? 

Route Review

A route review is a visual inspection of solid waste containers (typically carts for residential customers and/or bins for commercial customers) . The purpose of the route review is to inspect recycling of organics containers for contamination within the waste stream. Contamination is the placement of garbage within clean recycling or organics, placement of recyclables in the organics container, or placement of organics in the recycling container.

Jurisdictional Responsibilities

A jurisdiction is ultimately responsible for the oversight and enforcement of SB 1383 compliance and associated activities within its jurisdictional limits. As such, jurisdictions are required to ensure compliance by organic waste generators through the implementation of an inspection and enforcement program.

As of January 1, 2022, jurisdictions are required to conduct a “sufficient number” of annual route reviews to determine  overall compliance. The regulations do not currently include a specific number of route reviews and inspections required each year, so it is ultimately up to the jurisdiction to determine an adequate amount based on the characteristics of their jurisdiction. Essentially, a jurisdiction is required to conduct enough route reviews and inspections each year to adequately determine the overall compliance of the generators under its authority and to ensure its own compliance to SB 1383.

There are a few ways of accomplishing this goal, including:

  1.  A hauler can remotely monitor containers via a camera system and either the driver, a remote worker, or an automated program can identify contamination as the container is being collected
  2.  A representative can select random containers along each route and, generally without disturbing the container’s contents, determine if there is contamination in the containers inspected

It’s important to note that while contamination is a violation of State and local law, this is the only violation that does not require a financial penalty. However, many haulers may assess penalties via their franchise agreements on generators for contamination, and this is allowed.

Jurisdictional Accountability

CalRecycle is responsible for the oversight and enforcement of SB 1383 compliance and associated activities of each jurisdiction. Compliance oversight for CalRecycle also includes the oversight of entities that are not subject to a jurisdiction’s compliance oversight but are still required to comply with SB 1383 requirements. These entities include non-local entities, local education districts, state and federal facilities, and other relevant entities.

Helpful Link

 

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Staff Spotlight: Claire Wilson

Anyone who knows Claire Wilson, knows all about her joyful, intentional, and charismatic nature. From the moment she started R3 – bringing her background in environmental science and ecology and combining that with her experience in research and data analysis – it was clear that she would do big things. She has a strong background in legislative compliance and community outreach and education, and her expertise is centered around policy development, state law compliance, and solid waste agreement negotiations. Claire has a passion for working with local governments to not only reduce, but also better manage their waste streams.

Over the past four years, Claire has helped 75+ clients manage their hauler contracts, achieve compliance with State and local legislation, and implement new and exciting policies and programs around reuse, foodware, edible food recovery, and zero waste. She has developed an innovative ordinance to reduce single-use plastics on a County-wide level, assisted in the development of personalized plans for outreach, education, enforcement, and secured funding to ensure a successful ordinance implementation, enforcement, and reduction in plastic waste. Claire also drafted municipal ordinances to update and clearly define diversion goals, state requirements, as well as codify such requirements in solid waste franchise agreements.

I took some time to sit down with Claire and chat a bit about her background as well as her exciting next adventure!

First and foremost – why trash?

I have always known my career path would always be working with the environment, understanding the connections between the land and water and how humans interact with it. However, as I started my undergraduate course work at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), I began to question my intent for the first time. I found it difficult to connect how my classes related to the people and environment in which we live. I decided to study abroad in Thailand, which was one of the first times I saw how policy could directly impact the livelihoods of the people of Koh Chang and provide protections for the environment to limit overfishing and preserve wildlife.

When I returned to UCSB, my renewed sense of passion led me to join an advocacy group called “Fossil Free UCSB”. The group’s mission was to demand that UCSB, as well as all UC campuses, divest their investment portfolios completely from fossil fuels. The culmination of our events included personally organizing a three-day occupation of a building on campus. I, along with two other students, met with UCSB’s chancellor, Henry Yang, to successfully negotiate and secure his endorsement to divest from fossil fuels. Chancellor Yang became the first UC chancellor to support the movement; and in May of 2017, the University of California officially divested its $126 billion portfolio from fossil fuels. This effort was foundational in my understanding of how activism can be used to influence policy as well as the tactics to lead a successful movement. For more information on UCSB’s divestment from fossil fuels, read here and here.

What would you consider to be the biggest success while working at R3?

I’d have to say the Reusable Foodware Ordinance project in Marin County, as well as the Zero Waste Plan project for the City of Santa Rosa.

What’s next on the horizon for you?

Well – funny you should ask. One thing I have always appreciated about R3 is that the leaders have not only seen my potential but have also encouraged it and supported my growth – personally and professionally. For my path, they encouraged me to explore graduate programs. I ended up applying to only programs in the bay area, with the intention of working full time. One of which was to UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy – which seemed like a long shot. This school is ranked number one in public policy analysis, according to the US News & World Report’s 2021 ranking of the best graduate schools.

I am both honored and excited to let everyone know I was officially accepted to The Goldman School of Public Policy and will be starting in the fall of this year! Thanks to my time at R3, I know my commitment to future policy work will be centered in the environment and food systems. Food and its connection to culture, the environment, and to all people is profound to me and my vision is clear in how I want to make an impact on my community.

Specifically, I want my work to focus on dismantling the current food system at both a local government and national level by supporting community development through programs that empower all people to grow and consume healthy, fresh food, promoting alternative distribution models that connect farmers with consumers, and lobbying on a state and national level to restructure farm subsidies and incentives to create a more equitable food system.

If you had to choose two meals to eat for the rest of your life, what would they be?

  1. Mezze platter – Mediterranean spread, homemade hummus + baba ghanoush
  2. Pizza – A very specific one from my childhood. It involves a secret family recipe for dough, and sorry but no, I can’t share any more details than that!

What do you like to do in your free time?

  1. Hot yoga – daily!
  2. Lake Merritt – farmer’s market, biking, walking…
  3. Travel – Portugal + Spain most recent trip. A highlight was the 80-mile walk we did, over 5 days, for the Camino de Santiago.

Congratulations, Claire – we are TRULY going to miss you but we are so confident in the things you’ll be able to accomplish and we cannot wait to see you soar!!! Remember us when you’re famous 🙂

Staff Shoutouts

“My first impression of Claire was her recounting her UCSB carbon divestment strategy experience. Everything about that conversation told me what I needed to know – we had to hire her immediately. I am still not sure what ‘it’ is, but Claire definitely has it. I have observed first-hand her innate ability to quickly learn, grow, and advance her role in our organization – there’s just an effortlessness about her doing her best that is inspiring to be around.

Ultimately, we recognize that Claire is a passionate and talented individual, with the potential for long-term leadership and impact on environmental and sustainability concerns. I never expected Claire to stay with R3 for the long-term (as much as I would, selfishly, love for that to be the case!), so it was important for me to support her career development by encouraging her pursue the next level of education. I am not surprised at all that she was accepted into the best public policy school in the country, and I know she will go on to do great things.” 
Garth Schultz, President

“It’s not often in life that you come across people that embody positivity even in difficult and stressful times. Claire is one of those people. She brings such an uplifting and spirited approach to everything that she does, and you can’t help but feel inspired to get on her level. I am honored to have spent the past four years working with Claire and watching her grow and develop into a great consultant and an even better leader. 

I am extremely proud of her for applying, and getting in, to her first choice for graduate school. I truly wish her nothing but the best in the next stage of her life as she pursues her master’s degree. I can say without a doubt that if she approaches her program in the same way that she has during her time at R3 she will be incredibly successful. So, to Claire, I say, thank you for all of your hard work and dedication and good luck!”
Ryan Calkins, Sr. Manager of Internal Operations

Claire’s seasoned practicality and critical eye, along with her keen intelligence, have made her an irreplaceable asset to R3. Claire does the work of two people in half of the time it would take anyone else and has inexhaustible energy and enthusiasm – which is evident to anyone who has the pleasure of working with her. Claire never pauses to ask the question ‘Is this possible?’ and in doing so, she achieves things that would be impossible for anyone else. We are all very sad to see Claire go, but also confident that she will continue to achieve the impossible in the future stages of her education and career.”
Rose Radford, Practice Group Lead

“Claire has been an incredible asset to the R3 team – she is always the first to jump in and lend a hand on a project, share an update at staff meetings, and offer guidance when questions come up in group messages. Her optimism is contagious, and I wish we would have had the chance to work on more projects together at R3. I was so impressed at how she was able to jump in towards the end of projects and still not miss a beat on some complicated engagements. Happy trails Claire – though I get the distinct impression we’ll be seeing you further on up the road!”
Nate Forst, Business Strategy Director

“With some people you quickly connect and easily communicate – and even though I’m an extroverted introvert, Claire and I are kindred spirits and I felt that connection from early on. Not only does Claire do incredible work, she also truly brings the warmth, heart, and soul to the organization. Claire, I hope you get everything you want out of your program and that you’re able to be the change agent you desire surrounding food policy. I cannot wait to see the difference you are going to make – you are exactly what the future needs and you give me great optimism of what is possible.”
Debra Kaufman, Sr. Managing Consultant

 

 

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Compliance Corner – June 2022

June 2022 – Procurement / Recycled Paper Procurement Records      

This month, we’re focusing on recycled-content paper procurement requirements. This is one requirement that your solid waste hauler really can’t help you with, since it applies to a jurisdiction’s own purchases. We suspect that you’ll find that the difficult part of complying with these requirements is really in keeping the required records, and not in purchasing the right paper products.

The basic requirement is to purchase paper products that are at least 30% post-consumer fiber and labeled with an unqualified recyclable label. You’re also required to keep records of all your purchases. While CalRecycle has suggested keeping a list of the purchases, likely the easiest way to comply is to store the receipts and copies of the product labels (this could be a screenshot of the product listing on a web page) in one centralized folder in your filing system. Consider asking the person in your finance department who receives these receipts to store them – that way just one person is responsible for keeping those records, and it’s not too much extra work.

Little-known facts about the paper procurement requirements:

  1. You are not required to update your purchasing policy – you’re only required to comply.
    However, if your existing purchasing policy conflicts with the SB 1383 requirements, you should update it to avoid confusion!
  2. While the requirement to purchase at least 30% recycled content and unqualified recyclable paper products is now statewide for all jurisdictions.
    Even the CalRecycle model states that purchasing the recycled content and recyclable paper products is only required “whenever the total cost is the same or a lesser total cost than non-recycled items.”
  3. Large paper supply companies are aware of this new state requirement on jurisdictions, and some are already preparing to offer services to help you track your purchases.
    Let them come to you and offer you solutions!
  4. This also applies to vendors! But just the vendors that provide paper-related services, such as janitors that purchase toilet paper and hand towels.

 

Helpful Links:

 

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Staff Spotlight: Ryan Calkins

We have a staff spotlight for you this week – featuring Ryan Calkins, Sr. Project Manager! For the past two decades, Ryan has worked to perfect his craft in each leadership and management role he has served in – varying from the Marine Corps to a private solid waste collection company, Waste Management, to today, a solid waste municipal consulting firm, yours truly.

In each of his roles, he has leveraged his experience to analyze, plan, and implement effective solutions that continually improve operations. Ryan’s bottom line will always be the people – they are what make and break any organization and his main motivation is to maximize staff growth and development.

Ryan, the star of the show (Remy), and Melissa

Not only is Ryan celebrating his 5th year with R3 this month, but we have some other exciting news to share…. he has officially earned his Masters in Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento!

Ryan signed up for this endeavor before the pandemic, with a completely different idea of what the program would look like. Of course, with COVID-19 – everything changed for everyone. He began his program in March 2020, and had to switch to fully online classes every Friday evening and all day on Saturdays. He took an accelerated 15-month program and finished in June 2021, but couldn’t fully celebrate with his class until April 2022. The wait was worth it though, as he was finally able to walk across the stage with his fellow classmates and receive his well-deserved degree.

CSU, Sacramento, MBA Class of July 2021 – Ryan, far left

 

If you think you can handle it – we have MORE good news from the Calkins family……Ryan and his wife, Melissa, welcomed their adorable baby boy, Remy, into the world in the fall of 2021 and our office could not be more obsessed! Remy is a *highly* awaited cameo anytime Ryan is in a zoom/teams meeting, and every time he shows up – you would not believe all of the smiles that ensue throughout the participants.

 

A message from R3 President, Garth Schultz:

“Congratulations, Ryan – your passion and hard work is evident in your dedication to R3’s people and the firm. Your drive for improvement has led us to redevelop our organization’s mission, vision, and strategic objectives, and we couldn’t have done it without you. What a year – you completed your MBA during a pandemic and became a father to boot. I look forward to seeing you apply your MBA education to R3’s continued growth and success in the coming years!”

 

Congratulations, Ryan (& Melissa!) – we are so happy for you all around, and truly admire your hard work and dedication. Time for an office happy hour to continue the celebrations!

R3 Team Event 2022

 

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