City Of Santa Monica – Solid Waste Operational Analysis, Rate Study, and Zero Waste Plan Update
R3 conducted a comprehensive review of Santa Monica’s waste collection and recycling operations to help the city improve efficiency, maintain fair rates, and advance toward its ambitious zero waste goals. Our team analyzed how the City’s Resource Recovery and Recycling Division operated—from staffing levels and equipment to service routes and customer interactions. Through detailed interviews with City staff and residents, we identified opportunities to enhance productivity, safety, and long-term sustainability while ensuring the division had the resources needed to serve the community effectively over the next decade.
A critical part of our work involved protecting ratepayers by examining the City’s billing systems and rate structures. We audited billing records to verify accuracy and compared Santa Monica’s customer billing technology to industry standards used by private haulers. Since the City used systems not specifically designed for solid waste collection, we evaluated whether upgrades could improve service and reduce errors that affect residents. We also conducted a detailed rate study to confirm that current fees covered actual costs and developed a 10-year financial model that allows the City to plan for capital investments, operational changes, and new programs without unexpected rate increases.
Our analysis directly supported Santa Monica’s Zero Waste goals by identifying the most cost-effective strategies to increase diversion from landfills. We evaluated current programs and recommended new initiatives that would move the city closer to achieving 95% waste diversion by 2030. This included assessing opportunities for enhanced recycling, organics processing, and community engagement. We compared how other comparable communities managed the financial impacts of ambitious environmental programs, giving Santa Monica proven strategies that balanced environmental leadership with fiscal responsibility.
Throughout this engagement, we facilitated robust community outreach to ensure residents understood how waste services were funded and what changes might be coming. We developed materials for the Zero Waste Plan and Rate Study that translated complex technical and financial information into plain language. Our goal was to provide Santa Monica with clear options and recommendations that served both the City’s environmental vision and its residents’ need for reliable, affordable waste services. By taking a data-driven approach, we helped the City make informed decisions that would improve operations, achieve ambitious diversion targets, and maintain public trust in how ratepayer dollars are used.
