For those who have been ignoring their smaller organic food-waste container and throwing out leftovers in the black trash bin, you may soon face a cost increase.
As part of the need to meet state mandates regarding “short-lived climate pollutants,” the city is looking at changes to its waste-management contract in ways meant to encourage compliance and address expected cost increases for residents.
At Tuesday’s Santa Clarita City Council meeting, one of the changes on the agenda is a relatively small monthly cost increase, the other, a fee for those who don’t separate their food from their other trash.
While city officials say the focus will remain on the educational component, there now will be a stick associated with the carrot to encourage residents’ new waste-management practices, according to the contract.
The overall rate is also expected to increase by nearly $1 per month for single-family home dwellers who use the standard 96-gallon bins. The increase was part of a previously negotiated increase tied to the consumer price index, which raises the single-family rate from $28.92 per month to $29.87 per month, an increase of just over 3%.
For property owners of commercial and multifamily buildings with a standard 3-yard bin bundle serviced weekly, the increase is $5.87 per month, adjusting the current rate of $179.07 to a new rate of $184.94 per month.
Residents who live in multifamily dwellings but have cart or traditional trash-can service as opposed to a dumpster will now have the option of a $25 per month cart service for a 32-gallon bin. City officials said it adds a more economical option for users who generate less waste.
Senate Bill 1383, which passed in 2022, requires Santa Clarita and other cities throughout the state to provide residents, whether in homes or apartments, with means to sort their organic food waste.
“The implementation of the state’s organic waste reduction regulations adopted under Senate Bill 1383 (Short Lived Climate Pollutants) is the next critical step to protect our communities and our environment from the impacts of climate change,” according to a statement from Burrtec in its presentation to the Santa Clarita City Council. “In order to keep pace with California’s SB 1383 statewide goal of 75% reduction of organics disposed of in landfills, the jurisdictions serviced by Burrtec must divert an estimated 670,000 new tons of organic material each year by 2025.”
Starting Jan. 1, an amendment to the city’s waste-management agreement will create a penalty for residents on their third violation of trash “contamination,” as the contract puts it, or commingling organic food waste in the main trash.
“For purposes of determining if recyclable materials or organic waste are deemed to be contaminated, if, by visual or digital inspection, recyclable materials are commingled with (10%) by weight or volume of garbage or organic waste, or if, by visual inspection, organic waste is commingled with (3%) by volume of garbage or recyclable materials, then recyclable materials and/or organic waste will be deemed to be contaminated and contractor may take the following steps,” according to the proposed addendum.
For the first and second occurrence within a year, the trash collector is to collect the container and put a sticker on the bin to inform the resident of the proper procedures. A third violation would result in a $66.24 penalty fee for additional infractions.
The idea behind the law is explained on a CalRecycle web page called “California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy: “Landfilled food and other organic waste rotting in landfills emits methane climate pollution contributing to California’s hotter summers, more frequent droughts and more wildfires,” according to CalRecycle.
By creating a separate waste bin and disposal process for food waste, scientists forecast the elimination of approximately 3 million vehicles’ worth of methane exhaust.
