[GreenYes] Re: [CRRA] Oakland, California adopts a Zero Waste goal

[Neil Seldman <nseldman@no.address>]

gary   congratulations. I know how much time you put into this. Neil
On Mar 8, 2006, at 9:56 PM, Gary Liss wrote:

> Apologies for Cross-Postings
>
> From: "Monica Wilson" <mwilson@no.address>
> Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 17:24:11 -0800
>
> Great news! The City of Oakland in the State of California, USA,  
> passed a
> Zero Waste resolution last night (March 7, 2006). Oakland is a port  
> city in
> the San Francisco Bay, with a population of 400,000.
>
> The text of the resolution is below, and the resolution itself is  
> online
> with a staff report on why zero waste is necessary:
> http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/12914.pdf
> ********************
>
> RESOLUTION ADOPTING A ZERO WASTE GOAL BY 2020 FOR THE CITY OF OAKLAND
> AND DIRECTING THE PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY, IN CONCERT WITH THE MAYOR'S
> OFFICE, TO DEVELOP A ZERO WASTE STRATEGIC PLAN TO ACHIEVE THE CITY'S
> ZERO WASTE GOAL
>
> WHEREAS, the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB  
> 939)
> required that all California jurisdictions achieve a landfill  
> diversion rate
> of 50% by the year 2000, and reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost all
> discarded materials to the maximum extent feasible before any  
> landfilling or
> other destructive disposal method is used; and
>
> WHEREAS, in 1990 Alameda County's voters passed ballot Measure D (The
> Alameda County Waste Reduction and Recycling Initiative Charter  
> Amendment),
> setting a requirement for the County to reduce land filling by 75%  
> by 2010;
> and
>
> WHEREAS, in 1990 the City Council adopted Resolution #66253 C.M.S
> establishing solid waste reduction goals, including returning  
> discarded
> materials to the local economy through reuse and recycling;  
> applying the
> waste management hierarchy in priority order (reduce, reuse,  
> recycle and
> compost) to the maximum extent; and promoting recycling market  
> development;
> and
>
> WHEREAS, in 2002 the City Council adopted Resolution #77500 C.M.S.
> establishing the goal of 75% reduction of waste disposal landfills  
> by 2010
> for the City of Oakland in alliance with the countywide 75% waste  
> reduction
> requirement; and
>
> WHEREAS, in 2001 the California Integrated Waste Management Board  
> set a goal
> of Zero Waste in its strategic plan for the state; and cities,  
> councils,
> counties, and states worldwide have adopted a goal of achieving  
> zero waste,
> including the counties of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Luis  
> Obispo and Del
> Norte in California; the cities of Palo Alto and Berkeley in
> California, Seattle in Washington , Toronto in Canada, and Canberra in
> Australia; and the state of New South Wales in Australia; and 45%  
> of New
> Zealand's local government councils; and
>
> WHEREAS, strategies to reach zero waste can help to promote the  
> over-arching
> goal of each generation leaving less and less of an ecological  
> footprint on
> the earth thus allowing more and more of nature to restore; and
>
> WHEREAS, Zero Waste principles promote the highest and best use of  
> materials
> to eliminate waste and pollution, emphasizing a closed-loop system of
> production and consumption, moving in logical increments toward the  
> goal of
> zero waste through the core principles of:
> . Improving 'downstream' reuse/recycling of end-of-life products and
> materials to ensure their highest and best use;
> . Pursuing 'upstream' re-design strategies to reduce the volume and  
> toxicity
> of discarded products and materials, and promote low-impact or reduced
> consumption lifestyles;
> . Fostering and supporting use of discarded products and materials to
> stimulate and drive local economic and workforce development; and
>
> WHEREAS, in 1992 the City Council adopted Resolution #68780 C.M.S.
> authorizing establishment of a City staff supported Recycling Market
> Development Zone; and recycling continues to be a significant local
> industry, whose long-term viability is a key component to Oakland's  
> current
> and future waste reduction achievements, economic development, and  
> workforce
> development of 'green collar' jobs; and
>
> WHEREAS, in 1998 the City Council adopted the Sustainable Development
> Initiative (Resolution #74678 C.M.S) embracing the concept of meeting
> people's current economic, social, cultural, and environmental  
> needs in ways
> that enhance the ability of future generations to meet their needs;  
> and
>
> WHEREAS, Oakland's FY 2005-07 Mayor and City Council Goals include:  
> Develop
> A Sustainable City through maximizing socially and environmentally
> sustainable economic growth, including conserving natural  
> resources; and
>
> WHEREAS, in alliance with the Oakland's Sustainable Development  
> Initiative
> and Sustainable City goal, in June 2005 Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown  
> joined
> mayors of 50 of the world's largest and most visionary cities as an  
> original
> signer of the United Nations World Environment Day Urban Environmental
> Accords, pledging that Oakland would implement 21 action steps toward
> sustainable cities in the areas of energy, waste reduction, urban  
> design,
> transportation, environmental health, and water including: Establish a
> policy to achieve zero waste; and
>
> WHEREAS, adopting a goal of zero waste disposal and pursuing Zero  
> Waste
> principles is consistent with, and an explicit validation of Oakland's
> Sustainable Development Initiative and Sustainable City Goal; now,
> therefore, be it
>
> RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Council hereby adopt a Zero Waste  
> Goal by
> 2020 for the City of Oakland and direct the Public Works Agency, in  
> concert
> with the Mayor's Office, to develop a Zero Waste Strategic Plan to  
> achieve
> the City's Zero Waste Goal; and be it
>
> FURTHER RESOLVED, that Public Works Agency, in conjunction with the  
> Mayor's
> Office, will convene a Zero Waste working group to develop a Zero  
> Waste
> Strategic Plan that will provide guidance in the planning and
> decision-making process to achieve the City's Zero Waste Goal; and  
> be it
>
> FURTHER RESOLVED, Oakland will assume a leadership role, partnering  
> with
> other Zero Waste local, regional and international communities and
> sustainability advocates to actively pursue and advocate for  
> strategies and
> incentives to advance Zero Waste principles for materials  
> management, system
> re-design, highest and best use of discarded products and  
> materials, and a
> closed-loop sustainable production and consumption society.
>
>
> Gary Liss
> 916-652-7850
> Fax: 916-652-0485
> www.garyliss.com
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

Neil Seldman
President
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
927 15th Street, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202 898 1610 X 210
nseldman@no.address