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Apologies for Cross-Postings >From: "Gagliardi, Mark" <mgagliardi@no.address> >Subject: Oakland, CA Zero Waste Strategic Plan Adopted >Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 09:22:53 -0800 > >On Tues. 12-5-06 the Oakland, CA City Council unanimously adopted a Zero >Waste Strategic Plan: >http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/14983.pdf > >The Strategic Plan will guide Oakland's planning, decision-making, and >actions toward achieving the Goal of Zero Waste by 2020, which was >established in March 2006. The Plan is closely aligned with one of the major >goals of Oakland's current policy budget adopted by the Mayor and City >Council: Develop a Sustainable City. > >Development of the Strategic Plan was guided by a public participation >process, which is detailed at the web site for Oakland's Zero Waste >Initiative: www.zerowasteoakland.com. The City extends its great >appreciation to all who participated in the adoption of Oakland's Zero Waste >Goal and development of its Zero Waste Strategic Plan. > > >Pursuit of Zero Waste and other sustainability goals is more a journey than >a destination, and now the real work begins - implementing strategies >identified in the Plan: > >ZERO WASTE STRATEGIES FOR OAKLAND > >The following five strategies comprise traditional recycling programs as >well as system redesign solutions for product waste, and policy and >regulatory changes. They provide the framework for Oakland's Strategic Plan >to achieve Zero Waste by 2020. > >1. Expand and Improve Local and Regional Recycling and Composting >Oakland residents recycle more each year, local private-sector recyclers >with access to Pacific Rim markets via the Port of Oakland help businesses >reduce waste, and construction and demolition debris recycling continues to >increase. Yet large amounts of recyclable and compostable materials are >landfilled each day. Maximizing waste reduction from programs that are >already capitalized and in place is both efficient and cost-effective. >Increasing recycling and composting will require greater engagement with the >business community and general public; additional local and regional >recovery facilities and services; and new initiatives and innovations. > >2. Develop and Adopt New Rules and Incentives to Reduce Waste Disposal >Oakland's Municipal Code and garbage franchise have provided a good >framework for achieving 50% waste diversion. However, meeting the City's 75% >waste diversion and Zero Waste goals will require ending the current >incentive for landfilling. Other cities in and beyond the Bay Area have >developed systems that realign economic incentives to reward all parties for >reducing waste, and end the incentive to landfill. Development and adoption >of a new waste management system design in preparation for Oakland's next >collection and disposal contract is key to the goal of reducing waste. Other >new rules and incentives detailed in the Plan are needed to encourage and >reward reuse, repair, and reduced consumption. > >3. Preserve Land for Sustainable Development and Green Industry >Infrastructure >Increased recovery of a broader variety of materials will require more >businesses and more services, producing more green collar jobs for Oakland >residents. Industrial land close to the Port and to transportation and other >support services is urgently needed for concrete crushing, recycled asphalt >production, and other activities that reuse and recycle building materials. >Reuse and deconstruction businesses create more jobs than recycling and >disposal, and also need space to grow. Manufacturing new products from local >recycled materials could drive further green industry and workforce >development, and will require appropriate industrial land. Land for Zero >Waste infrastructure should be strategically allocated, just as it is for >vital public infrastructure such as wastewater treatment facilities and >power generation. > >4. Advocate for Manufacturer Responsibility for Product Waste, Ban Problem >Materials >Every year brings an increase in complex, toxic and non-recyclable products >and packaging. This increase is outpacing local government's ability to >safely and cost-effectively handle the associated wastes, as well as >increasing Oakland's future environmental liability. Unless this cycle is >corrected, not even a high-performing recycling region like ours can recycle >our way to Zero Waste. Oakland needs to join regional, statewide, national, >and international efforts to end the "waste subsidy" for manufacturers that >is currently borne by local governments and ratepayers, and to insist that >the costs and risks to manage end-of-life products and materials be the >responsibility of manufacturers. Such measures can provide incentives for >manufacturers to "design the waste out" so that products can be readily >reused, repaired, reconditioned, or recycled. Local retailers can assist in >collecting and returning selected products to manufacturers. Use or sale of >problematic products can also be banned, as Oakland has recently done for >expanded polystyrene food packaging and the European Union and China are >doing for hazardous materials in electronic products. > >5. Educate, Promote and Advocate a Zero Waste Sustainability Agenda >Efforts have been made in Oakland to educate, inform, and instruct the >general public and specific targeted audiences on how and why to reduce, >reuse, and recycle. Yet many do not participate, even where convenient >recycling systems are in place. Meanwhile, much of the language of Zero >Waste and sustainability has been focused on a policy-making audience and >not the general public. There is a need for messaging and communications >that speak clearly and concisely about Zero Waste and sustainability in a >way that makes sense in people's daily lives, in order to move society from >awareness into acceptance and action. Educating and engaging diverse >audiences will require innovative developments in the message and how it is >communicated, along with effective price signals and other financial >incentives. It will be necessary to develop partnerships within and beyond >Oakland to pursue and advocate for needed policy and behavioral changes, >incentives and new rules, and to listen to questions, concerns, and ideas >about the new approach. > > >Environmental Hierarchy to Guide Oakland's Zero Waste Strategies, Policies, >and Actions >As detailed in the Plan, Oakland's pursuit of its Zero Waste Goal will be >guided by an environmental hierarchy for 'highest and best use' of materials >and pollution prevention in all phases of production, use, and disposition >of products and materials. This hierarchy is derived from the core Zero >Waste principle of preventing, rather than managing, waste and pollution. It >recommits to the priority ordering of the waste reduction hierarchy: first >reduce consumption; next, reuse products by maintaining their form and >function; and finally, recycle anything that is no longer usable and >landfill any residual. The hierarchy formalizes, organizes, and clearly >presents how Zero Waste is a fundamentally different approach to waste >reduction than the recycling programs of the past 15 years: Zero Waste >tackles the root causes of wasting and broadens responsibility for the >solutions to include government, producers, and consumers. > > >Measuring Progress Toward Oakland's Zero Waste Goal >Oakland's Zero Waste Goal is to cut the City's current waste disposal of >400,000 tons per year to 40,000 tons per year - a 90% reduction. This will >require double the waste disposal reduction that Oakland has achieved over >the past 15 years. Rather than use the state of California's "waste >diversion" calculation, progress toward the Zero Waste Goal will be measured >by the actual amount of annual waste landfilled, with key milestones at >5-year intervals between now and 2020. > > >The City will continue to update and develop its Zero Waste Initiative >website (www.zerowasteoakland.com) and your suggestions on improving its >impact and usefulness are always welcome. > >Please share any thoughts and questions via the City's Zero Waste Yahoo >Group at: >ZeroWasteOakland@no.address >You can join by going to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZeroWasteOakland >And clicking on "Join This Group" > > >Thank you for your continuing commitment and efforts to working toward Zero >Waste Sustainability! > > >Sincerely, > >Zero Waste Strategic Planning Team >Public Works Agency/Environmental Services >City of Oakland >250 Frank Ogawa Plaza; Suite 5301 >Oakland, CA 94612 >Phone: (510) 238-SAVE >Fax: (510) 238-7286 >http://www.oaklandrecycles.com >www.zerowasteoakland.com Gary Liss 916-652-7850 Fax: 916-652-0485 www.garyliss.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GreenYes" group. 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