Agenda Information Sheet
DEPARTMENT: Utility Administration
CM/ ACM: Mario Canizares
Date: August 14, 2017
SUBJECT
Title
Receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding commercial & multifamily recycling.
Body
BACKGROUND
The Committee on the Environment received a report on multifamily recycling at the March 3, 2017 meeting. Items discussed included: marketing and education for multifamily, increasing voluntary participation in multifamily recycling, reviewing mandatory recycling requirements, looking at incentives for older complexes to recycle.
On the marketing/outreach front, staff is working on increasing education and outreach in the schools and community. The public outreach and marketing functions from Recycling transferred to the Sustainability Team effective August 12, 2017. Marketing, outreach and education efforts will be combined with Sustainability efforts, both groups will have additional support from the larger team.
Participation in the existing multifamily program has continued to increase. We ended 2016 with 130 complexes participating. At this time 186 complexes are participating, which meets the goal of 40% for 2017. As discussed during the March COE meeting, multifamily recycling is a service that many of our residents are interested in receiving. However, several challenges exist that staff working to address. Options for multifamily recycling and will be brought to the Committee over the next few meetings.
We will look at Development Code, Ordinances and service models to address this complex issue.
To assist in moving multifamily forward, sustainability staff has completed the steps to apply for a Mayor's Challenge grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to address a community challenge. The challenge for which we hope to receive funding to help address is multifamily recycling. Submitting the project application will require staff to work with others in the community to discuss challenges and i...
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