REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Second Survey Results of Pilot Residential Food Scraps Recycling Program
Report
BACKGROUND
In 2016, Senate Bill (SB) 1383 established methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) in various sectors of California's economy. Methane emissions resulting from the decomposition of organic waste in landfills generate greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020, and a 75 percent reduction by 2025.
On May 9, 2017, the City Council authorized the implementation of a pilot residential food scraps recycling program covering almost 5,000 households. In October of 2017, customers in the pilot collection area were provided with new split-cart containers to separate food scraps from the garbage. Staff conducted a customer survey in December 2017 and presented the survey results at the January 30, 2018 City Council meeting.
DISCUSSION
Every customer in the pilot program was mailed a second customer satisfaction survey on June 1, 2018. Customers had the option of completing the survey on the form provided and mailing it back to the City, or completing the survey online using the Open City Hall portal. Customers were required to provide an address in the pilot collection area for the survey to have been valid.
The primary purpose of the second survey was to determine if there were any changes to overall program satisfaction after customers became more accustomed to the program. The table below shows customer satisfaction levels for both surveys.
Satisfied/Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied/Somewhat Dissatisfied
Undecided
Survey #1
1,402 responses
(29% response rate)
53%
37%
10%
Survey #2
1,254 responses
(26% response rate)
57%
35%
8%
Both surveys collected information on participation rates and ...
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