REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Resolution for the City of Santa Clara to Participate in the Initial Planning for Potential Future Use of the Sunnyvale Materials Recovery and Transfer (SMaRT) Station
Report
BACKGROUND
The City has exclusive franchise agreements in place with Recology and Mission Trail Waste Systems (MTWS) to provide solid waste collection services. The agreement with Recology to provide residential recycling services will expire on January 10, 2020. In a separate action at tonight's Council Meeting, staff recommends to extend the Recology Agreement to December 31, 2021. The agreement with MTWS to provide residential garbage and organics services, and commercial garbage and recycling services at all other properties not zoned for "Industrial" use will expire on December 31, 2021. As directed by Council, staff is also in the process of negotiation with service providers for successor agreements for both of these services, and if not successful, will issue a Request for Proposal for these services in May 2019. The recycling services covered under both agreements enable the City to comply with AB 939 and AB 341, which mandate a 50% landfill diversion rate and commercial recycling, respectively.
The residential and commercial recyclable materials collected under both agreements become the service provider's property to market at their discretion. The value of recycling commodities has decreased by over 50% since 2013 due to recent overseas import restrictions. As a result, it has become a challenging environment to secure recyclables processing services.
Following the 2016 passage of SB 1383 (Lara), CalRecycle is developing short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) regulations that will require jurisdictions to implement new organics recycling programs to achieve a 75 percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level. The regulations will become enforceable on January 1, 2022 and giv...
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