Waste Reduction

Waste from County operations ends up in landfills, where it breaks down and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Preventing these emissions requires prioritizing source reduction and strengthening waste diversion actions reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting. By keeping materials out of landfills, the County can significantly reduce its climate impact and move closer to zero waste.

Goals:

2030: Reduce emissions from waste by 80% compared to 2005 levels
2035: Reduce emissions from waste by 100% compared to 2005 levels

Summary of Strategies

Certify County Departments as Green Businesses
Adopt a Sustainable Purchasing Policy
Reduce Paper Use
Divert Surplus Property from Waste
Remove Disposable Food Serviceware
Analyze the County’s Waste Stream and Improve Collection and Services.
Reduce Waste from Public Spaces
Incorporate More Local Food Options
Conduct Employee Training and Outreach

See Focus Area 3: Waste in the Government Operations Climate Action Plan (PDF) for more details on objectives and actions.

The Latest News & Events

May
16

Fixit Clinic @ East Palo Alto Library

Fixit Clinics are fun community-based workshops where neighbors, friends, and families work collectively to learn how to repair broken items. We’ll provide a workspace, specialty tools, and volunteer Fixit Coaches to help you troubleshoot and provide routine maintenance to your household items and appliances! Register at https://bit.ly/itemcheckin.

Interested in being a Fixit Coach?
It’s easy! Provide participants with 1) guidance on tools and 2) encouragement to investigate their broken item. Let them talk about how they used it and how it broke. That often provides valuable hints as to what’s wrong. See how much you can do without actually handling the item. Empower the item’s owner to do the troubleshooting and disassembly. Register to be a Fixit Coach here.

This event is hosted in partnership with the San Mateo County Libraries.

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