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Can the Trash! Coalition
SABA is a member of the Can the Trash! Coalition which supports the containerization of green waste in the cities of Sacramento, Davis and Woodland.
The Can the Trash! Coalition, in partnership with the city of Sacramento, formed a Volunteer Green Waste Task Force in 2007 to examine issues related to green waste collection and make recommendations to the City Council.
Can the Trash! Coalition Statement
Can the Trash! Coalition Fact Sheet
Can the Trash! Coalition Members
Sacramento Bee Editorial "Cycling, recycling and that beloved Claw"
Sacramento Bee Op-ed "Raking ritual reflects lack of street smarts"
Green Waste PowerPoint Presentation
Green Waste Voluteer Task Force PowerPoint Presentation to Sacramento City Council, October 23, 2007
Green Waste Volunteer Task Force Report, October, 2007
Can The Trash! Coalition Statement:
We believe in order to prevent local flooding, protect our streams and rivers, cut government and residents’ costs, improve neighborhood appearance, discourage illegal dumping, reduce hazards to cyclists and pedestrians, decrease air pollution and decrease the size of the waste stream, cities and counties in the Sacramento region should not permit the year-round dumping of green waste on the streets. The “loose collection” of green waste should be replaced by containerized collection.
Can the Trash! Coalition Fact Sheet:
Green Waste Dumping—a practice whose time has passed.
The cities of Davis, Sacramento and Woodland allow residents to dump green waste in the streets for “loose pick up.” Few other cities follow this practice. In the city of Sacramento, a public vote, not just a City Council decision, is the only way to end the current practice.
The city of Sacramento now picks up green waste every week (a maximum of two cubic yards) using a two-person crew, the “Claw” and a truck.
The city has started a voluntary green waste containerization program using 96-gallon, wheeled containers. Under the volunatary program, weekly container pick up is supplemented by loose pick every other week in the November and December leaf season and by last week of the month pick up in February, March, April and August.
Why change to containers?
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Prevent local flooding. Green waste can block storm drains. The US EPA said on-street dumping of green waste contributed to overflows from the Sacramento Combined Sewer System on September 19, 2004. The overflows contain sewage and massive amounts of coliform bacteria.
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Cut costs. The city of Sacramento says billing rates are 22% less expensive for pick up using the containers. (We calculate costs are 31% higher using the "Claw.") This doesn’t include the substantial costs from pavement damage, local flooding and drain clearing, dumping of other trash and its removal, street sweeping, screen cleaning and pump damage at storm water pump stations.
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Protect streams and rivers. Cities must meet state storm water quality standards. Woodland is facing $10,000/day fines from the state of California for the amount of Total Organic Carbons in its runoff.
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Improve air quality. Using two vehicles for green waste pick up increases emissions. The “Claw” is diesel powered. Diesels are an especially harmful source of pollutants. Dust and particulates in waste piles are stirred by auto traffic potentially aggravating asthma and other lung diseases.
- Reduce greenhouse gases. Using only one vehicle reduces carbon dioxide emissions and helps in the fight against global warming. If green waste is not mixed with garbage, the shipping distance is significantly reduced (a few miles instead of 141 miles one way) further cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
- Help prevent illegal dumping. Waste piles attract additional, illegal dumping including hazardous materials and dog wastes. Sometimes green waste piles are used to disguise other materials being dumped.
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Improve neighborhood appearance. Green waste piles are unsightly. Piles are often scattered during pick up, by the wind, or by vehicles, requiring additional street sweeping.
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Reduce waste stream. Having a green waste container discourages mixing green waste with garbage. For some, it may provide an incentive to compost or switch to more ecologically friendly landscaping.
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Save the pavement. The ‘Claw” scratches and gouges street pavement, curbs and sidewalks and scrapes off pavement markings.
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Reduce hazards to cyclists and pedestrians. The piles are a significant safety hazard to cyclists (see below) and create a liability for the city and residents.
- Stop interference with parking. Green waste piles interfere with parking and are a traffic nuisance.
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Ease enforcement hassles. It is difficult to enforce volume and placement restrictions on the green waste piles.
- Reduce mosquito population. According to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, organic material in the stormwater system, which is designed to have standing water, increases mosquito reproduction vs. cleaner water.
Some residents fear loss of convenience and worry about storing another waste container. But containers themselves are convenient. Green waste containers have large capacity, are neat, don’t interfere as much with parking and are easy to load and wheel from backyard to curb. At any rate, actual or perceived convenience should not outweigh environmental protection, flood risk, neighborhood appearance, costs and safety.
Conditions have changed. When Sacramento residents voted in 1977 to reject a change to bagging green waste for pick up, the waste was to wind up in a landfill. The same disposition applied in 1988, when voters rejected a plan to mix the green waste with garbage. Currently all green waste in Sacramento is recycled, no matter what the pick up method. The cost-effective, environmentally sound thing to do now is containerize green waste. Another change from the time of prior votes is that many of Sacramento's new residents are appalled by the dumping of waste in the streets. They see it as clutter, not convenience.
How green waste piles affect cyclists:
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Force cyclists to move left into vehicle traffic.
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Create a serious nighttime crash hazard because debris piles are so difficult to see.
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Can result in flooding where cyclists ride.
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May result in additional particulate matter in air.
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Pick up using the “claw” damages pavement and pavement markings such as for bike lanes.
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Discourages cycling by adding obstacles and creating safety hazard.
In a February 2005 survey, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates members were asked: "While riding a bike during the last year, have you had a crash involving..."
More than 23 percent (41 responses) said that they had a crash involving debris in bike lanes/shoulders. That was higher than the percentage of those having a crash involving a moving car, a parked car, another bike, an animal, or a pedestrian--COMBINED!
Davis
City staff worked on a report for the City Council to consider whether to institute a program to containerize yard waste within the City of Davis. The report addressed the "pros and cons" of the existing methods of yard waste ("green waste") collection compared to other methods, particularly the use of containers similar to those used for household garbage and recyclable materials.
Considerations weighed:
On April 17, 2007, the Davis City Council voted unanimously to adopt a staff recommendation to
"Support the development and implementation of a pilot program to containerize green waste on selected arterials that have significant bike traffic." The Davis Natural Resources Commission and Bicycle Advisory Commission had supported including non-arterial streets in the pilot program and expanding compost education programs.
Sacramento
Has a voluntary containerized green waste collection program with
reduced rates for residents. About 40,000 waste containers (out
of 124,000 potential households) have been distributed. All
of North Natomas is containerized. Changing to mandatory containerized
collection would require a public vote, although the City Manager
has the authority to discontinue "loose in the street" pick
up in emergencies or for environmental reasons.
At its June 8, 2006 meeting, the City Council asked its staff to report back on the feasibility of having a November 2006 ballot measure that would give the council the authority to switch to containerized collection of green waste.
In April, 2007 a voluntary
task force was created to make recommendations to the City Council
on how a broader containerization program might be implemented.
Woodland
After the City Council voted to switch to containers in 2006, Council
reversed its decision in the face of opposition from some residents.
Council created an advisory committee to assess green waste collection
and make recommendations, originally by the end of 2005, and now by
February 2006.
The Solid Waste Committee's recommendation for green waste collection services was presented to the City Council on May 16, 2006 . Their recommendation stems from the recommendation for green waste collection services presented to them by the City of Woodland Green Waste Citizen Advisory Committee. The recommendation includes non-leaf season (February through September) and leaf season (October through January) services, increased composting courses, education, and enforcement of City codes regarding green waste collection. During the non-leaf season , green waste could be placed in the street once a month during a designated period and green waste containers would be used for the remainder of the month. During the leaf season, green waste could be placed in the street or in containers. To protect water quality, grass would never be allowed to be placed in the street. Specifically, the Solid Waste Committee recommendation for green waste collection services includes:
• Non-Leaf Season Collection Services (February through September): City-wide weekly container green waste collection plus once a month street collection of green waste (except for grass). Additionally, residents may call WM and arrange to have green waste picked up off the street for an additional fee, if they miss the normal pickup date.
• Leaf Season Collection Services (October through January): weekly container and street collection services. Grass clippings would go into containers year round; not placed in the gutters during leaf season.
• Extra Service: 200 carts to be available to residents to pick up from WM for those that have extra green waste but do not want to store a cart for a 12-month period.
• Street Sweeping: Street sweeping would be conducted weekly city-wide. (This may be evaluated further at a later date, to see if there would be any noticeable difference if the frequency were reduced.)
• Composting: The City should increase composting courses and investigate composting the City's green waste as a City/County function.
• Public Education: The City and WM should increase public education and send information in the WM bills to educate the public about recycling, green waste, etc.
• Ordinance Revisions: The City Code needs to be updated to reflect the changes in the green waste collection program.
• Woodland Certified Landscape Maintenance Professional: The City should institute this voluntary program as a way of educating and rewarding licensed landscape professionals. There would be an educational requirement (certification that the professional has read a one page synopsis of the program to be prepared by City staff) along with a visible means of identification like a sticker for a vehicle. This would give residents an opportunity to “shop locally” when it comes to landscaping as well as encourage out-of-town landscape professionals to educate themselves about the City's green waste program. This program would be entirely voluntary.
• Appointment of a Green Waste Oversight Committee: The City Council will re-evaluate the need for expanded, ongoing citizen involvement and if so, to determine if the scope/size/composition of the Solid Waste Committee should be modified.
• Enforcement: Compliance for green waste violators will mainly be complaint driven; however, as WM drivers or City staff identify illegal piles, enforcement procedures should be implemented.
• Opting Out of Service: Consistent with the current green waste collection program, residents would not be able to opt out of the program.
• Container Sizes and Rate for Multiple Containers: Residents would be able to choose from three container sizes to meet their green waste collection needs (32, 64, and 96 gallon containers). There would be one rate for all containers, regardless of the size.
Staff is currently working with Waste Management to determine the cost for the change in green waste collection services and will present the rates to the Solid Waste Committee in the near future. The Solid Waste Committee will then present a final recommendation for green waste collection services and rates to the City Council for their consideration. Questions may be directed to Christine Engel, City of Woodland , Environmental Analyst, 406-5110.
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Can the Trash! Members and Supporters
Terry Kastanis, Former Council Member, City of Sacramento
Anne Rudin, Former Mayor, City of Sacramento
Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails
Davis Bike Club
Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS)
League of Women Voters Sacramento County
North Natomas Transportation Management Association
Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
Sacramento Bike Hikers
Sacramento City/County Bicycle Advisory Committee
Sacramento Earth Day Network
Sacramento Transportation Management Association
Sacramento Urban Creeks Council
Sacramento Wheelmen
Save the American River Association
Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter Sacramento Group
United Anglers of California
WALKSacramento
The Sacramento County Taxpayers League is not a member of the Can the Trash! Coalition. However, the League is in agreement with the coalition's goal of containerizing green waste. (July 7, 2006 letter to the Sacramento City Council)