County hopes to recycle 100% of waste in 50 years

<p>Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday endorsed a plan proposing short- and long-term goals to increase recycling and decrease landfill waste in the county.</p><p>The goals would be achieved through a renewed emphasis on recycling and reuse of construction and demolition debris, which now account for more than a quarter of the county's waste stream.</p><p>Other measures call for more recycling by businesses and multi-unit residences, and new supporting infrastructure, including a composting center and a facility to pick off other items currently going into the landfill.</p><p>The changes are aimed at improving one key statistic: Currently, about two-thirds of local curbside and dropoff waste is recycled, reused or otherwise diverted away from landfills. </p><p>Under the new goals, that “diversion rate” — already among the top third in the state — would rise to 80 percent by 2015, 90 percent by 2020 and 100 percent within 50 years. </p><p>Supervisors endorsed those goals after hearing a report from the county's Solid Waste Advisory Group, which is made up of city and county officials. </p><p>The 5-year and 10-year benchmarks were expected to have minimal effect on curbside collection rates, county staff said. The increased debris recycling and new compost center would add an estimated 22 cents combined to monthly bills. The waste processing facility would add another $1.50. </p><p>Supervisors seemed comfortable with those costs. But they noted that technologies to move the county to 100 percent recycling and reuse after 2020, including ways to mechanically break down waste and convert it to energy, are expensive. Cost estimates were not even given in the report.</p><p>“Getting to 90 percent should be achievable using some of these reasonable tactics. That last 10 percent is going to be difficult,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, who along with Supervisor Shirlee Zane serves on the 11-member solid waste group. </p><p>County staff are making the same presentation to city councils this month, seeking their support for the plan. A final vote by the solid waste group is set for Aug. 15. Approval would trigger a outside study of the financial viability of the plan. </p><p>The proposal comes as the county seeks to permanently reopen the central landfill west of Cotati. After being closed in 2005 due to water pollution concerns, the landfill was temporarily reopened last year for up to 60 percent of the county's waste, the rest of which goes to a landfill in Solano County.</p><p>Regulators have a six-month window to review and act on the county's application to resume full operations. County officials are hoping to have a go-ahead by early next year.</p><p>Long-term retrofit and expansion costs at the landfill are estimated at $70 million, an amount officials said could be raised by increasing household garbage bills by about $12 annually.</p>