{"id":19106,"date":"2021-12-13T13:08:30","date_gmt":"2021-12-13T18:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/?post_type=article&p=19106"},"modified":"2025-03-12T14:40:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T18:40:08","slug":"alameda-waste-surcharges-2","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/es\/article\/composting-for-community\/alameda-waste-surcharges-2","title":{"rendered":"Alameda County, California \u2013 Waste Disposal Surcharges"},"template":"","class_list":["post-19106","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-local-policy","initiatives-composting-for-community","topics-infrastructure","topics-zero-waste","impact_areas-climate-and-environmental-justice","authors-sophia-jones"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":"","background_color":"tan","article_type":[37],"initiative":15,"display_event_fields":false,"start_date":null,"end_date":null,"start_time":null,"end_time":null,"time_zone":"America\/New_York","virtual_event":false,"location":"","topics":[89,121],"impact_areas":[16],"abstract":"Alameda County, CA's waste diversion and recycling programs are predominantly administered by the public agency StopWaste. StopWaste receives over 90% of its core funding from Alameda County\u2019s per-ton waste disposal fees,1 including a Measure D recycling fee ($8.23), AB 939 recycling fee ($4.34), import mitigation fee ($4.53), and a household and hazardous waste fee ($2.15).","authors_tax":[629]},"sidebar":{"title":"\u00cdndice"},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Since 1990, Alameda County has maintained a strong momentum<\/a> of achievement in waste diversion. Its robust system of waste management and diversion has enabled the county to achieve a 67% waste diversion rate, as of 2018. Supporting the diversion of recyclables from landfills are two Alameda County recycling ordinances<\/a>: the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance<\/a> (for recyclables and organics) and the Plant Debris Landfill Ban Ordinance<\/a>. Programs under the Mandatory Recycling Ordinance will be replaced by the Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance<\/a> starting January 1, 2022 in order to comply with California State Law SB 1383<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThe waste diversion and recycling programs are predominantly administered by StopWaste<\/a>, a public agency working on behalf of Alameda County\u2019s Recycling Board, the Waste Management Authority, and the Energy Council. StopWaste receives over 90% of its core funding from Alameda County\u2019s per-ton waste disposal fees,1<\/sup><\/a> including a Measure D recycling fee ($8.23), AB 939 recycling fee ($4.34), import mitigation fee ($4.53), and a household and hazardous waste fee ($2.15). The $4.53 per ton import mitigation fee is an additional disposal surcharge collected on all solid waste landfilled in Alameda County that originates out of county.\r\n\r\nStopWaste\u2019s holistic approach to waste reduction and resource management includes technical assistance, grants and incentives, community engagement, public outreach campaigns, market development, and ordinance enforcement. The disposal fee revenue has funded numerous innovative projects in Alameda County over the years, including projects that prevent, divert, and recover wasted food, support building healthy soils, and increase availability and quality of local compost products, to name a few.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Measure D Recycling Surcharge<\/h2>\r\nThe Alameda County Waste Reduction and Recycling Initiative Charter Amendment of 1990<\/a> (also known as \u201cMeasure D\u201d) that created StopWaste<\/a> also established a countywide Recycling Plan to fund and implement a proactive and comprehensive source reduction and recycling program. Measure D established a $6-per-ton surcharge on materials disposed in Alameda County landfills or incinerators with the sole purpose of financing the County\u2019s Recycling Plan. As of 2021, the per-ton surcharge has been set at $8.23 since its most recent update in 2011.\r\n
\u201cSUBSECTION 64.050: RECYCLING FUND<\/h6>\r\n
6. Commencing not later than three (3) months after the effective date of this Act, each landfill or incinerator in Alameda County shall collect a surcharge of six dollars ($6.00) per ton on all refuse accepted for landfilling or incineration at said landfill or incinerator. All monies collected through said surcharge shall be paid by the operators of each landfill or incinerator into a fund, to be known as the Alameda County Recycling Fund (hereinafter the \u201cRecycling Fund\u201d), established for the purpose of receiving and disbursing monies pursuant to this Act. The Board of Supervisors shall ensure the collection of said surcharge, either by modifying the use permits of said landfills and incinerators or by any other necessary means.\u201d<\/h6>\r\n \r\n\r\nRevenue for 2021 is expected at $9.7 million. The fee is collected by landfill operators and paid to the Recycling Board, which deposits the revenue into the Recycling Fund.\r\n\r\nOf the Recycling Fund, 50% is disbursed quarterly to municipalities (per-capita basis) for expansion of their recycling programs. In 2021, the revenue remitted to municipalities totaled $4.8 million. Of the remaining funds, 10% funds a grant program for non-profits engaged in maximizing recycling, composting, and waste reduction; 10% funds the Source Reduction Program; another 10% funds the Recycled Product Market Development Program; 3% funds administration expenses; and 12% is disbursed according to the Recycling Board\u2019s discretion. The remaining 5% is applied to the Recycled Product Purchase Preference Program. Additionally, Measure D stipulates a price preference of 10% for County procurement of recycled products, including, but not limited to, compost products.\r\n

Guidelines for Review<\/h3>\r\nMeasure D also outlines clear guidelines for reviewing and updating the surcharge. However, adjustments to these fees now require voter approval, in accordance with California Proposition 26<\/a>, which passed in 2010. Preceding the passage of Proposition 26, the Board of Supervisors could make adjustments to the surcharge in a few different ways, including by ballot measure for Alameda County, by Board vote in accordance with changes to the Consumer Price Index, and by Board vote every five years to increase the surcharge by up to 20%. Now, any adjustments to the surcharge must be approved by two-thirds of voters.\r\n

Five Year Recycling Board Audit<\/h3>\r\nSubsection 64.040(C) of Measure D requires a Financial and Compliance Audit of the Recycling Board to be conducted every five years to ensure compliance with Measure D. The latest Five-Year Audit is being conducted by a third party consultancy with Crowe LLP. The audit is conducted in two phases, in accordance with the Recycling Board\u2019s 2003 resolution (RB 2003-11<\/a>). The first phase, evaluating fiscal years 2016\/17-2018\/19<\/a>, is complete and fiscal years 2019\/20-2020\/21 are currently under review.\r\n\r\nThe audit provides a comprehensive overview of Measure D and StopWaste\u2019s activities, assessments of revenue and expenditures, financial compliance, and waste diversion, as well as audit recommendations.\r\n\r\n \r\n

County Waste Surcharge to Meet State Recycling and Solid Waste Reduction Requirements<\/h2>\r\nAlameda County landfills also collect AB 939 implementation fees, in order to meet requirements under the California Integrated Solid Waste Management Act of 1989, enacted by Proyecto de ley 939 de la Asamblea de California<\/a> (AB 939). This state bill enabled local governments to impose solid waste fees to be used to pay the costs of preparing, adopting, and implementing an integrated waste management plan. Alameda\u2019s AB 939 fee is set at $4.34 per ton disposed and yielded $5.5 million in revenue for the county in 2021.\r\n
\u201cCAP\u00cdTULO 8. Autoridad local encargada de las tasas<\/h6>\r\n
41900. Cada ciudad y condado deber\u00e1 demostrar que dispone de una o varias fuentes de financiaci\u00f3n para sufragar los gastos de preparaci\u00f3n, adopci\u00f3n y aplicaci\u00f3n del elemento o plan, tal y como exigen las secciones 41003, 41230, 41303 y 41430.<\/strong><\/h6>\r\n
41901. Una ciudad, condado o ciudad y condado pueden imponer tasas en cantidades suficientes para pagar los costos de preparaci\u00f3n, adopci\u00f3n y aplicaci\u00f3n de un plan integrado de gesti\u00f3n de residuos elaborado de conformidad con este cap\u00edtulo. Las tasas se basar\u00e1n en los tipos o cantidades de residuos s\u00f3lidos y se utilizar\u00e1n para sufragar los costos reales en que incurra la ciudad o el condado en la preparaci\u00f3n, adopci\u00f3n y aplicaci\u00f3n del plan, as\u00ed como en la fijaci\u00f3n y recaudaci\u00f3n de las tasas locales. Al determinar el importe de las tasas, la ciudad o el condado incluir\u00e1 \u00fanicamente los costos directamente relacionados con la preparaci\u00f3n, adopci\u00f3n y aplicaci\u00f3n del plan y con la fijaci\u00f3n y recaudaci\u00f3n de las tasas locales.<\/h6>\r\n
41902. Una agencia local puede cobrar directamente las tarifas autorizadas por este cap\u00edtulo o puede, mediante acuerdo, disponer que las tarifas sean cobradas por una empresa de transporte de residuos s\u00f3lidos que preste servicios de recolecci\u00f3n de residuos s\u00f3lidos a la ciudad o al condado.\u201d<\/h6>\r\n \r\n

Waste Diversion Efforts and Grants<\/h2>\r\nOften, the AB 939 fee revenue and the Measure D revenue are combined to provide funds for larger projects.2<\/sup>\u00a0 Examples of projects funded by AB 939 fee revenue and\/or Measure D funds in 2020-2022 with a particular focus on food waste, composting, and healthy soils include: 3<\/a><\/sup>\r\n