Integrated Waste Management

San Benito County’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) has two essential functions. First, IWM staff manage the Integrated Waste Management Joint Powers Authority for its Regional Agency members, the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista and the County to meet state waste reduction mandates, protect public health and increase sustainability. Second, IWM manages the county owned landfill and contracted landfill operator to ensure compliance with the landfill agreement, and state and regional requirements.

County IWM (225) - Created to separate the specific expenses associated with San Benito County specific IWM revenues and expenses outside of the Regional Agency.

Regional Agency (226) - The Regional Agency is part of the Integrated Waste Management Department. Our role is to staff and manage the Waste Management Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to meet state mandates for landfill diversion and household hazardous waste for the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista and the County. Our functions include, but are not limited to, Cal Recycle reporting, budgets, contracts, grant management, school recycling, Green Business and household hazardous waste management/compliance.

Landfill (301) - The John Smith Landfill is owned by the County and operated by a third party contractor Waste Connections, Inc. Waste Connections, Inc. pays the County a franchise fee and in turns charges the public for the disposal of refuse that is brought to the landfill. Integrated Waste Management oversees the landfill operations. We partner with Waste Connections, Inc., and the community to achieve a balance with the goals of maximizing revenues to the County, maintaining sustainable environmental standards, operating in an ethical manner with the public, and adhering to all State, Federal and regional requirements.

The following budget unit information details the three sections found under Integrated Waste Management, a division of the Resource Management Agency. The three sections are divided between three separate enterprise funds outlined below:

• (225) - County IWM
• (226) - Regional Agency
• (301) - Landfill

• Ensure compliance with state waste reduction mandates through cost effective management of IWM programs and contracts for the Regional Agency members

• Continue efforts for Regional Agency compliance of new mandate of SB 1383 which requires significant organics diversion

• Continue to assist the County in CEQA document review for the John Smith Road Landfill expansion

• Improve illegal dumping and litter abatement programming for the Regional Agency

• Training and hiring of new staff

• Ensure compliance of all IWM contracts

• Leverage key community partnerships to increase waste reduction and diversion efforts and to reduce recycling contamination

• Improve compliance with CALGreen Construction and Demolition to ensure covered permit projects are meeting C&D recycling requirements

• Continue to improve the Non-Exclusive Franchise Agreement reporting process for the Regional Agency

• Continue to achieve revenue self-sufficiency for Fund 225 (County Solid Waste Fund) for the County‘s Cost Sharing portion of the IWM Regional Agency and for improving additional County-only solid waste programs.

• Completed all Cal Recycle compliance reporting for the Regional Agency

• Increased Regional Agency grant revenues by over $200,000 to improve household hazardous waste programming and SB 1383 compliance

• Ensured edible food recovery ordinances were adopted at each Regional Agency member for SB 1383 compliance. The County-wide edible food recovery program is underway

• Received state approval for SB 1383 rural exemption which exempts San Bentio County for some of the SB 1383 requirements until 2026, buying the Regional Agency members more time for SB 1383 compliance

• Conducted a successful Earth Day Celebration event with over 20 partner organizations including Water Resources Association of San Benito County, Public Health, Recology, R.E.A.C.H. Parks Foundation, and more. IWM and partners provided various environmental activities and recycling opportunities for over 300 people

• Continue to expand youth and school recycling outreach and programming

• Ensure the County retains at least 15 years of disposal capacity for in county use

• SB 1383 compliance which imposes significant requirements to increase organics diversion and recover edible food

• Addressing litter and illegal dumping

• Provide cost-effective programs to meet SB 1383 requirements

• Continue training for new County staff

• Improve programs to reduce and ensure cleanup of illegal dumping and litter in San Benito County

• IWM to assist the County in developing a Sustainability Master Plan for comprehensive County sustainability program implementation