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.

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 two sections found under Integrated Waste Management, a division of the Resource Management Agency. The two sections are divided between two separate enterprise funds outlined below:

• (226) - Regional Agency
• (301) - Landfill

• Increased revenues with new AB 939, litter abatement, HHW fees in new Franchise Agreement which resulted in Fund 226 being revenue self-sustaining for the first time.
• Significantly increased diversion from 26% to 38% in franchised tons; increased commercial recycling from 8% to 18%.
• Produced the County’s first Earth Day event with 20 partner organizations including Water Resources Association of San Benito County, County Public Health, Chamber, Recology, etc. Event offered environmental education, recycling opportunities for safe disposal of needles/medicine, E-waste, on-site paper shredding for 400 people.
• IWM Analyst Celina Stotler received state award for Green Business Program Achievement.
• Introduced first carpet recycling program in County in collaboration with local recycler.
• Provided 40 businesses with free onsite Green Business technical assistance. 18 are now Green Business Certified. 10 $500 rebates were provided to businesses for Green Business measures. Produced 3 Green Business Mixers with over 250 attending (total).
• Facilitated over 10 presentations to schools and collaborated with haulers to improve school recycling to add organics /improved recycling services to schools.
• Expanded community outreach/education for residents and businesses; expanded partnerships with the Chamber. IWM Analyst Celina Stotler is on the Chamber board and chairs the Chamber’s Green Committee as a representative of the County IWM.
• Provided Cal Green (code) Construction recycling resources to planning/building departments to meet new code requirements.
• Developed alternative Sustainable Food Ware Ordinance draft for San Juan Bautista and assisted in outreach and education to reduce single use plastic waste.
• Completed Cal Recycle compliance reporting for the Regional Agency for diversion mandates of AB 939, SB 1826, AB 341 and other mandates.

• Ability to meet new state mandate SB 1383 with significant requirements to increase organics diversion in addition to meeting AB 939, SB 1016, AB 341, etc.
• Increased costs for ratepayers due to high contamination rates in resident and business recycling containers. Increased contamination restrictions from offshore processing facilities and impacts on costs and increased tonnage to landfill.
• Unknown impacts of COVID 19 virus on diversion, revenues, etc.
• Continue transition to in-County staff from contract staff and increase in-county staff expertise to meet demands of significant and increasing IWM mandates.

• Continue training of in County staff expertise to meet IWM mandate requirements .
• Provide cost-effective diversion programs to meet mandates.
• IWM manage new Regional Agency Ad Hoc Committee to draft a Regional Agency Climate Action Plan for comprehensive sustainability program implementation.