City of Long Beach to Launch Residential Organics Collection Program

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Department of Public Works is taking significant steps towards a greener future by launching a phased rollout of its Residential Organics Collection Program beginning this October. Pursuant to Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), which sets a statewide target to reduce organic material from landfills by 75% and therefore reducing methane emissions from landfills, the City's Organics Collection Program aligns with state requirements and uplifts local sustainability efforts to reduce waste and improve recycling in Long Beach.

"By launching the organics collection program, our City is taking a significant step towards a greener future and aligning with the state's broader efforts to combat climate change," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "We encourage everyone to participate, stay informed, and help make Long Beach a leading example of environmental stewardship."

The City has been working diligently for several years towards full implementation of the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Organic Waste Methane Emissions Reductions bill, SB 1383. In 2021, the City began diverting organic material from City-serviced commercial accounts and completed that roll out in 2023. In October 2024, the City will launch the first phase of the residential organics collection program and anticipates full implementation by the end of 2025.

"Launching a new program of this scale is a significant undertaking, and our focus is on keeping the community well-informed before their service begins," said Eric Lopez, Public Works Director. "We're committed to continuous education about what belongs in each cart-whether it's trash, recycling, or organics-so that residents can smoothly transition to this new state-mandated initiative."

Residents located in phase one service areas will receive a brand-new green cart during the week of Oct. 14, 2024, specifically for collecting yard trimmings and food scraps. Additionally, new blue carts will be introduced for recycling, while purple carts will be retired from service and properly recycled. These changes are part of the City's effort to comply with SB 1383's requirement for standardized cart colors across the state. The delivery of the new carts may happen before or after the existing carts are serviced and first phase residents are encouraged to keep their carts out until exchanged. Green carts will remain in service and be collected on the same day and in the same location as the current operation.

The first phase includes approximately 8,000 single family and multifamily homes across the city. Service areas identified in the first phase were determined based on various factors including current service date, volume of yard trimmings generated and collection locations, among other factors. The first phase will test various operational scenarios that will guide future phases of the program.

To ensure the success of this program, the City is launching a robust education and outreach campaign. All first-phase residents will receive direct mailers, printed in English and Spanish, detailing the program. Materials in Khmer and Tagalog will also be available upon request and online. Beyond direct mail, the City is testing additional outreach methods, including door-to-door visits and a "neighborhood champion" initiative, offering resources for residents to help spread the word within their communities to determine which methods are most effective at achieving the highest participation and reduce contamination rates. Contamination not only minimizes diversion rates but can also lead to additional work, tip fees and overall costs of the program and should be minimized to the extent possible. In conjunction with the first phase, City staff will be routinely sampling carts to determine if there is contamination and providing educational materials to maximize the proper use of each cart.

In 2022, the City conducted an eight-week community survey to gather feedback on the state-mandated food scraps and yard trimmings collection program. With 10,702 responses, the City used this invaluable input to develop detailed outreach materials and enhance the program's webpage, which was identified as the preferred information source. Now available at longbeach.gov/lbrecycles is a new interactive map that allows residents to search their address and see if they are in the first phase of the program as well as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and access to additional program resources.

For more details on the program and other waste reduction efforts, visit longbeach.gov/lbrecycles.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Department of Public Works is available at longbeach.gov/pw and Facebook, X and Instagram.

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