The Holtville City Council has voted unanimously to pass an ordinance complying with a state recycling law, Assembly Bill 1826. The state measure seeks to recycle 75 percent of recyclable solid waste and organic waste, including food waste, green waste, landscape and pruning waste, nonhazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper waste. It will be done in a three- phase program requiring increasingly stringent regulations.
The bill was passed in 2014 and implemented in the spring of 2016. Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, businesses, hospitals, schools, restaurants, stores, nonprofits and multifamily buildings were required to recycle organic waste if they generated four cubic yards or more of solid waste per week.
The ordinance will help the city meet state compliance, explained City Manager Nick Wells. In order to achieve the 75 percent goal Holtville contracted with CR&R Environmental Services to establish regular organic-waste recycling pickup from the required entities.
Under AB 1826’s original limitations no Holtville business produced enough organic waste to fall under the restrictions, noted Wells. But as the threshold ratcheted down, more entities qualified and still more will qualify as the threshold continues to drop.
In December and January, initial hearings were held at city hall with no public input offered. So the ordinance will now be implemented in 30 days, Feb. 27, Wells indicated