Santa Monica City Council is expected to approve a contract of up to $14.2 million over five years to comply with a State law mandating organics recycling for all residents and businesses. The proposed contract with Athens Services for organics processing and recycling services covers two years for $4.28 million and three optional one-year extensions totaling an additional $9.92 million.
SB 1383, which requires statewide mandatory organics recycling starting the first of this year, spurred a “Mandatory Recycling Ordinance” approved by the Council last October. The State law, staff said, “triggers a tremendous market demand for local jurisdictions to secure services from organics processing facilities that have the capacity to accept, process, and recycle curbside organics.”
Compliance with with the State law “means increased expenditures for the City to recycle organics instead of landfilling the material as trash. The costs include purchasing organics containers for residents and businesses that don’t already have them under the organics collection services the City began offering in 1998. It also requires dedicating “more staffing and resources on education and outreach as required.”
To cover the cost of outreach supplies and support community education the City will apply for $123,000 in grant funds from the SB 1383 Local Assistance Grant Program, staff said.