Politics & Government

Organization Says Trash Company Isn't Recycling Lamorinda's Green Waste

The California Compost Coalition says Republic Services has violated its contract by not taking lawn and yard clippings to its recycling facility in Milpitas

An environmental organization is accusing the area's recycling collector of violating its contract by not taking Lamorinda's green waste to its recycling facility.

Officials at the California Compost Coalition say there is no record that any of the region's yard and lawn clippings is being composted by Republic Services of Arizona.

Monica White, an Orinda resident representing the coalition, asked the Lafayette City Council on Monday night to investigate the matter.

White said her group will also present the allegations to the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority when it meets Thursday morning to discuss which companies should get the region's new 10-year garbage collection contracts.

“If Republic Services is playing games with our recycling, we should not reward this bad behavior by giving them another 10 or 20-year contract,” White said.

Officials at Republic Services were contacted by Patch, but they had not issued a comment on the accusations as of Tuesday evening.

White said there is no record in CalRecycle's Annual Report that any of the 16,513 tons of Lamorinda green waste collected by Republic Service has ever made it to the company's Newby Island composting facility in Milpitas.

White said those clippings are most likely ending up at the landfill. She added food waste is also being mixed with yard waste, which is against state law.

Right now, Waste Management of Texas collects waste in Lamorinda and then delivers it to Republic Services, which under its contract is supposed to recycle it.

Waste Management spokesman Joe Camero said the company has been delivering the green waste to its Davis Street Recourse Recovery Facility in San Leandro.

He said Waste Management officials would be upset if Republic Services hasn't been taking the waste from there to its recycling facility.

"We support Lamorinda's efforts to achieve zero waste solutions," said Camero.

The accusations come as the Solid Waste Authority prepares to hand out a 10-year, $500 million contract to haul and recycle trash for 65,000 households in Lamorinda, Walnut Creek and Danville.

The authority's staff is recommending that Republic Services get the contract to collect and dispose of trash as well as run the recycling centers and process green and food waste.

The staff recommends Pacific Rim Recycling of Benicia get the contract to handle the recyclables.

Paul Morsen, the executive director of the authority, said there has been some misinterpretation of the CalRecycle report in the past. However, he said his agency will take the issue seriously.

"The CCCSWA takes the contractual requirements with our collectors very seriously and if any improprieties exist, we will immediately take steps to insure that our contract services are being correctly implemented now and in future contracts," said Morsen.

Lafayette City Councilmen Brandt Andersson and Mike Anderson, the city's representatives on the solid waste authority, say they are waiting to hear from the agency's staff after they've had time to investigate the charges.

They say if the staff's answers aren't satisfactory, they'll ask Lafayette officials to look into the matter separately.








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