Marin County Board of Supervisors, April 17, 2007

MARIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ADOPTS A ZERO WASTE RESOLUTION

[Rachel's introduction: At its regular meeting April 17, 2007, The Marin County, California Board of Supervisors adopted a zero waste resolution. The meeting was recorded for web cast and is available for viewing.]

MARIN COUNTY ZERO WASTE RESOLUTION RESOLUTION NO. 2007-_____

RESOLUTION OF THE MARIN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTING THE GOAL OF ZERO WASTE BY 2025

WHEREAS, the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) required all California jurisdictions to achieve a landfill diversion rate of 50% by the year 2000, and to reduce, reuse, recycle; and to compost all discarded materials to the maximum extent feasible before any landfilling or other destructive disposal method is used; and

WHEREAS, the County of Marin has established itself as a state leader in waste diversion and sustainability practices by exceeding the requirements of AB 939 to achieve a 77% diversion rate in 2004 and is constantly looking for innovative ways to decrease waste; and

WHEREAS, in 2001 the California Integrated Waste Management Board set a goal of Zero Waste in its strategic plan for the state; and cities, councils, counties, and states worldwide have adopted a goal of achieving zero waste, including the counties of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and Del Norte in California; the cities of Palo Alto, Oakland and Berkeley in California, Seattle in Washington, Toronto in Canada, and Canberra in Australia; and the state of New South Wales in Australia; and 45% of New Zealand's local government councils; and

WHEREAS, strategies to reach zero waste can help to promote the over- arching goal of each generation leaving less of an ecological footprint on the earth; and

WHEREAS, on February 14, 2006 the Marin County Board of Supervisors signed the United Nations World Environment Day Urban Environmental Accords, pledging that the County of Marin would implement 21 action steps toward sustainability in the areas of energy, waste reduction, urban design, transportation, environmental health, and water including: Establish a policy to achieve zero waste; and

WHEREAS, the Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Authority passed a Zero Waste resolution on November 9TH 2006.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of Marin joins the Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Joint Powers Authority ("JPA") representing the eleven cities and towns of Marin and the County of Marin, and hereby adopts the goal of 80% landfill diversion by 2012 and a Zero Waste Goal by 2025.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County of Marin, through the JPA, will support the review of the Regional Integrated Waste Management Plan and the development of a Strategic Plan that will provide guidance in the planning and decision-making process to achieve the County's Zero Waste Goal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County of Marin will partner with regional and international communities to actively pursue strategies that will go beyond reuse and recycling to eliminate waste upstream.

PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Marin held on this 17th day of April, 2007, by the following vote: