Seaside gets update on SB 1383 compliance, city diversion rate at 37% for 2024

City staff and franchise hauler GreenWaste presented a progress update on implementation of California’s organic-waste law (SB 1383) and the city’s 2024 diversion report at the April 20 council meeting.

Emily Rongzeb, environmental outreach coordinator with GreenWaste (presenting for the City of Seaside), explained that SB 1383 requires jurisdictions to provide organic waste collection for residents and businesses to reduce methane and create compost. Rongzeb summarized how different organic streams are handled at Regen Monterey’s composting operation and noted that compostable foodware is accepted only from commercial accounts because it requires longer processing times than yard trimmings and food scraps collected from residents.

Bessie, GreenWaste outreach supervisor, provided the Seaside 2024 tonnage summary. She reported the city’s 2024 diversion as: 63% mixed solid waste, 16% recycle, 16% organic, and 4% construction-and-demolition. GreenWaste calculated a citywide diversion rate of 37% for 2024, a slight uptick from prior years (34–37%). GreenWaste’s stated peninsula goal is 65% diversion.

Bessie and Rongzeb highlighted account-level diversion: single-family residential diversion at 44%, multifamily at 21%, commercial at 31%, debris boxes at 45%, and city/agency accounts at 21%. GreenWaste said the largest drags on diversion are construction debris boxes and multifamily and commercial accounts where mixed loads and contractor practices limit recycling.

Councilmember Miller asked about processing times for compostable foodware; Rongzeb replied that compostableware processing is slower (on the order of months) than the faster turnaround for food and yard waste, and that the material requires commercial-scale processing and approved certified compostable products. On contamination, GreenWaste recommended reporting overflow/contamination to the hauler so they can educate accounts and monitor repeat problems.

Mayor Oglesby and staff discussed outreach materials and asked for copies to distribute. GreenWaste committed to providing outreach assets and to working with city staff to monitor and improve diversion for multifamily and commercial accounts. GreenWaste said improving source separation, reducing contamination in debris boxes at construction sites, and focused education for businesses and multifamily operators are priorities.

GreenWaste urged residents to use county resources (ReadyForWildfire and the Office of the State Fire Marshal were mentioned in the same meeting) and to learn which items are organic vs. not. The council thanked GreenWaste for the report and asked staff to return with outreach plans and metrics for next year.

No formal action (ordinance or resolution) was taken; the presentation served as an information update and outreach briefing.