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Recology reports modest diversion gains, outreach and event activity in San Benito County
Summary
Recology told the Integrated Waste Management Local Task Force that Q3 diversion rates were roughly 39.72% in Hollister and 44.64% in San Juan Bautista, highlighted outreach including waste assessments and new organics starts, and described community events and in-kind support.
Recology’s San Benito County manager reported incremental improvements in recycling and organics diversion for the third quarter and outlined a slate of outreach activities and upcoming programs.
"Hollister, we were at 39.72% diversion," said Adrianne Segoutin, zero-waste manager with Recology, who presented the quarterly update to the Integrated Waste Management Local Task Force. She said San Juan Bautista’s diversion rate was 44.64% and the countywide rate was about 37.51% for the quarter.
Segoutin said the company routed about 3,400 tons to composting in the quarter and described that diversion as part of an emissions-avoidance effort: "the tonnage is about 3,400 tons, which is about 1.6 tons of greenhouse gases that are avoided being released for [the] quarter," she said. Recology also reported 169 business visits, 44 waste assessments and 10 new commercial organics starts in the last three months.
The presentation covered community outreach and events: monthly appearances at the Hollister Farmers Market (about 40 residents engaged per event), a bulky-item event that drew roughly 300 attendees with 22.89 tons recycled, and a Nov. 22 recycle day with 180 participants (noted as a 40% increase from the prior event). Segoutin said Recology provided about $11,000 in in-kind services and donations during the period and plans free Christmas-tree collection and a poster contest in January.
Task force members praised the outreach and asked staff to add more of the headline statistics to future slide decks. "That would be great to actually document in that PowerPoint just so that the public sees the great work that you guys are doing," the chair said. Segoutin said Recology will continue targeted social and print campaigns and work with the county’s Integrated Waste Management team on event inserts and messaging.
The presentation reiterated the county’s early-compliance work on SB 1383 and plans to expand partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce and local schools. No public comments were received during the Recology item. The task force did not take formal action on the presentation; staff said they would provide materials and statistics for member review.
