County recycling manager reports site visits, diversion stats and cleanup results

Thomas Hammond, the recycle programs manager, briefed the council on the city's solid-waste and recycling work in 2025 and described outreach and enforcement steps tied to state recycling rules.

Hammond said the program conducted 127 commercial site visits, 36 multifamily checks and 176 residential assessments in 2025 to identify contamination and educate businesses and residents about new rules. He noted local recycling partners and named one business that was honored as "Recycler of the Year."

He reviewed fall cleanup metrics: 21 tons of refuse collected, 4.8 tons of mattresses recycled, 30 tires, 416 pounds of e-waste and a diversion rate of about 48% for the event. Annual figures showed residential diversion around 38%–44% and lower commercial diversion; Hammond said that while California's statewide diversion goals are higher, the city is following the required programs and deemed the community compliant with current rules.

Council members and residents pressed the hauler and staff about broken or degraded carts. Hammond said residents are contractually entitled to one replacement cart per year, that many defective lots are being returned to the manufacturer under warranty, and that the hauler is negotiating with suppliers on durability. He encouraged residents to report broken carts so the city can issue a work order and said the city and contractor are exploring social-media and instructional-video outreach to reduce contamination and proper sorter use.

Hammond also described the composting stream: cooked food and food-soiled pizza boxes should go in green-waste carts, while clean cardboard belongs in recycling. He said the hauler provides an instructional guide and a city landing page to help residents identify correct sorting.