Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Waste Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Zero Waste Sonoma outlines reuse and HHW plans; Rohnert Park proclaims Oct. 11–18 Zero Waste Week
Summary
Zero Waste Sonoma updated the council on outreach, repair fairs, solar‑panel recycling pilots and plans for a new HHW facility; the council proclaimed Oct. 11–18, 2025 as North Bay Zero Waste Week and thanked the agency for edible‑food recovery and workforce training grants.
Leslie Lucas, executive director of Zero Waste Sonoma, briefed the Rohnert Park City Council Sept. 9 on countywide waste‑reduction efforts, outreach and planned facilities, and the council issued a proclamation naming Oct. 11–18, 2025 as North Bay Zero Waste Week.
Lucas summarized program work that includes repair and reuse fairs, a bilingual outreach campaign, household hazardous waste (HHW) collection and a pilot program to recycle end‑of‑life solar panels — 13 collection events that recovered about 800 panels; roughly 5% were suitable for reuse and some were given to Habitat for Humanity Restore and local farms. She said Zero Waste Sonoma is planning a larger HHW facility on property it purchased near Shiloh in Windsor; 100% design was reportedly completed and the board is scheduled to review the proposal.
Lucas pointed to state law requiring diversion targets (transcript referenced AB939 and SB 1383) and noted grants totaling about $3.5 million for edible‑food recovery and workforce training that support local collection and distribution partners. She also highlighted a free paint‑reuse program, mattress and e‑waste events, and a reuse fair in Rohnert Park scheduled for Oct. 18.
Council members praised the outreach and food‑recovery work and asked that Zero Waste Sonoma keep partnering with local agencies on compliance and educational efforts. The council presented a proclamation recognizing Zero Waste Week and invited the agency’s staff to stay for a certificate photo.
