Why is This Important?

Solid waste generated by households and businesses that is not otherwise diverted, is disposed of in landfills. This waste is composed of a variety of natural and manmade materials, including wood and green waste, plastic, paper and cardboard, and food waste. Some of the material contains nonrenewable resources such as petroleum products and metals, while the rest of the materials that are renewable may be consumed and disposed of at a rate that outpaces nature's ability to replenish them. Reducing the amount of waste generated in absolute terms is a critical component of balancing resource consumption with resource supply.

What is a Sustainable State?

A sustainable state is one where consumption of renewable resources is in balance with nature's ability to replenish them and total waste generation declines over time.

How Are We Doing?

• In 2008, San Mateo County disposed of 655,000 tons of solid waste in State-permitted landfills, a decline of 3.2 percent from 2007, and 28 percent since 2000. Total solid waste disposal from San Mateo County businesses and residences has decreased in all but one year in the past nine.

• Starting in 2007, the state of California began using "pounds disposed per day per resident" as the primary metric for measuring progress of a community towards overall waste reduction goals. This metric measures the actual amount disposed in landfi lls after diversion and allows for better measurement of the reduction of waste generation in absolute terms. Diversion rate-an estimate of the percentage of waste generated that is diverted from landfi lls-is no longer tracked at local levels.
• In 2000, San Mateo County residents disposed of 7.1 pounds per day per resident, about 11 percent more than the statewide average of 6.3 pounds per day per resident. By 2008, the rate in San Mateo County had dropped to 4.9 pounds per day per resident, 5 percent less than the statewide average of 5.1 pounds per day per resident.
• Approximately one-third of all waste in the county is residential waste. According to state estimates, nearly 20 percent of residential waste by weight is food remains and another 10 percent is organic matter such as leaves and grass clippings. Both waste streams can be readily composted.
• The transportation of waste to landfills generates large amounts of greenhouse gases. While about 86 percent of county waste is disposed of within the county at the Ox Mountain Landfill in Half Moon Bay, another 12 percent of waste is transported between 50 and 100 miles away, to landfills in Solano County and San Joaquin County.