Regional Dashboard
Waste
WASTE DISPOSAL
WHAT IS THE MEASURE?
The average per capita number of pounds of solid waste disposed of each day in San Diego County. This number reflects total disposal, including residential and commercial waste, divided by the population. It includes waste that is brought to landfills, incinerated, and exported.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
- Excessive waste generation requires more landfills, which can be difficult to site due to political, environmental, and neighborhood concerns.
- Landfills in neighboring Orange County will not accept our waste after 2016, and some of our own landfills are close to being at capacity.
- Waste disposal generates greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions that affect air and water quality.
- Redesigning and restructuring products or manufacturing processes to reduce or reuse waste, and increasing recycling and composting efforts could move us toward a more sustainable approach to resource use and could encourage new jobs in these areas.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
At 7.57 pounds per person, we dispose about an additional pound of waste per day compared to the California average. Historically our per capita waste disposal in San Diego has been on the rise, but the recent economic slowdown resulted in an average decline of per capita waste, in particular because of the slowdown in the construction industry.
Disposal rates vary by community. Since these numbers reflect total waste compared to population, not residential waste only, the difference does not always suggest that people are being more wasteful in their homes. Still, our above average disposal rate represents opportunities to reduce both commercial and residential waste, and to increase composting and recycling in some communities.
*In the case of Coronado and Del Mar, numbers are skewed by large waste generators such as the Navy Base in Coronado and the Fairgrounds in Del Mar, as compared with the small populations of these towns.
LINKS TO ACTION
Information for reducing waste in the home, office, and garden. There are tips and guidelines you can follow to reduce your contribution to the world’s waste.
Tips and information on recycling, reducing, and reusing waste products. Here you can find helpful techniques for home, the office, the community, and industry.
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/wycd/index.htm
Zero Waste San Diego: Information and resources for San Diego citizens to take action by helping to promote and implement programs that minimize waste and maximize resource conservation. Here you will find links to fact sheets, sample letters and petitions, events, and volunteer opportunities.
http://www.zerowastesandiego.org/#action
I Love A Clean San Diego works to promote regional awareness of environmental issues including resource conservation, waste reduction and recycling, community enhancement, and pollution prevention.