66,000
2011
The City of Davis is currently at 65% waste diversion and is going for 75% by 2020. Davis adopted a Zero Waste resolution and set a goal of reducing waste disposal to 1.9 pounds per person per day and 8.5 pounds per capita in the commercial sector.
To meet their 75% goal and divert an additional 11,000 tons from the landfill, the city has identified Zero Waste strategies. One of those strategies is implementing an organics collection program to recover food waste and yard scraps from all sectors.
The city also plans to increase outreach to multi-family properties to improve recycling, increase waste audits and education to businesses, and support the state’s mandatory commercial recycling policy. Increasing recycling from all construction and demolition projects is also on the list.
In 2009, the city landfilled 3 lbs. of trash per person per day and 13.5 lbs. per employee per day. In 2010, Davis adopted a resolution supporting extended producer responsibility as the preferred policy approach for handling universal waste such as batteries and mercury products. The city was recovering 60% of its discards in 2011 when the Zero Waste goal was adopted.
Davis was one of the first cities in the US to start recycling, launching a newspaper drop-off program in 1970 and expanding into curbside recycling in 1974.
The city’s 75% waste diversion rate is in line with a voluntary state of California goal to reach 75% recovery by 2020. The Davis Climate Action and Adaptation Plan also sets a goal of Zero Waste and recommends reducing waste generation by 10%.
The University of California at Davis is a collegiate leader in recycling and the first to launch a Zero Waste effort at its sports stadium.
Davis solid waste management plan (draft) and Zero Waste resolution
Zero Waste at UC-Davis Stadium
Davis Enterprise article: “City ups its goal for recycling“
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