How are we doing?
The waste indicator was rated mixed results. While San Diego County’s daily waste disposal per capita has remained relatively stable, it continues to exceed the state average. At the same time, volunteering rates for beach cleanups have increased since the pandemic, contributing to greater removal of litter from the region’s beaches.
Rating: Mixed Results
San Diego’s per capita waste disposal is stable, but higher than state average
In recent years, San Diegans have been disposing more waste than the average person in California. In 2023, San Diegans threw away 5.8 pounds of trash per day, while Californians threw away 5.6 pounds of trash per day. This data covers solid waste in landfills and transformed tons (waste that is processed into energy or other materials), but excludes recycling and composting waste. As the region grows its ability to divert recycling and compost materials away from landfills, the gap between San Diego and California may close.
Average daily waste disposal per capita across selected California counties remained relatively stable from 2020–2022, with a noticeable uptick in 2023 among some larger counties. In 2023, San Diegans disposed of an average of 5.8 pounds of waste per person per day. Residents in Los Angeles and Orange counties generated more waste, at 6.3 and 6.4 pounds per capita per day, respectively. In contrast, residents in Sacramento, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties reported lower disposal rates than San Diego. Overall, increases in waste generation in larger Southern California counties contributed to a slight rise in the statewide average.
Community service powers litter cleanup
San Diego-based nonprofit, I Love A Clean San Diego, organizes county-wide clean-up events, including Adopt-A-Beach and the annual Creek to Bay and Coastal Cleanup Day events. Data collected since 2012 shows a correlation between litter picked up and the number of volunteers who participate. While COVID-19 caused a decline in volunteers and debris collected in 2020 and 2021, there has been a gradual increase in activity since. Cleanups remain crucial for maintaining safe and healthy outdoor spaces and beaches in San Diego.
Most Common Debris from the 2024 Coastal Cleanup Day
- Cigarette Butts
- Plastic Pieces
- Food Wrappers
- Bottle Caps (plastic)
- Foam Pieces
- Glass Pieces
- Straw/Stirrers
- Bottle Caps (metal)
- Lids (plastic)
- Beverage Bottles (plastic)
Litter gathered during Coastal Cleanup Day is totaled by type of debris. Data gathered by volunteers provides insight into consumption and disposal habits, offering valuable information to inform community education and policy decisions. Cigarette butts, for example, are one of the most common categories of litter found at beaches and contain toxic compounds that can leak into the environment, like arsenic and lead.
Why is waste important?
High quality of life means the region boasts a thriving economy, a healthy environment, and is an equitable place for all San Diegans to grow and prosper.
Economy
Managing waste is a crucial aspect of managing population growth and urbanization. Proper waste management reduces public costs by preventing environmental damage and healthcare spending. Clean, well-maintained communities are attractive for economic development. Additionally, resource efficiency fosters long-term resilience. Recycling and reuse reduce the need for raw materials, stabilize supply chains, and can lower production costs.
Environment
Landfills today are designed, engineered, and operated to minimize emissions of all kinds, from air pollutants to leachate (any contaminated liquid that comes from water passing through solid waste). However, organic waste disposed of and degraded at landfills emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This study shows the largest methane point source emitters in California are 32 waste landfills and composting facilities, representing approximately 15-20% of the State’s methane emissions. Methane emissions can be reduced by decreasing the amount of waste going into the landfills, through recycling and composting.
Equity
Solid waste facilities may produce pollution, odor, attract pests and release chemicals into the air and soil around the facilities. Proximity to waste sites and facilities is an indicator of vulnerability to pollution’s effects. The communities near solid waste facilities are usually home to communities with high concentrations of poverty.
Regional Response
Policies
SB54 aims to reduce single-use plastics and increase recycling by setting requirements for producers of packaged goods. By 2032, 100% of single-use packaging and plastics sold in the state needs to be recyclable or compostable.
In 2019, the City of San Diego passed an ordinance to ban polystyrene products like Styrofoam and to limit the distribution of single-use plastic products such as straws and utensils. This action follows similar bans in other large cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as local jurisdictions like Encinitas, Solana Beach and Imperial Beach.
Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), Short-lived Climate Pollutants: Organic Waste Reductions, established methane reduction targets for California in an effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, or pollutants that strengthen the greenhouse effect but have relatively short lifetimes in the atmosphere. SB1282 also sets targets for reducing the disposal of organic waste in landfills, including edible food. These targets include reducing organic waste disposal 75% by 2025, and recovering at least 20% edible, disposed surplus food by 2025.
Assembly Bill (AB 827), Customer Access to Recycling, has been in effect since July 1, 2020. Mandatory Commercial Recycling (MCR) and Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling (MORe) regulated businesses that generate four cubic yards or more of commercial solid waste or eight cubic yards or more of organic waste per week must offer customers bins to collect organic waste and recycling materials. These containers must be in the front-of-house to collect waste generated from the products purchased and consumed on the premises. To encourage customers to properly sort their waste, these containers must be placed adjacent to trash containers and be visible, easily accessible, and clearly marked.
Projects
Established in 2007, Feeding San Diego is the leading hunger relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County and the only Feeding America partner food bank in the region. This organization diverts high-quality food from the landfill by coordinating with food donors and farms throughout the county and state. Their network and programming helps to avoid harmful greenhouse gas emissions that would have otherwise been produced by the edible foods while in the landfill
The City of San Diego adopted a zero waste plan in 2015. The main goals are:
- Divert 75% of the trash collected in the City and 100% continuous operation of City landfill gas collection systems by 2020.
- Divert 90% of the trash collected in the City and capture 98 percent of methane gas from wastewater treatment by 2035.
- Divert 100% of the trash collected in the City by 2040.
Partnerships
Established in 1983, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation has partnered with Urban Corps to provide monthly e-waste management to local businesses at no cost.
I Love a Clean San Diego partners with corporate organizations to engage employees in environmental cleanup events.
What are we tracking?
We track the historical trend in average daily pounds of waste disposed per person in San Diego County landfills and California. We also compare the latest data year of select counties' daily waste disposed per person in landfills.