EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS

Existing Conditions:

Knowing how discards flow in your community

Successful waste recovery planning depends upon knowing how discarded materials are created and handled within your community. Whether you are using this workbook as a planner, member of the community, or a professional in the field of managing discards - recycler, collector, facility operator, or a business making new products from discarded materials - your first task is to understand the flow of discarded materials within, into and out of your community, or waste shed. This includes not only wasted materials that are collected and landfilled or burned (disposal), but also recovered materials that are reused, recycled, and composted (diversion). You will become a resource detective, and in the process you will learn much about your community, meet many interesting people, and help extend the life of the planet.

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Task One: Identify and interview operators of local discard facilities and services.

Diversion facilities and services -

Thrift and second hand stores

Manufacturers and retailers

Recycling and composting operators

Institutions and large businesses with on-site recovery programs

Task Two: Identify and list existing and planned material recovery programs.

In addition to becoming familiar with local facility operators and service providers, get a copy of your community's existing resource recovery plan. Find out what has already been accomplished, what is in progress, and what remains to be done. If there is a local recycling task force, attend a meeting and listen to what is happening. A good plan is intended to serve as a road map to help direct your course and get you where you want to go. See if the existing plan is a good road map for your community.

Resources:

Look in your public library, public works department, or recycling office for copies of local planning documents like the "Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan". In addition, individual cities and counties have created plans called "Source Reduction and Recycling Elements" (SRREs), "Household Hazardous Waste Elements" (HHWEs), "Non-disposal Facility Elements" (NDFEs), and "Siting Elements", that contain vast amounts of information about existing and planned local programs. Your local planning department and the health department may have information about any permitted facilities operating in your community. Additional information for all California cities and counties is available on the website of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/LGCentral.

waste audits and discard studies | creating a community process | identifying priorities |
increasing your infrastructure | building partnerships | funding and implementation |

For more information about discard studies, service voids, and waste stream asssessments, go to the website for the
California Integrated Waste Management Board.

zero waste toolkit | links to other websites | CRRA home page