ENCINITAS: City to mandate recycling of construction debris

By RUTH MARVIN WEBSTER - Staff Writer | Saturday, June 28, 2008 4:15 PM PDT ∞

ENCINITAS ---- Beginning as soon as August, contractors in Encinitas may be required to recycle the majority of their discarded building materials. And if they don't, the city could refuse to give them their occupancy permits.

If the City Council gives the ordinance a final vote in July, it would go into effect in mid-August. Under the ordinance, contractors and haulers will be required to recycle at least 60 percent of the building materials discarded at the site, said city Public Works Management Analyst Bill Wilson.

"A big part of the waste stream is construction and demolition materials, and getting an ordinance like this was one of the city's goals for this fiscal year," said Wilson, who worked on the draft ordinance.

He added that countywide statistics show that perhaps as much as 35 percent of what goes into landfills is construction waste, whether it be concrete, wood, asphalt, metal, cardboard, brick or vegetation.

However, the city's franchise trash company said that contractors in town already recycle much of their construction debris. They use "roll-off boxes" that EDCO Waste & Recycling provides, said Jeff Ritchie, company vice president.

Those boxes allow contractors to dump their construction waste in one container and have the trash company recycle the materials. The bins are then hauled to EDCO's mixed construction and demolition facility in San Marcos to be sorted.

"This is a growing trend in San Diego County, because construction debris represents a significant portion of the waste stream," Ritchie said.

Brad Barnum, vice president government relations for the San Diego Chapter of Associated General Contractors, agreed.

"Contractors are doing as much as they can on construction sites right now --- especially the concrete and aggregates --- because it's a good thing to do," he said.

Barnum added that as long as contractors are all held to the same requirements on projects and can bid the increased costs into their contracts, city ordinances such as in Encinitas are just part of the cost of doing business.

The drive to recycle building materials began in earnest in 1989, when the state passed a law requiring cities and counties to divert at least 25 percent of their discarded materials from landfills by 1995.

Then, in 2000, that diversion rate was upped to 50 percent, with a fine of up to $10,000 a day when the state requirement is not met.

Jacy Bolden coordinates the city's new Environmental Committee and has worked with the city as a consultant for solid waste and recycling programs for nearly eight years. She has also been involved with the countywide process to develop a construction and demolition debris recycling ordinance.

"This ordinance has actually been in the works from the staff side (in Encinitas) for some time," said Bolden. "In North County, Vista and Solana Beach have (added) ordinances like this within the last year."

Historically, Wilson said, Encinitas has had good trash diversion rates, usually exceeding the state requirements.

At last week's meeting, the City Council approved the draft ordinance. It is slated for a second reading and adoption at the council's July 16 meeting. It would then take effect 31 days after adoption.

The ordinance would cover all renovation, remodel and construction projects within the city limits with a total of 10,000 square feet or more, as well as all demolition projects.

Under the ordinance, builders would have to submit a plan estimating the weight and type of the project's debris. Then, before final building approval, they would have to go back to the city ---- with receipts from vendor or recycling facilities showing the amount of debris that was recycled and what was sent to the landfill. Once they've done that, they can collect their certificate of occupancy.

Contact staff writer Ruth Marvin Webster at (760) 901-4074 or rwebster@nctimes.com.