By 2040, all of San Diego’s trash will be reused instead of tossed out, according to a plan approved by the city council Monday.
Under the Zero Waste proposal, 75 percent of the city’s trash would be reduced, reused or recycled by 2020, 90 percent by 2035 and 100 percent within 25 years.
The city will need to divert an additional 332,000 tons of waste every year to reach the 2020 goal, according to Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s office, and officials have a number of recommendations to get there.
They include diverting 18,000 tons of yard trimmings a year, revising the city’s recycling ordinance to save 13,000 tons of waste a year, and requiring franchise haulers to repurpose 50 percent of their trash, which would equal 94,000 tons a year.
The city also wants to create a resource recovery center at Miramar Landfill to help businesses and residents reuse their material, which could cut 80,000 tons of trash a year.
