Desert Sands Unified School District’s Food Waste Diversion Program

1. Desert Sands Unified School District’s Food Waste Diversion Program Partnerships in Action

2. Desert Sands Unified School District

3. District’s Recycling Program • How long program existed • Tonnage diverted annually • Items recycled • Board Policy

4. Grants • How food diversion program started • Ambassador Grant • No Child Left Behind Voluntary Public School Choice Federal Grant

5. Barriers • Pricing, location & size of containers • Staff buy-in and involvement • Construction, remodeling • Break even vs. savings (district) • Biodegradable utensils, liners

6. Incentives • Partnerships within our community • Free pilot program • Savings ($19.50 vs. $34.51 per ton) • Zero waste, Waste Management • Container liners, fee reductions, 10% WM & Cal BioMass • How long to launch the program • Training and monitoring

7. Waste Management

8. Waste Management’s Role • Training & Monitoring • Assemblies • Video • Lunches • Color coding • Recycle stations • Environmental Club

9. Recycle Stations

10. Waste Management Challenges • Putting together a program that’s cost effective

11. Incentives • Help jurisdictions meet their diversion rates • Build partnerships with the communities

12. City of Palm Desert

13. Why and how the city of Palm Desert originally got involved? The City was invited to participate in the Desert Sands Unified School District’s (DSUSD) Ambassador Program • Invited for several reasons a few of which were: • (1) Prior involvement with Palm Desert Schools related to various recycling and environmental programs • Earth Day events at schools on recycling • Arbor Day – planting of trees • Donated Dept. of Conservation grant money to Palm Desert High (purchase of exterior recycling containers) • Peak Energy Program (teaches students about energy and electricity) (Continued)

14. Why and how the city of Palm Desert originally got involved? • (2) Palm Desert schools were selected as the Environmental Science Schools to participate in the grant program that DSUSD received • (3) The City has always been a leader in the Coachella Valley with regard to progressive environmental programs These are a few of the reasons it was a natural fit for Palm Desert to join with DSUSD Ambassador Program.

15. What is the City’s role? • To assist in forming partnerships between DSUSD, Waste Hauler, other jurisdictions, and Palm Desert • Providing hands on assistance – from program development to implementation and training of staff and students • Providing other types of assistance such as the purchase of containers for various recycling programs

16. Why was it important for the City to get involved? • To demonstrate, by action, the City’s commitment to its schools, kids, and parents = residents • To demonstrate, by action, the City’s commitment to the environmental and programs that pave the way for future environment programs and to expand awareness and participation in such programs • It was important to show our support of the schools efforts to develop and implement recycling programs that increase student, staff, and parent awareness of the need to recycle and the benefits to the environment

17. What were some of the barriers? • Since there is no economy of scale, special arrangement had to be made between DSUSD, WMD, and California Biomass for the hauling and composting of food waste. • This is a result of larger hotels (except the Lodge), restaurants, and other food generating businesses not participating in a food waste program.) • The more participation the more economically feasible the program becomes. This is our end goal. • Since all partners were interested in the same outcome, barriers between organizations were basically non-existent

18. How was the hauling of food waste arranged and how was the hauler selected? • Arrangements had to be made with California Biomass, a local composting facility, to accept food waste. • There are only three waste haulers in the Coachella Valley (1) Waste Management of the Desert, (2) Palm Springs Disposal, and (3) Desert Valley Disposal • Waste Management is the City of Palm Desert hauler and the major hauler in the area. It only made sense to proceed with this company.

19. Aside from adding to the City’s Diversion what were some of the other benefits to the City? • Improved community awareness from kids to parents and school staff • Increased participation in all aspects of recycling whether a person is at school, at home or even while out in public (Recycling opportunities are everywhere) • The overall benefit to the environment (fewer landfill developments, less waste generation, less littering, and an increase in personal responsibility) • Creating a positive image for recycling and those that participate • The knowledge that the City is activity participating in development of programs designed to improve the community and the environment simultaneously

20. Why should we continue with the program? • In the hope that the program will expand to our local hotels, golf course club houses, and restaurants • Anticipating the educational benefit that youths as well as adults will gain from the program, which can be carried throughout their life • Continued cooperation between agencies to address any issue that impacts the community as a whole

21. Conclusion • The City continues to look forward to working with DSUSD as well as other involved organizations to improve the food waste program and other recycling programs that the schools have or will develop.

22. Closing remarks from DSUSD

23. Contact Information • Rosemary Mindiola-DSUSD • Rosemarym@dsusd.k12.ca.us • Valerie Ward-Waste Management • Vward@wm.com • Frankie Riddle-City of Palm Desert • Friddle@ci.palm-desert.ca.us