In 2006, StopWaste.Org utilized a local consulting firm to analyze a year’s worth of waste management plan data submitted to several Alameda County cities to develop estimates for C&D waste generation based on construction project type.

UC Berkeley’s foodservice provider Cal Dining measures types and amounts of pre-consumer food waste with specialized tracking equipment, then uses the findings to modify purchasing and food prep routines. Cal Dining has reduced food waste by 19%, equivalent to 27 tons/year, or $98,402/year in reduced food costs.

TraX, founded in Berkeley, is a new social impact media platform that encourages positive “reuse actions,” such as bringing a reusable cup, bag or straw to stores when shopping. Shoppers take action by photographing their reuse items via Instagram or Facebook mobile apps, add the store location and the #traXactions hashtag and share the action online for cash rewards.

ORDINANCE 2008-01

Alameda County Waste Management Authority ordinance prohibiting the disposal of certain materials at Alameda County landfills. 

UC Berkeley is implementing food waste tracking systems at the four largest residential dining halls on campus. Specialized equipment and software helps kitchen staff weigh, record and analyze pre-consumer food and portion sizes, allowing them to identify and prevent food waste at the source. The new program is projected to reduce pre-consumer food waste by at least 40%, resulting in 107 tons of food waste and associated costs avoided each year.

The Shasta Hills Fire Station was the City of Berkeley's first LEED certified building with a Bay-Friendly Rated Landscape. All the new plants are low water-using, California native species. To reduce labor costs, plant waste and water use, the design included no lawns and no hedges that require shearing.