To meet state requirements, South Lake Tahoe moving to a three-cart garbage system

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A new trash can system and new dump collection trucks are headed to South Lake Tahoe and the South Shore in 2024. The three carts will be colored, green for yard waste, blue for recyclables, and black animal-resistant for trash, and the trucks will be outfitted with semi-automated dumping mechanisms.

The reason for the new system is two-fold. One is to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 1383 which requires all residential and businesses to source separate organics. The other is to help reduce injuries to South Tahoe Refuse and Recycling team members.

The first step happened at Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting. An updated exclusive franchise agreement with South Tahoe Refuse was approved by the Council. This new agreement is for 20 years and allows the refuse company to amortize capital costs for a new fleet of semi-automated trucks and costs associated with the requirements of SB 1383. It passed by a 4-1 vote with Councilman Scott Robbins casting the lone dissension.

California SB 1383 went into effect on January 1, 2022, and some of its requirements are being addressed in South Lake Tahoe. The bill has mandatory organic waste collection directives, with regulations aimed to divert 50 percent of organic waste from landfills, with a 75 percent reduction by 2025.

SB 1383 also requires that jurisdictions conduct education and outreach on organics recycling to all residents, businesses (including those that generate edible food that can be donated), haulers, solid waste facilities, local food banks, and other food recovery organizations.

As the requirements are being addressed, South Tahoe Refuse is transforming into a three-cart pickup system that will allow for trash, recycling, and organics separation at the curbside. Commercial requirements are coming too as well as a new fleet, all of which are costly and may require rate increases in 2024.

The three-cart system will include animal-resistant trash cans, models that have proven effective at keeping out wildlife in Mammoth, North Lake Tahoe, Washoe Valley, and Alaska, among others who deal with bears, birds, raccoons, dogs, and other animals that are known for getting into trash.

"They've been proven in many different areas with animal/trash issues," John Marchini of South Tahoe Refuse told South Tahoe Now.

What can remain with the new carts are the current locking "bear boxes" that many homes have had installed. They will still be serviced for garbage by South Tahoe Refuse (STR) staff, with the new green and blue carts distributed for mixed recyclables and yard waste.

For those without the bear boxes, three or more carts will be distributed to all residential customers free of charge. One will be the animal-resistant tote, one will be for recycling, and the other for yard waste. STR will send out a survey in the next month for residents to pick the size and number of carts to deliver. Marchini said residents can pick one to two-yard waste carts, each able to contain the same amount as three of the current plastic bags full of pine needles.

STR is planning on doing pickup of household garbage weekly, then alternating weeks for the recycling and yard waste so there will be two trucks circulating the neighborhood on each route. They are still working out details as the rollout isn't until summer or early fall 2024.

"We've always done our best to troubleshoot," said Marchini of concerns that were being voiced on social media the minute the City Council meeting was over. "We realize this is a huge shift for everyone and will be as flexible as we can within regulations."

Some of the public concerns are what they feel is a limit to yard waste being transferred. People can always transport those pine needles and pine cones for free drop-off at South Tahoe Refuse's Resource Recovery Facility. Plastic bags cannot be dumped there, but the contents can be.

The goal is to keep yard waste and recyclables out of landfills.

Marchini also said they are looking into additional curbside paper bag yard waste pickup, as well as looking at the possibility of having special spring and fall clean-up weeks for extra yard waste.

"We have a good team with regards to adding 1383 requirements," added Marchini. "We are working with a cart company to ensure this transition goes as smoothly as possible.

The special animal-resistant carts will take some time to be ordered, created, and delivered, but all should be ready to go in 2024.

South Tahoe Refuse must also work on new franchise agreements in El Dorado County and the Tahoe Township portion of Douglas County.

The new franchise agreement between the City and STR requires carts to be out by 7 a.m.

For more information, visit https://southtahoerefuse.com/resources/3-cart-system/.