Port of San Diego receives Recycler of the Year Award

The Port of San Diego has been selected as Recycler of the Year by the City of San Diego as part of the City’s 2019 Business Waste Reduction and Recycling awards program. This is an annual awards program that provides an opportunity for companies and organizations to be recognized for exemplary waste reduction efforts.

The Port received the award at a ceremony held May 1, 2019 at the San Diego Central Library.

The Recycler of the Year Award honors companies and organizations with the most comprehensive, innovative and/or improved recycling programs. While the Port has had a robust recycling program in place, additional elements added over the past year have significantly reduced waste around San Diego Bay.

The Port’s Integrated Waste Management Program provides a conceptual framework to document compliance with all applicable waste-related regulations and achieve the goals and strategies defined in various Port environmental programs. New recycling efforts initiated in fiscal year 2018 include:

• Collecting used coffee grounds which are then reused as fertilizer for roses in Spanish Landing Park;
• Installing cigarette butt recycling bins in Port parks and other public areas;
• Launching the #That’sMyBay media campaign to educate a wide audience on environmental protection including waste reduction and recycling;
• Adding recycling cans in public parks and spaces; and
• Having dumpsters dedicated to diverting metal, construction waste, green waste and various other waste streams.

These efforts, in combination with those in practice, have resulted in an immense amount of waste being diverted during the past year.

In addition to the new recycling efforts, the Port’s Waste Management team conducts annual waste audits and hosts educational workshops and campaigns for internal and external stakeholders.