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Agency Update
Agency Update - Winter 2026
Updated Mar 16, 2026
StopWaste Pilots Solar Panel Collection Event In partnership with the California Product Stewardship Council, StopWaste hosted a free, one-day residential solar panel collection event at the Fremont Recycling & Transfer Station for Alameda County residents. Event staff collected 171 solar panels, and of those, 47 panels were tested and confirmed suitable for reuse, while 124 panels were designated for recycling. Funded by CalRecycle, this initiative helps keep hazardous materials from being disposed of improperly and supports market development for used solar panels. Launched in 2025, the
Recent News
News
Alameda County Schools Launch Reusable Foodware Pilot Project
Updated Jan 16, 2025
Alameda County’s second schools reusable foodware pilot project launched in Alameda following a successful inaugural launch in Emeryville—replacing single-use lunch trays and plastic utensils with reusable stainless-steel ones.
Agency Update
Agency Update - Fall 2022
Updated Oct 4, 2022
Strengthening Partnerships in Food Recovery Efforts Over the past decade, StopWaste has cultivated strong relationships with food recovery organizations across Alameda County, engaging in conversations around tackling food insecurity, building a resilient and inclusive regional food system, and more recently, planning for the needs of these organizations during the rule-making process for SB 1383. In 2021, StopWaste rallied these stakeholders to formalize the Alameda County Food Recovery Network (ACFRN), which serves as a space for over 45 food recovery organizations, city staff, and other
Agency Update
Agency Update - Summer 2022
Updated Jun 22, 2022
Meet our New Grantees! Our waste prevention grantees are not only leaders in innovative solutions to preventing waste, they are helping to build resilient communities in Alameda County. Take Hope 4 the Heart, an all-volunteer nonprofit that rescues edible food and provides weekly food deliveries to affordable housing and senior communities across the county. Or Make It Home, whose mission is to furnish homes of families and individuals transitioning out of crisis or homelessness with donated, gently used, repurposed furnishings and household goods. We welcome you to explore previous and
Agency Update
Agency Update - Spring 2022
Updated Jun 22, 2022
New SB 1383 Resources California’s new organics and recycling law, SB 1383, is in effect, and StopWaste is continually developing resources to inform residents and businesses of requirements. We recently conducted an informational webinar to help businesses, nonprofits, and institutions in Alameda County understand current recycling and composting requirements and how to comply in four easy steps. We now have a dedicated SB 1383 Food Recovery webpage that provides information about the food recovery requirements and resources/support tools. Additionally, a list of countywide Food Recovery
Agency Update
Agency Update - Winter 2022
Updated Jan 20, 2022
New Composting & Recycling Law Goes Into Effect California’s largest solid waste regulation in decades went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, aiming to reduce organics going to landfill by 75 percent by 2025. The move is a critical step: when organic matter rots in landfills it creates harmful methane emissions that contribute to climate change and threaten the health of our communities. Under the law: All compostable materials like food, paper, and yard waste must be sorted and collected for composting, Recyclables must be sorted and kept out of landfills, Food generating businesses must recover
Agency Update
Agency Update - Fall 2021
Updated Oct 18, 2021
Legislation Advances Circular Economy, Waste Prevention This month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a suite of new bills as part of a new climate package that advance recycling, public health, waste prevention, circular economy, and truth in advertising. This is encouraging momentum, and we congratulate everyone for their hard work, including the Statewide Commission on Recycling Markets and Curbside Recycling, that led to the Governor's signing of these bills. Below are a few highlights: AB: 881 centers around taking greater responsibility of our waste, primarily plastics. The legislation
News
With Wendy Sommer Retiring, Timothy Burroughs Becomes New StopWaste Executive Director
Updated Apr 23, 2025
The Alameda County Waste Management Authority selected current Deputy Executive Director Timothy Burroughs as the Agency’s incoming Executive Director, taking over leadership from Wendy Sommer, who, after 30 dedicated years of service at the Agency, will retire in July 2021.
Agency Update
Agency Update - Summer 2021
Updated Apr 23, 2025
Meet Our New Grantees! From rescuing food to feed vulnerable communities to keeping e-waste out of the landfill through repair, StopWaste’s new grantees are committed to not only preventing waste, but also helping to build resilient communities across Alameda County. A total of $580,985 in grant funding will go to 49 local nonprofit and for-profit organizations this year for projects to support and improve food recovery and donation, salvage, reuse, repair, and redistribution infrastructure. Since 1996, StopWaste has provided more than $9 million in funding to local organizations and
Agency Update
Agency Update - Spring 2021
Updated Apr 7, 2021
New HHW Campaign – Send Toxics Packing! There’s a sneaky team of toxics in town – and it's time to send them packing! Our brand new Household Hazardous Waste campaign adds a little humor to a serious subject: toxics such as old paints, pesticides, and batteries pose health and safety risks if disposed of improperly. The campaign is part of StopWaste’s annual promotion of easy drop-off of hazardous waste at HHW facilities across Alameda County. Visitors can book appointments in advance through a new online system, and the website services and online appointment system are now available in
Agency Update
Agency Update - Winter 2021
Updated Jan 21, 2021
StopWaste Adopts New Aims and Guiding Principles Every two years, StopWaste undertakes a priority setting process to inform budget development, program selection, and strategy. In addition to updated guiding principles adopted in December 2020 by our board, we established a new set of aims to help orient our work over a longer term. These aims reflect the many external forces that affect our collective work, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate impacts, and persistent social and racial disparities in our communities. Read more Congratulations Business Efficiency Awardees While we had to