Image ©Emily Hagopian
Zero Waste Marin is the informal name for the Marin County Hazardous and Solid Waste Joint Powers Authority (JPA), which represents Marin’s 11 cities and towns and the unincorporated County of Marin on issues related to waste reduction and management. The JPA Board is comprised of city and town representatives from Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito, Tiburon and the County of Marin.
Our mission is to protect natural resources by promoting source reduction of waste through reuse, repair, and more mindful purchasing. To make recycling and composting easy, we offer a variety of programs including: the Household Hazardous Waste Program, the Zero Waste Schools Program, and public outreach and education programs. These programs align with County-wide goals to act on climate change and promote healthy, safe, and sustainable communities.
Make strategies for waste reduction accessible to all of Marin’s residents through public education and outreach events
Provide information, resources, and programs to facilitate the safe disposal of household hazardous waste
Provide education and technical support to schools and businesses on waste reduction, recycling, composting, and disposal
Ensure compliance with relevant Federal, State and Local waste laws
In 1989 the Integrated Waste Management Act was signed into law.
Under the Act, all cities and counties were required to develop Integrated Waste Management Plans to outline how they planned to meet the mandates. Realizing that it would be mutually beneficial to jointly prepare for the Integrated Waste Management Plan, Marin’s cities and towns, along with the County of Marin, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 1990.
Since then, Marin’s public agencies and waste haulers and facility operators have worked together to develop Marin’s Integrated Waste Management Plan and to implement the programs necessary to meet the mandates. In 1996, the partnership forged with the MOU led Marin’s cities and the County to form the Marin Hazardous and Solid Waste Joint Powers Authority (JPA).