Tackling Contamination: A Practical, Multi-Faced Approach to Cleaner Waste Streams

Reducing contamination takes more than one fix — it requires coordination, communication, and consistency. This presentation shares how the City of San Diego is addressing contamination in recycling and organic waste collection through a comprehensive strategy. The approach combines route review container checks, door to door outreach, improved container design, smarter data insights, and targeted education and marketing. Together, these efforts help understand the barriers to participation, reach residents in different ways, and build stronger alignment between operations, outreach, and our public.