Key Dates

Board Meeting Agenda Item # 12

A Board Memo was sent to the Board of Supervisors with a progress update, as directed on April 30, 2024. This memo included direction for OSEJ to initiate an assessment of opportunities for sharing, reusing, repairing, remanufacturing, and upcycling existing materials and programs.

We attended and presented at the San Diego Reuse & Repair Network Meeting, which promotes reuse and repair as alternatives to landfilling. This engagement helped build partnerships and share the County’s vision for a circular economy.

We’ll be presenting at this annual event that brings together leaders, advocates, and community members to discuss strategies for reducing waste and advancing a circular economy.

We’ll be speaking to this group of government circularity professionals to learn what’s worked for similar projects in other regions. Their feedback will be used to inform this effort.

The Regional Recycling Working Group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month to address a variety of topics related to waste management and recycling. These public meetings are open to all. 

Meeting time: 10 AM - 12 PM PST

Microsoft Teams meeting 

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device 

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Meeting ID: 246 581 699 636
 Passcode: JnUmmv 

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+1 619-343-2539,,245264140#   United States, San Diego 

Phone Conference ID: 245 264 140# 

By hosting in-person Community Climate Conversations, we can listen and learn from folks advancing circularity across the region. This input will help identify strategies, opportunities, and priorities that can inform recommendations to advance the circular economy.  

• North County – March 2 at 2:00 PM (Carlsbad City Library, Dove St) 
• South County – March 4 at 4:00 PM (National City Library) 
• Central Coastal – March 9 at 5:30 PM (The Reuse & Repair Collective) 
• East County – March 11 at 5:00 PM (Spring Valley Library) 

Take the survey and help shape the region’s circular economy! Your input will guide goals, actions, and strategies to reduce waste and keep materials in use.

We will (re)connect with stakeholders to present draft strategies and receive additional feedback through sector-focus discussions focused on textiles, construction and building materials, and plastics.

While circular economy may sound like a new concept, it’s something many older generations have been actively practicing for years. It’s also a way of carrying family traditions, such as repairing a family heirloom or reusing the same glass jars as a grandparent. The cultural aspects, familial ties, and the value that items hold are not only tangible but also memories, pre-convenience culture. There are also many lessons that could be learned from Tribal Ecological Knowledge as well to support regional circular economy, while also providing new pathways for tribal businesses, governments, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs to uplift and scale their efforts while supporting and working towards a closed loop system.   

By joining the EJW we hope to identify more of the organizations, practices, and community projects that make up our regional circular economy. A lot of this work is happening at entrepreneur and small-business level, so while we hope to identify ways to scale up and ensure mindful use of materials, we also hope to reinvigorate the trades that have been declining (such as cobblers, repair skills, etc.) and uplift the activities that our elders that have already been doing for many years (such as composting, reusing materials as much as possible, etc.). 

Learn more about the EJW: https://engage.sandiegocounty.gov/ejw-2026

Learn about SANDAG's Regional Climate Action Planning efforts: https://www.sandag.org/projects-and-programs/environment/climate/regional-climate-action-planning

The Valley Center Library is excited to be preparing for their annual Sustainable Saturday event on Saturday, August 29, from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM!

This year's event is shaping up to be a wonderful celebration of sustainability, community engagement, and resource sharing. They are inviting organizations to host informational tables, hands-on activities, and interactive experiences that inspire our community to live more sustainably.

Highlights of the event include:

• Zero Waste San Diego's Fix-It Clinic in the Community Room, where community members can bring items for repair and learn valuable skills.
• A Community Clothing Swap in the Seminar Room, promoting reuse and reducing waste.
• A Feeding San Diego food distribution outside the library, helping connect families with nutritious food resources.
• Additional sustainability-themed activities, educational opportunities, and community partnerships throughout the event.

We'll be speaking about From Waste to Worth and regional circularity work as part of a panel, Local Leaders - How San Diego Residents’ Materials Move Through the Region, at the CRRA conference.

Click here to learn more about the panel.

This month we will share the draft Roadmap for public comment. At least one public workshop will be offered.