Daly City's Green Vision

The Daly City climate action plan titled, "The Daly City Green Vision - Ten for Twenty (PDF)," focuses on actions the City organization has already taken and can take over the next ten years to reduce its carbon footprint. While this plan focuses only on City operations, one key goal is to engage the community in the creation of a community-based strategy for reducing our community's adverse impact on the ecology of our planet.

Programs & Initiatives

The following programs and initiatives have been put in place to help us meet our Climate Action Plan goals:

  • Amberwood Senior Apartments Energy Efficiency Upgrades (PDF) - Case Study for Multifamily Buildings - Through the Bay Area Multifamily Building Enhancements Program, Amberwood received $97,500 in cash rebates and free technical assistance to complete a variety of energy upgrades that have produced 25% energy savings!
  • Bay Area Sunshares - Daly City joined nearly 40 cities and employers across the Bay Area to offer discounts on solar systems and zero-emission vehicles. Learn more about your clean energy options, even if you are a renter. Limited time only. Attend a free workshop at City Hall on September 29th to learn more. Sign up to receive your free, no-obligation quotes by November 4th.
  • Citywide Composting Program - All residents and businesses now have the opportunity to participate in the curbside collection of organic waste. Food scraps and food-soiled paper products can now be diverted from the landfill and instead turned into nutrient-dense compost. Use your green compost cart and kitchen pails to collect all organic waste.
  • Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance -On September 13, 2021, the Daly City Council unanimously adopted a Disposable Food Service Ware Ordinance to address plastic pollution by eliminating the unnecessary distribution and use of single-use plastics. This Ordinance repeals and replaces Chapter 8.64 of the Daly City Municipal Code, and builds upon previous City regulations that prohibited food vendors from using polystyrene-based disposable food service ware. 
  • Energy Audits for Businesses - In partnership with San Mateo County Energy Watch a citywide campaign to provide free energy audits to local businesses launched spring 2015.
  • Energy Upgrade California® Home Upgrade - Homeowners can improve their home's energy efficiency, increase comfort, and save money by receiving up to $6,500 in incentives and rebates, plus $300 for a home energy assessment.
  • Ordinances - The City Council has adopted key ordinances designed to protect the environment and health of the community.
  • Peninsula Clean Energy - The City Council voted unanimously to join Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) in January 2016. Now, the County of San Mateo and all 20 cities on the peninsula will be able to use their combined electricity demand to buy and develop renewable, clean power on behalf of all residents and businesses. PCE will help accomplish the greenhouse gas reduction goals of the City's Climate Action Plan and introduce consumer choice to an energy market where none currently exists.
  • Project Green Space and Urban Forestry - The City recently received a $25k grant to support tree planting and rain gardens by local volunteers to regrow our urban forest. New green spaces will boost our resilience to climate change impacts.
  • Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing - PACE makes energy- and water-saving renovations affordable for property owners by providing long-term, competitive financing through an additional property tax assessment. Payments are made through the property tax bill for up to 20 years, and interest is tax-deductible.

Free Events

The following free events are aimed at helping residents reduce their negative impacts on the environment:

  • Beverage Container Recycling - In addition to participating in our City's curbside recycling program, residents may also consider recycling their bottles and cans for cash at a beverage container recycling center.
  • Document Shredding Event - Residents can access free shredding services at the City's Spring and Fall recycling events.
  • E-Waste Recycling - Electronic equipment is highly toxic to the environment. Residents may safely dispose of it at the City's Spring and Fall recycling events and year-round at nearby drop-off locations. 
  • Earth Day Event - Residents are invited to City Hall on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm for free document shredding, e-waste drop-off, mattress recycling, and used tire takeback. 
  • Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events - San Mateo County residents can safely dispose of household hazardous waste (HHW) free of charge at a special drop-off collection event at City Hall, at 333 90th Street four times per year. 
  • Make a Difference Day - This year marks the 24th consecutive year that Daly City residents can Make a Difference! Join us this Fall to volunteer or participate in a number of events. Volunteer to be a C.L.E.A.N. Champion today. Visit dalycity.org/cleanchampion to sign up. Save the Date: Saturday, October 28, 2023, 9:30am - 12:30pm.  

Mandatory Organic Waste Disposal Reduction - SB 1383

Senate Bill (SB) 1383, the Short-lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Act of 2016, required CalRecycle to develop regulations to reduce organics in landfills as a source of methane. The regulations place requirements on multiple entities including Cities, residential households, Commercial Businesses and business owners, Commercial Edible Food Generators, haulers, Self-Haulers, Food Recovery Organizations, and Food Recovery Services to support achievement of Statewide Organic Waste disposal reduction targets.

SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve 50% reduction in the statewide disposal of organic waste from 2014 levels by 2020, and a 75% reduction by 2025. There is also a requirement to rescue at least 20% of edible food to feed those in need by 2025. 

To comply, residents, businesses and multi-family complexes must be subscribed to organics waste collection and separate their organic waste from other garbage and recyclables. 

Mandatory Organics Recycling - AB 1826

The California Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling, known as Assembly Bill (AB) 1826, requires that businesses and multi-family complexes of five or more units must begin recycling their organic waste starting in 2016 through a phased approach. Organic waste includes food waste*, green waste, landscape, and pruning waste, non-hazardous wood waste, and food-soiled paper*. The following are State-mandated schedule for implementation:

  • April 1, 2016 Generators of 8 or more cubic yards of organic waste per week
  • January 1, 2017 Generators of 4 or more cubic yards of organic waste per week
  • January 1, 2019 Generators of 2 or more cubic yards of solid waste per week (includes all materials)
  • Multi-Family complexes are not required to include food waste and food-soiled paper.

To comply, businesses and multi-family complexes must first separate their organic waste from other waste and then subscribe to a collection program like ours, recycle organic waste on-site, or self-haul organic waste for recycling.

Mandatory Commercial Recycling - AB 34

As of July 1, 2012, California's Assembly Bill 341 requires all businesses that generate four or more cubic yards of garbage per week and multi-family dwellings with five or more units to recycle. To comply, businesses and multi-family complexes must first separate their recyclables from other waste, and then participate in a collection program like ours or self-haul their recyclables.