Local listing agent Martin Feinberg was recently reminded that Culver City launched the City Hall Zero Waste Program on April 22 and is continuing to move towards that goal.  The program is a three-phase initiative and is meant to help Culver City create a healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable Culver City Real Estate community.  Since the launch of the program, and as City Hall has moved through stage one, the City has been able to reduce the trash it produces by approximately 30 percent per week.

Culver City Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells stated, “My parents taught me to lead by example, and that’s exactly what Culver City is doing by making City Hall zero-waste. We can all be leaders in tackling pollution, helping the environment and saving money by eliminating the single-use items that are sent to landfills.”

In the effort to meet their goals the city put together a “Green Team,” made up of City Staff, which has been tasked with the job of continuously educating staff, answering questions, and tracking progress to ensure the City is staying on track.

The first phase has consisted of the staff learning the definition of zero waste, why eliminating waste is important, and easy ways to contribute to the cause.  The Green Team has helped with janitorial training and provided new desk-side recycling and organics waste containers. They have also installed new containers for landfill, recycling, and organics in kitchenettes and conference rooms and provided a new dishwasher in the City Council’s Closed Session Room. Reusable dishware has also replaced disposable options. Finally, the Green Team wrote an ‘Environmental Purchasing Policy,’ evaluated staff efforts, and hosted a Lunch and Learn workshop for staff to allow them ask questions and learn more about the program.

As phase one winds down and phase two begins the Green Team is planning to create an e-waste collection policy, establish written agreements to integrate waste reduction efforts, use Zero Waste Checklists to produce yearly reports, and make a Green Office Certification Checklist for department use.

Martin Feinberg, Realtor, notes that the final phase of the City Hall Zero Waste Program requires City Hall to reduce paper waste by identifying an electronic document imaging solution and switch to electronic timesheets.