Program areas at Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
Environmental compliance consulting: our expertise in organic waste, composting, single-use plastics, & stormwater pollution and our knowledge of related state Environmental requirements helped us create effective, accessible solutions for local jurisdictions to help businesses & residents address Environmental issues & comply with state & local laws. We offer extensive outreach campaigns, webinar & video education, technical consulting, & sector-specific resources & surveys. We provided technical assistance and inspections to 180 businesses and 31 food recovery organizations across 12 jurisdictions. We also educated 333 businesses on sb 1383 regulations either in person (on-site visit) or electronically (email communication). Lastly, we evaluated about 2,700 businesses during the tier identification process to determine whether they are tier 1 or tier 2 businesses.
Climate solutions: we offer practical solutions for local residents to reduce their climate footprint, including; waste reduction education; green living tours of our headquarters; e/u-waste - 2,950 drop-offs from residents of electronic waste, light bulbs, & batteries, kept 28,750+ items from the landfill; rain barrels - sold 449 rain barrels, collecting 89,000+ gallons of rainwater; green convene dinnerware loan program rented 800+ place settings at 18 events, diverted 343 lbs. Of landfill waste & avoided 830 lbs. Greenhouse gas emissions; textile waste education event that offered textile repair and repurposing options, as well as a clothing swap collected 340 pounds of textiles & diverted 83% from landfill, preventing 2539.8 pounds of co2; induction cooktop loaner program - 30 community members borrowed and tested environmentally-friendly electric induction cooktops.
Education: Solana Center, a san diego county-wide resource for Environmental education focused on composting, watershed management, recycling and zero waste, reached over 12,000 san diegans through educational events, school workshops, and business instruction. Our education program trained 25 master composters and 921 new composters at workshops, webinars, and five-week courses and answered more than 460 compost and zero waste related questions over the phone, by email, and at the office. Solana Center extended our education and information through our quarterly newsletter, ongoing informational emails, website, blog, social media accounts, and media coverage, reaching more than 20,000 san diego area residents.