ReGen Monterey Wins Awards for Excellence in Public Service Announcements and Photography

ReGen Monterey congratulates our Communications team for taking home two Awards of Distinction from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) in the Photography and Public Service Announcement categories! Director of Communications Zoë Shoats and Senior Communications Coordinator Eric Palmer were on hand to accept the awards from CAPIO.

CAPIO’s EPIC Awards are the top honors for government communications professionals and 2025 had a record 500+ submissions from agencies across the state.

We submitted A Year in Photos 2024—a portfolio capturing moments from across our operations, including our landfill, recycling plant, composting yard, and renewable power plant. The collection also features staff portraits and the incredible wildlife spotted onsite. These images help us tell our story: they appear in our social media, decorate our administrative offices, and are featured in both digital and print materials. Want to see more? Follow us on Instagram @ReGenMonterey for weekly photos, behind-the-scenes stories, and sustainability insights straight from the field: www.instagram.com/regenmonterey

Charged Conversations, our public service announcement, was also recognized in the “consultant supported” category. We worked with Very Local, Dennis Pry and Sarah Pusateri to develop a video about the dangers of improperly disposing batteries. It includes first-hand accounts and shocking footage of battery fires at our facility, which experiences at least one fire a week. We hope it will prevent more fires and risks to our staff, public infrastructure and local environment. Watch the video at www.regenmonterey/batteries.

ReGen Monterey Launches Advanced Emission Capture System

ReGen Monterey Launches Advanced Emission Capture System

Regional Landfill Expands on Climate Action and Renewable Power Generation Programs

ReGen Monterey is ushering in a new era of sustainable waste management by integrating innovative technologies at both its landfill and composting yard. These strategic upgrades are designed to streamline operations, reduce harmful emissions, and transform organic waste into high-quality renewable power and nutrient-rich compost. By installing advanced automated gas well systems in March 2025 and new composting technology by the end of the year, ReGen Monterey reaffirms its commitment to environmental stewardship and community collaboration in the fight against climate change.

ReGen Monterey’s nonhazardous landfill spans 315-acres with over 100 years of capacity remaining for municipal solid waste at current fill rates. As organic waste—such as food scraps, yard trimmings and paper—is buried and compressed, it decomposes without oxygen. In this oxygen-deprived environment, methane is produced, which has a global warming potential that is roughly 25 times greater than carbon dioxide.

ReGen Monterey operates a network of over 100 landfill gas collection wells that are strategically placed throughout the site. This system channels landfill gases to a renewable power plant, where methane is converted into clean energy to power ReGen Monterey’s facility and contribute to the community power grid.

Technicians currently perform monthly manual adjustments to well controls. When measurements show low methane levels or inefficient gas capture, they fine-tune operational parameters—such as valve settings and flow rates—to enhance system performance. While this process meets compliance standards, these manual inspections can miss rapid changes and real-time fluctuations in methane emissions due to climate conditions. The monitoring process can take up to two days.

“ReGen Monterey prides itself on developing one of the first landfill gas-to-energy power plants in the nation,” said Felipe Melchor, General Manager. “After the plant’s four decades of operation creating our own electricity, we are investing in the next generation of emission capture and renewable power systems. Automated controls will enhance our ability to fight climate change and produce more renewable energy locally.”

In June 2024, ReGen Monterey partnered with Loci Controls to conduct a seven-month pilot study using Loci’s automated well technology. As part of the test, 20 devices—representing 20% of the landfill’s wells—were installed to evaluate their performance. The successful pilot study increased the flow of landfill gases to the renewable power plant, resulting in a significant increase in gas quantity and quality. Over the seven-month period, the study determined that the emission reductions achieved were equivalent to removing 2,000 passenger vehicles from the road for a year.

“By moving toward automated, continuous monitoring systems, we are provided real-time data, allowing us to prevent methane emissions and improve productivity at the renewable power plant,“ said David Ramirez, Director of Engineering and Compliance. “ReGen Monterey is continuing a tradition and commitment to being an industry leader in innovation and emissions control.”

In January, ReGen Monterey’s Board of Directors approved an expansion of automated wells to cover the entire landfill at a cost of $828,187. This technology enables ReGen Monterey to exceed current regulations for methane capture and reduction. Once fully implemented, the system will enable ReGen Monterey to cut greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 13,000 passenger vehicles from the road annually while also reducing odors and contributing to landfill emissions research.

In the past couple of years, ReGen has opened its doors as a research facility by hosting university research that includes the testing of methane-detection rover prototypes on the landfill. Deployed by University of California, Berkeley research students, these four-legged rovers can cover large areas quickly, provide real-time data and reduce the need for technicians to conduct manual, on-foot inspections in potentially hazardous environments.

In addition to advanced technologies on the landfill, ReGen Monterey has successfully partnered with the community to divert organic material to our composting operations. Under SB 1383, California’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, residents and businesses are required to separate their food waste from garbage carts. This proactive participation not only reduces methane production but also fosters a circular economy—100% of ReGen Monterey’s compost is utilized for Monterey and Santa Cruz County agriculture. ReGen Monterey is recognized as a state leader due to our readiness to successfully implement this historic law.

By the end of the year, $7 million will be invested into our composting yard to introduce covered aerated static pile (CASP) technology, which includes $3 million in CalRecycle grants. CASP technology helps accelerate the composting process, enhance operations and product quality, and reduce odors and greenhouse gas emissions. With the increasing volume of food waste due to SB 1383, ReGen Monterey’s investments to our composting yard is another innovative step to divert organic materials from the landfill, significantly cut emissions and produce quality compost for local farms.

“We’re excited about the forward progress of our agency in cooperation with our community,” said Melchor. “Every innovation not only refines our operations but also strengthens our collective effort to fight climate change. We are grateful to the ReGen Board of Directors for their commitment to ensuring ReGen Monterey remains a leader in environmentally sustainable waste management.”

Earth Day Event Calendar on the Monterey Peninsula 🌎

ReGen Monterey will be hosting an outreach table at several community Earth Day and Earth Month events in April! Show support to your city and local environmental groups. Come play our “What Goes Where” cornhole game to win a special prize! Follow us on social media @ReGenMonterey to learn about Earth Day community and clean-up events and watch our outreach activities.

🌎 City of Marina Earth Day, Saturday, April 12 9-1 p.m. at 190 Seaside Circle near the Marina Library

🌍 Carmel by-the-Sea Earth Day, Saturday, April 26 10-2 p.m. at Devendorf Park

🌏 Del Rey Oaks Earth Day, Saturday, April 26 12-2 p.m. at Del Rey Oaks Park, 999 Angelus Way

🌎 Seaside Earth Day, Sunday, April 27 1-4 p.m. on the Seaside City Hall Lawn, 440 Harcourt Avenue

Request for Proposal for General Counsel Services – RPF Due February 12, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Request for Proposal for General Counsel Services in PDF

Notice is hereby given that the Monterey Regional Waste Management District dba: ReGen Monterey (ReGen) is requesting proposals (RFP) for the furnishing of Legal services to ReGen at 14201 Del Monte Avenue, Salinas, CA 93908. General Counsel will be required to attend all monthly Board of Directors (Board) Meetings, Finance Committee, Personnel Committee and special meetings held at ReGen’s Board chambers located at ReGen’s Administrative office.

Proposals will be received at ReGen’s office until 2:00 p.m. February 12, 2025.

Proposals received after the closing date will be rejected. Hard copies of the proposal should be mailed in sufficient time to arrive at ReGen prior to the closing date.

Acceptance of a proposal by the Board shall form the basis for a contract between the parties for supplying the services. ReGen reserves the right to reject any or all of the proposals and to waive any informality or technical irregularity in any proposals. This notice shall be considered part of any resultant contract.

The GM and/or Board may wish to interview a small number of firms before making a final decision. If so, these interviews will likely be scheduled at or before the March 2025 Board meetings. The Board typically meets on the third Friday day of the month.

Please direct any questions to Ida Gonzales, Executive Board Clerk at (831) 264-6388 or Igonzales@ReGenmonterey.org

Christmas tree disposal and drop-off options on the Monterey Peninsula 🎄

Christmas trees are recycled into mulch and compost. Only real trees, free of decoration, lights, stands, tinsel and flocking can be recycled. Here are your options to properly dispose or drop-off trees after the holidays:

🎄 We have a free drop-off bin here at ReGen Monterey right at the entrance! It will be here until the end of the month. 3 trees per visitor limit. Visit us at 14201 Del Monte Blvd. in Salinas, just two miles north of Marina.

🎄 If you are a GreenWaste Recovery customer, tree collection is during the first three collection weeks of the year. Trees must be cut into sections no longer than 6’, and placed curbside on your regular service day.

🎄 If you are a Monterey Disposal customer, Christmas trees can be placed next to your green organics cart. Trees under 6’ tall do not need to be cut. Trees over 6’ must be cut in half. Trees will be collected for the first two weeks of the new year. After the first two weeks, trees must be cut and placed in your green organics cart.

🎄 For Waste Management customers, put cut trees in your green organics cart. If it does not fit, please schedule with WM to pickup Christmas trees curbside on the customer’s service day between January 2-17. Please request online or via phone.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your curbside hauler. Thanks again for removing any materials on your trees and helping us turn old trees into mulch and compost.

SB 1383 Edible Food Recovery Program – Grant Funding Opportunity, FY 24/25

ReGen Monterey and Salinas Valley Recycles’ Edible Food Recovery Grants are intended to expand and enhance edible food recovery programs at food rescue organizations and services operating within the Monterey County region to better accommodate state mandates and broaden community operations. This grant is designed to:

1. Help increase the capacity of local food rescue organizations and services operating within the County of Monterey.
2. Assist local food recovery organizations and services by funding the purchase of equipment, materials, and supplies that will increase the total pounds of edible food an organization or service is able to recover and distribute to those in need.
3. Improve our region’s ability to respond to and comply with SB 1383 mandates by increasing capacity, thereby allowing businesses to donate the maximum amount of
edible food that would otherwise be disposed of.
4. Ensure food safety as edible food recovery capacity and donations increase

The SB 1383 Edible Food Recovery Program – Grant Funding Opportunity, FY 24/25 intends to award a total of up to $90,000 to non-profit organizations, businesses, or public entities that collect, generate, and distribute food to those in need and charities within the County of Monterey. Applicants must operate within the service areas of Salinas Valley Recycles (SVR)* or Monterey Regional Waste Management District (ReGen Monterey)**. The award will strengthen current food rescue programs in order to better comply with California edible food waste recovery laws.

Organizations may request a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $25,000. We anticipate the average award to be between $5,000 and $10,000. s. Examples of
eligible expenses include shelving units, refrigeration units, freezer units, kitchen supplies, food preservation supplies, food recovery vehicles,, staffing/wages and volunteer stipends.

Learn more about the program’s eligibility requirements, grant timeline, submission details and more on our SB 1383 EFR Program Grant FY 24-25 Summary document or download and return the EFR Grant Application by October 31, 2024.

*The Salinas Valley Recycles service area includes: Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Salinas, Soledad, and Eastern Unincorporated Monterey County.
**ReGen Monterey includes: Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Sand City, Pebble Beach Community Services District, and
Unincorporated Monterey County.

2024 Artist in Residence Exhibit from May 2-18 // Special Reception on May 2

2024 Artists in Residence Exhibit May 2-18, 2024

CSU Monterey Bay Student-Artists
Melanie Mena and Michael Acevedo Present:
“Transmute: An Exploration on Duality and Reconstruction”

Melanie Mena and Michael Acevedo, Visual and Public Art (VPA) seniors at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), have been selected as the 2024 Artists in Residence (AIR) at ReGen Monterey. The AIR Program is a partnership between ReGen Monterey, CSUMB and Last Chance Mercantile. Since 2016, student artists from CSUMB are selected for a fellowship at ReGen Monterey. The artists scavenge for discarded materials at the Last Chance reuse store and ReGen Monterey’s Materials Recovery Facility, and upcycle them into art.

“Learning about ReGen Monterey has truly been eye opening to everything that goes on behind the scenes. This place is an entire system that works perfectly together in such a beautiful and intricate manner. I am extremely honored to have been chosen to work with this wonderful community and become part of this vast ecosystem,” said Mena. “I hope I can provide something of value through my work and artistic lens. My plan is to reuse materials to build canvases, frames, and push my paintings into a three-dimensional realm.”

Acevedo had a similar goal with his fellowship – to challenge himself and produce art using various artistic techniques: “My goal as an artist is to challenge myself and push past my creative limits to make pieces that go outside of my established comfort zone,” says Acevedo. A residency that required making art from salvaged materials provided ample opportunities for artistic experimentation. “Transmute” will include sculptures, tile triptychs and animation by Acevedo.

Visitors to Last Chance Mercantile have been able to observe Mena and Acevedo’s creative process and interact with the artists during store hours. The seasonal fellowship culminates with an art installation titled “Transmute: An Exploration on Duality and Reconstruction” from May 2-18, 2024, with a special reception and Q&A on Thursday, May 2 at 2 p.m., all at Last Chance Mercantile. The installation and reception are open to the public.

Both Melanie Mena and Michael Acevedo are local mixed-media artists from Salinas who decided to further their study of art at California State University, Monterey Bay. They will graduate with a B.A. in Visual and Public Art in May.

The Artist in Residence program’s goal is to inspire environmental stewardship, recycling and upcycling in the community through art. The artists and the public learn about sustainable material sourcing for art, home and community projects. The program provides a unique and professional platform for local students as they transition from student to professional artists.

Find Mena and Acevedo’s art portfolios and learn more about the program and previous artists in residence at regenmonterey.org/artist-in-residence/.

Last Chance Mercantile is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tossing a Battery? You’re Risking Lives and Property Along with the Environment

Most people know that batteries are bad for the environment. What many don’t know is that discarded batteries are a growing cause of potentially fatal fires.
Lithium-ion batteries are especially risky. Because they’re so efficient, they’re used in countless rechargeable products, including smart phones, power tools, electric toothbrushes, and even robotic vacuums. But if they’re not disposed of properly, they can suddenly burst into flames — and they frequently do, endangering everyone nearby.

Fires in waste-processing facilities are on the rise and breaking records. In 2021, 367 fires were reported by US and Canada waste-processing facilities. But since many fires go unreported, the real number may have been as high as 2,200, according to Fire Rover, a maker of fire safety equipment. Two people were reported killed and 37 injured.

ReGen Monterey experiences a fire a week at our landfill and recycling plant. Recycling-sorting machinery at its Monterey County facility have burst into flames because of a lithium battery in the stream. Employees close to the machinery were unharmed, but such fires are happening more and more often and are a constant concern.

A similar fire in San Carlos in 2016 caused millions of dollars in property damage and revenue loss.

In addition to being toxic, lithium is extremely flammable. ReGen Monterey employees watch out for batteries vigilantly and take precautions, but we are recovering 5,000 POUNDS of batteries in our recycling plant each month, and need members of the public to help protect them too.

A lithium-ion battery can ignite simply by being broken, exposing the lithium to air. Other causes include vibration, overheating, and short circuits, among others.

It’s easy to imagine how often such things can happen in a waste facility or vehicle, where batteries may be dropped onto hard surfaces, driven over, banged, or compressed and shredded inside machines.

In addition to fire, there’s a serious associated risk from the release of toxic chemicals such as fluoride gases, as described in a 2017 article in the journal Nature.

What can be done? Luckily, one high-impact measure is now easy and free: local residents can simply put their used batteries in a plastic bag and place them on top of their recycling bin for pick-up on collection day. Batteries should never go inside the bin, though, since even regular ones contain poisonous compounds that can leak into the environment and threaten health.

Innovative Carbon Removal Pilot Study Comes to Monterey Bay Area

Sitos Group, a California-based startup, will unveil advanced carbon removal technology with ReGen Monterey on Friday, July 21 at 12:30 p.m. The public is invited to tour a groundbreaking pyrolysis pilot study facility located at ReGen Monterey, 14201 Del Monte Blvd. (1.5 miles north of Marina off Highway 1).

A pilot biochar production plant will heat wood byproducts in a low-oxygen environment, creating a charcoal-like substance that can sequester carbon and improve soil health for local farms. When biochar is mixed with compost and applied to farmland, it mimics coral reefs, acting as a reservoir for essential nutrients, microorganisms, and water—a crucial resource in drought-stricken California. The highly porous nature of biochar offers an ideal habitat for a diverse range of beneficial soil microorganisms, thereby promoting optimal soil and plant health, according to the USDA.

Sitos Group’s pilot project is opportunely located at ReGen Monterey’s facility, which is surrounded by Monterey County’s famed and expansive agriculture industry, along with access to excess forestry byproducts to produce the biochar.

“ReGen Monterey is proud to partner with the Sitos Group on this exciting opportunity to study new waste management innovations, support local farms and fight climate change,” said Felipe Melchor, general manager of ReGen Monterey. “We look forward to sharing this technology and promoting its benefits to the community and the environment.”

The launch ceremony will include a live demonstration of how Sitos Group repurposes local wood byproducts to manufacture high-quality, durable biochar, a Q&A on the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the process, and an educational overview on the background and benefits of biochar and regenerative agriculture. As a final component of the ceremony, Sitos Group will sequester their first lot of carbon, signifying the beginning of their efforts to remove 1,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2030.

“We believe that we have the potential to make a significant impact on the environment and economy in Monterey and beyond,” said Mayo Ryan, CEO of the Sitos Group. “Biochar-enriched soil will not only rehabilitate and improve farmland but can sequester harmful greenhouse gases and mitigate climate change.”

The launch ceremony will take place on Friday, July 21, 2023, from 12:30 to 2:30 PM at ReGen Monterey, 14201 Del Monte Blvd. (1.5 miles north of Marina off Highway 1 at exit 412). The event is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

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