How to Recycle Construction and Demolition (C&D) Material

The City's Construction and Demolition Ordinance outlines the parameters of the Waste Management Program, implemented to maximize recycling efforts related to construction and demolition activities within the City. To familiarize yourself with the Ordinance, click here.

On September 13, 2022, the Waste Management Plan process became paperless and was moved online. The Santa Monica Waste Tracker system, provided by Green Halo, replaced the traditional paper Waste Management Plan form. Waste Management Plan creation and weight ticket upload will be done directly in the system. For detailed instructions on how to properly fill out a WMP click here.

Construction and Demolition (C&D) materials must be sent to an approved recycling facility. All C&D projects bound by the requirements of a Waste Management Plan (WMP) must use the approved haulers and/or recycling facilities chosen in the WMP.

Construction material such as concrete, bricks, drywall, lumber, etc., must be removed by the contractor or you may rent temporary construction containers by authorized private haulers. For a current list of approved private haulers please click here.

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Submit an Electronic Waste Management Plan for Approval through the Santa Monica Waste Tracking Portal
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During the permit application process, you will need to submit a Waste Management Plan if it is determined that the valuation of your construction project is at least $50,000 or if the total square footage of your project is equal to or greater than 1,000 sq. ft. In addition, ALL demolition projects require a Waste Management Plan, regardless of their valuation or square footage.
To enter the Santa Monica Waste Tracking portal, click here.
Pay the Performance Security Deposit
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To pay your Performance Security Deposit visit Santa Monica Citizen Access.
Click the Public Works tab.
Under Record Type select Construction Demolition ,enter your record number (XXCD-XXXX where the Xs are a number), and click Search.
Click the Payments tab, then Fees.
Click the Pay Fees link.
Document Your Recycling Efforts
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During construction or demolition activities, take the debris to one of the approved recycling facilities, using one of the approved haulers.
To see a list of the City's approved recycling facilities and approved private haulers refer to the documents uploaded to ProjectDox under the Dept Review Attachments folder or email cdwaste@santamonica.gov.
Collect weight tickets from the facility which collected or received each material showing the actual weight or volume of that material, the material type, and the project address;
Collect weight slips/count of material salvaged or reused in current project;
Log the actual volume or weight of each material diverted and landfilled for the project in the Waste Tracking portal;
Log any additional information the applicant believes is relevant to determining its efforts to comply in good faith with the Ordinance including before and after pictures of savaged or reused materials.
Applicants shall ensure that all C&D material diverted or landfilled are measured and recorded using the most accurate method of measurement available. To the extent practical, all C&D material shall be weighed on scales. Such scales shall be in compliance with all State and County regulatory requirements for accuracy and maintenance. For C&D material for which weighing is not practical due to small size or other considerations, a volumetric measurement shall be used. For conversion of volumetric measurements by weight, the applicant shall use the standardized conversion rates approved by the City for this purpose.
Complete Your Final Compliance Report Within 30 Days of Project Completion
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If you filled out the paper WMP form, you will submit your Final Compliance Report in the same manner by contacting cdwaste@santamonica.gov. This must be done within 30 days of receiving final project approval sign-off by a City employee.
If your WMP was submitted electronically through the Waste Tracking portal please upload all required supporting documentation in the Santa Monica Waste Tracking portal within 30 days of the final inspection sign-off by a City employee and submit for final via the Waste Tracking portal.
The Waste Management Plan will be reviewed and a staff member will contact you with any necessary clarification of your submission.
Complete the Refund Form
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Once your submission has been approved, you will be sent a refund form to complete that will note the final refund amount, dependent on the level of diversion attained.
Fill in the requested information and return the refund form to cdwaste@santamonica.gov for final processing.
If the Performance Security Deposit was paid by credit card, the refund will be applied to the credit card it was paid with. If paid with a check, or if the credit card transaction falls outside the refund time frame, a check will be processed and mailed out.
We want to thank you for doing your part by recycling your construction materials.

Contact Us:

cdwaste@santamonica.gov

FAQ

My construction (addition, alteration, demolition, etc.) project will have very small amounts of waste generated. Do I still have to complete a Waste Management Plan?

Yes. All projects with a valuation of $50,000 or more or with a size of 1,000 square feet or greater require a Waste Management Plan. Additionally, all demolition only projects, regardless of valuation or size, require a Waste Management Plan. For detailed instructions on how to properly fill out a WMP click here.

How do I ensure that I reach the minimum requirement of recycling 70% of all the debris that is hauled from my project?

You must bring all of your C&D debris to an approved facilitiy to ensure that you meet the minimum recycling requirements. If you choose not to take your C&D waste to an approved facility then you will forfeit your Performance Security Deposit due to not meeting the diversion requirements.

For a list of approved facilities please refer to the documents uploaded to ProjectDox under the Dept Review Attachments folder or email cdwaste@santamonica.gov.

If I want to make changes to the original Waste Management Plan, when should I inform the Resource Recovery and Recycling Division of these changes?

Any changes that are made to the original Waste Management Plan must be reported to the cdwaste@santamonica.gov prior to the changes being implemented. Failure to do so may result in a forfeiture of your performance security deposit.

If I plan to salvage materials from my project prior to or during construction and/or demolition activities, do I need to document this material and how would I do this?

Yes, you will need to document these salvaged items by taking before and after photos and submitting them along with all other necessary documents submitted with the Final Compliance Report for return of the Performance Security Deposit.

What constitutes inert material and do they have to be delivered to an inert landfill?

Inert materials are source-separated or mixed loads of dirt, concrete, or asphalt and must be taken to an approved inert landfill. For a list of approved facilities please refer to the documents uploaded to ProjectDox under the Dept Review Attachments folder or email cdwaste@santamonica.gov.

How do I estimate the amount of mixed C&D material (in tons) for my project?

If your project concerns an alteration or new construction, you can take your projected square footage, multiply it by 5 and divide it by 2000 to come up with the estimated amount.

Example: (1,500 sqft x 5) / 2,000 = 3.75 tons

If your project concerns a demolition you can take your projected square footage, multiply it by 50 and divide it by 2000 to come up with the estimated amount.

Example: (10,000 sqft x 50) / 2,000 = 250 tons

What is required to be on my weight ticket?

All weight tickets from the approved facility must include the facility information, tonnage amounts, material type, and the project address in order to be accepted.

How and when do I file for a refund of my Performance Security Deposit?

Final Compliance

If your project requires the completion of a WMP, you will also be required to complete the Final Compliance Requirements within 30 days after the project has been finaled.

As the Santa Monica Waste Tracking portal went live on September 13, 2022, the way you submit your final compliance report will depend on if you used the paper form before this date, or completed it electronically in the Waste Tracking portal after this date.

If you filled out the paper WMP form, you will submit your Final Compliance Report in the same manner. This must be done within 30 days of receiving final project approval sign-off by a City employee. To download the form, click here.

If you completed the WMP electronically in the Waste Tracking portal, to file for a refund you must complete the following in the Santa Monica Waste Tracking portal:

Tickets and Report

Step 1. Log in to the Waste Tracking System and locate your project. Under project details click “Add Tickets.”

Step 2. Fill out the single ticket entry form from top to bottom. All details will be located on the weight tag. When you are done filling out all the details from top to bottom, click the “Submit Ticket” button.

Step 3. Select “Reuse” if the materials are being reused for the project. Then select the usage of how the material is being reused. After you select the usage option, fill out the form top to bottom. After you fill out the form click “Submit Ticket.” Check the project to see if tickets are uploaded. The number next to “Add Tickets” is the number of tickets that have been uploaded.

Step 4. When you are done adding tickets to the project, click “Submit for Final” button.

Step 5. Email C&D staff at CDWaste@santamonica.gov to complete the Final Compliance Requirements and to notify that all weight tickets have been uploaded to the Waste Tracking System.

How long after I submit a correctly filled out final compliance report will the Performance Security Deposit refund check be mailed?

Checks are generally mailed out 6 to 8 weeks after a correctly filled out final compliance report, along with all supporting documentation, is received in the cdwaste@santamonica.gov inbox or Waste Tracking portal.

If your report is incomplete, or if the proper documentation is not included in your submission your refund may be delayed.

Who will the Performance Security Deposit refund be returned to?

According to City policy, any refund of the Performance Security Deposit must be made payable to the original applicant stated on the Construction & Demolition Performance Security Receipt. In order to process the refund to another person or company, you will need a letter from the original applicant releasing the funds to the new payee.

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Continue the Process:

Submit an Electronic Waste Management Plan for Approval through the Santa Monica Waste Tracking Portal

Pay the Performance Security Deposit

Document Your Recycling Efforts

Complete Your Final Compliance Report Within 30 Days of Project Completion

Complete the Refund Form

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