Circular Economy
CEC’s Plastic Free July Expo offered the community an opportunity to learn about the impacts of plastic pollution and how to reduce reliance on single-use plastics.
Photo by Sarita Relis Photography.
Our Vision
Recycling has been a landfill diversion solution for several decades — but it’s not enough to mitigate climate emissions. CEC is driving progress towards a zero-waste society with circular economy models that transition our waste stream to a closed-loop system of reuse and turn hard-to-recycle waste streams into reusable resources that reduce pollution.
In 2023, CEC:
Provided resources, equipment, and funding to CEC’s Santa Barbara County Food Rescue partner, Veggie Rescue. This support resulted in the recovery of 955,265 pounds of high-quality food that was distributed to local organizations that feed community members experiencing food insecurity.
Installed four new public water stations in the City of Santa Barbara, bringing the total to 125 bottle-filling hydration stations in schools, parks, and public spaces throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
Established an annual Plastic Free July Expo at CEC’s Environmental Hub, featuring more than a dozen community partners that shared solutions to plastic pollution and opportunities to advocate for plastic reduction regulations.
What’s Ahead
Push the City and County of Santa Barbara to follow the City of Goleta’s lead and pass laws that promote comprehensive single-use plastics reduction and circular economy policies, providing a model for other jurisdictions. Due to CEC’s advocacy, the City of Carpinteria updated their regulations to match the City of Goleta’s in January of 2024.
