Walking the Talk: Recology Sonoma Marin Goes 100% Renewable with EverGreen

A Shared Commitment to Community

For Recology Sonoma Marin, joining Sonoma Clean Power’s EverGreen service was an easy choice.

As a 100% employee-owned company serving more than one million customers across California, Oregon, and Washington, Recology lives by its credo: “Waste Zero.” From using recycled materials to build and maintain facilities to powering operations with clean energy, sustainability is more than a goal — it’s a way of life.

Like Sonoma Clean Power, Recology strives not only to serve its community but to be part of it.

“Investing locally as much as possible is key,” says Marie Kneemeyer, Public Education Manager at Recology Sonoma Marin.

“Sonoma Clean Power’s EverGreen service is a perfect example of investing in locally generated energy.”

Powering Progress with Local Renewable Energy

EverGreen is the nation’s first and only 100% locally generated, 100% renewable electricity program — a service available exclusively to Sonoma and Mendocino County customers.

• 90% of EverGreen’s power comes from The Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal operation, located in the Mayacamas Mountains.
• The remaining 10% comes from local solar facilities in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.

By enrolling in EverGreen, Recology Sonoma Marin is keeping its energy dollars local and helping build a more sustainable, resilient future for the North Bay.

Big Goals for a Sustainable Future

Recology has set ambitious sustainability targets for 2028, including:

• Powering all facilities — including the new Santa Rosa Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) — with 100% renewable, carbon-free energy
• Operating all vehicles and equipment with 95% renewable or alternative fuels
• Converting 75% of collected landfill gas into renewable energy

Since 2018, Recology has reduced its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 23% by switching to renewable fuels and cleaner electricity. Fuel-related emissions alone have dropped 77%, and the company is now testing electric garbage trucks with a goal of eliminating fuel emissions entirely by 2028.

In May 2024, Recology also launched the nation’s first hydrogen fuel cell refuse truck, operating in San Francisco — a milestone for cleaner waste collection.