San José is located at the base of the San Francisco Bay – one of the most important estuaries in America. There are also two major creeks with lush tree vegetation running along the valley that ultimately drain into the Bay. These waterways provide an important wildlife habitat as well as recreational opportunities for City residents. San José helps to protect these invaluable resources through state-of-the-art scientific study of water quality and pollutants. San José also protects the watershed surrounding the Bay by studying water quality and monitoring projects in the local creeks and streams that feed into the Bay. Protecting the Bay involves an extensive partnership among various cities, the county and water district, environmental, business, and agricultural organizations, and state and federal regulatory agencies.

San José had been critically acclaimed for its recycling efforts. In 1993, San José switched to a “pay as you throw” system for garbage and recycling collection and as a result has tripled the amount of solid waste diverted from local landfills. Based on criteria set by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, San José’s current landfill diversion rate is estimated at 64%, the highest of any large city in America. In 2002, the City’s recycling program introduced a process at their facilities that eliminates the need for residents to sort recyclables into separate containers, and the City’s collection trucks are split-body trucks able to collect garbage and recycling in the same collection pass.