Here you can get the latest tips and explore new ideas about zero waste.

Free Toxic Away Day in Bolinas

Posted on October 20, 2022
Toxic and hazardous

What: Dispose of toxic materials
When: Saturday, November 5, 2022, 9:00am – 1:00 pm
Where: Mesa Park, 100 Mesa Road, Bolinas
How: By Appointment only: Call 916-351-0980 Ext. 0204

Safely dispose of toxic materials for free, including:

  • Paints, stains, solvents
  • Motor oil, antifreeze
  • Bleach, cleaners, pesticides
  • E-waste, batteries, lightbulbs

Disposal limit: 15 gallons liquid or 125 pounds of dry waste.

Sponsored by:
City of San Rafael Fire Department
Bolinas Community Public Utility District
Bolinas Fire Protection District
Zero Waste Marin

graphic - free toxic away day

 

Celebrate ExtraFood’s Fall Festival, Oct. 23

Posted on September 30, 2022

ExtraFood is an organization working o end hunger and wasted food in the North Bay. They rescue excess fresh food from businesses, schools, and gardens and immediately deliver it to people facing food insecurity. You are invited to:

ExtraFood’s Fall Festival
Sunday, October 23, 2:30pm
Marin Food Mart, 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur

The Festival will be a celebration of community connection, and a chance to grow support of ExtraFood’s critical food recovery and gleaning programs, which rescue and redistribute nearly 1 million pounds of fresh food from local businesses, schools, hospitals, farms, and yards every year.

Tickets include:

  • Delicious food donated by Marinita’s and Insalata’s restaurants
  • Local beer and wine plus a signature cocktail
  • Silent auction items and prizes
  • Kid’s fall craft making
  • Sponsor a Food Rescue Trip
  • Live music
  • Community building, food waste prevention and composting tips, and more.

Purchase tickets here.

Request for Proposal for SB 1383 Planning

Posted on September 22, 2022

The JPA is seeking outside assistance to develop an implementation plan that would provide a roadmap for the agency and its members to meet the new and more ambitious organics reduction mandate, as well as to identify areas where collaboration is recommended as a best practice to streamline reporting and compliance and what would be required for successfully doing so, including potential costs. 

RFP for SB 1383 ZWM MA Collaboration

The RFP is due by October 13, 2022.

Question:  Has the JPA, its members or franchise haulers been subject to any enforcement actions from CalRecycle related to 1383 compliance?

Answer: No.

FREE Recycling Collection Event, July 30 in San Rafael

Posted on July 14, 2022

Conservation Corps North Bay is holding a FREE Recycling Collection event on July 30th. Items including small electronics and appliances, microwaves, cell phones and “stereo” equipment are accepted for recycling:

Saturday, July 30, 2022 10:00am – 2:00pm
San Rafael High School
150 Third St. San Rafael 94901

NO appointment needed to drop off e-waste.

To drop off used tires, call 707-285-2200 to make an appointment.

NO hazardous waste accepted.
See the full list of accepted items here.

event poster

Let’s Talk Trash on March 15

Posted on March 8, 2022

meetup invite

You are invited to an educational meetup, “Let’s Talk Trash: How to Sort your Waste and Why” on March 15 on Zoom.

On Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30pm, representatives from Mill Valley Refuse and Zero Waste Marin will join Sustainable Mill Valley for a conversation about sorting our waste and minimizing what gets sent to the landfill. We will hear from Gene Della Zoppa, Dave Biggio and Matt Willemsen of Mill Valley Refuse, along with Andrew Shelton of Zero Waste Marin.

To receive the link to the meetup, please RSVP to team@sustainablemillvalley.com

Request for Proposal for Supplemental Community Recycling Outreach in West Marin

Posted on October 26, 2021

Zero Waste Marin is seeking qualified applicants to assist with Public Outreach and Education within the one waste collection franchise the County holds in West Marin.

Please see the RFP on the County website.

The RFP’s intent is to identify potential vendors (qualified individuals, non-profits, companies) that can work with the County of Marin Waste Management Division to supplement education and outreach provided by the County and the local Franchises waste hauler, Recology Sonoma Marin.

The work contemplated in this project is to benefit the communities solely within the “West Marin Franchise No. 1” which includes Pt. Reyes, Tomales, Dillon Beach, Woodacre, Lagunitas, and San Geronimo. Individuals, non-profits, and companies that can competently disseminate information about recycling, compost, household hazardous waste options, bulky waste pick-ups and diversion programs, including SB 1383, are all encouraged to tender RFP responses.

There is an expected budget of $20,000 for this one-year contract.
Proposal packages will be received through Wednesday – December 1, 2021 at 2:00pm (PST).

The RFP and all instructions for it can be found on the County website.

Zero Waste Marin Unveils Two Videos for Students

Posted on October 7, 2021
Green recycling symbol.

The Zero Waste Marin Schools Program has produced two videos with accompanying student activity sheets to help teachers introduce concepts of recycling and zero waste in engaging, Marin-specific ways:

Recycling Is a Trip

Dave the Recycling Fairy takes the audience on a virtual field trip to a local Marin waste hauler to inspire kids to care about what goes where, and where it ends up!

View/download student activity sheet for Recycling Is a Trip! video.

Zero Waste Starts at Home

Dave the Recycling Fairy pops out of the recycling cart to point out that more stuff is not better…and that there are great ways to reduce the amount of stuff we use.

View/download student activity sheet for Zero Waste Starts at Home video.

See also the School Resources page

Announcing the eARTh Challenge for K-8 Students

Posted on April 7, 2021

Zero Waste Marin is excited to announce the eARTh Challenge! Students can let their inner artist shine by completing up to three art projects, each based on a different zero waste theme.

Challenges are available on the Zero Waste Schools website. 

Zero Waste Marin will accept submissions until April 16th – just in time for Earth Day. All K-8 students in Marin are welcome to participate, and students who submit challenges will be entered into a gift card raffle!

 

Drug Take-Back Month: Safe Disposal Saves Lives

Posted on March 30, 2021
Medical waste

April is Drug Take-Back Month. Now is the time to safely deposit unused and unwanted medications into one of 24 receptacles located around the county or take advantage of a mail-back option that is also available.

The public health pandemic coupled with economic uncertainty due to job and business loss and other impacts have produced an extraordinarily stressful environment for many. Some have turned to the use of substances to relieve their stress, and some may even be tempted to take old prescription medications stashed around the house.

To address the widespread availability of prescription drugs, agencies, pharmacies and health care providers across Marin participate in the collection of potentially harmful expired, unused, and unwanted medications throughout the year. The 24 drop-off locations throughout Marin include CVS pharmacies, Kaiser Permanente locations, and most police departments. In addition, residents can “take back” from home, by ordering a mail-back envelope to be delivered to their home or picking up at additional locations. RxSafeMarin.org includes a list of locations and more about the mail-back option.

Drug take-back locations are open during the facility’s regular hours of operation. The service is provided free and anonymously. Medications are accepted in any dosage form in their original container or a sealed bag.  Note that drop-off locations cannot accept herbal remedies, vitamins, supplements, cosmetics, other personal care products, medical devices, batteries, mercury-containing thermometers, sharps, and illicit drugs.

For more information and to find year-round drug drop-off locations, visit RxSafeMarin.org.

March 24 Webinar To Answer Zero Waste Questions

Posted on March 12, 2021
Green recycling symbol.

Environmental Forum of Marin is offering a webinar, Full Life, Empty Trash Bin” that will cover how and why to choose sustainable consumption over wasteful consumerism. The webinar will happen over Zoom on March 24, 2021 at 4:00pm. Cost is $25 for the general public, $15 for EFM members and free for full-time students and those who cannot afford the fees (request scholarship funds).

In this webinar you’ll learn from waste consultant Kim Scheibly about where garbage trucks take your trash, recycling, and green waste, what happens to it, and how it impacts our environment. We’ll also hear zero-waste lifestyle expert Lily Cameron talk about how you can stop waste where it starts: in the decisions you make even before you go to the store. Come and get inspired about sustainable consumption — defined as meeting our needs now without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Full Life, Empty Trash Bin Webinar
March 24, 2021 4:00 – 5:30pm
Learn more and register here to receive Zoom link.