Tag: environment

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.

Join the Living Lightly Meetup with Green Change

Posted on February 12, 2021

Would you like to learn how to live sustainably?

Join the Living Lightly Meetup with Green Change on Monday, February 22, from 6 to 7:30pm PT.

This free Zoom event will feature talks by these climate action leaders:

You will learn about simple, low-cost actions you can take in your daily life, such as: eat sustainably, consume less, shop wisely, use less plastic, reduce your waste and walk or bike more.

PLEASE REGISTER HERE:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-lightly-green-change-meetup-tickets-136754549539

Green Change will email you the address of this Zoom meetup when you register.

This commmunity event is hosted by Green Change director Fabrice Florin, with Marilyn Price, Bridget Mazzini and Al Grumet. If you have any questions, please email team@greenchange.net.

 

On the Way to Plastic Free! Screening and Discussion

Posted on November 17, 2020

West Marin Climate Action is partnering with Environmental Action Committee, Zero Waste Marin and Black Mountain Beauty to offer a virtual screening of two important films about the expanding plastic industry, the crisis of plastic pollution and the effect it has on the health of people and the planet.

poster for plastic free filmYou are invited to watch at your leisure the films “The Story of Plastic” and “Plastic Wars” between November 28 and December 3. Links to the films will be provided upon registration. Then, join us on December 3 for a safe discussion via Zoom on how to disrupt the consumption of plastic, locally and globally. Come and hear from local experts:

  • Garen Kazanjian of Recology Sonoma Marin, Zero Waste Specialist
  • Eva Holman of Upstream Solutions, Policy Coordinator
  • Martin Bourque of Berkeley Ecology Center, Executive Director (Martin Bourque was featured in “The Story of Plastic”)

Presentations will be followed by time for Q&A. The FREE event will end with a Call to Action discussion and shared resource links.

Register for the event HERE.

Download flyer in English.

Download flyer in Spanish.

Congrats, Zero Waste Schools!

Posted on March 25, 2020
teacher with kids in front of recycling bins
Tomales Elementary students learn about their school’s recycling stations as part of the Zero Waste Schools Program.

Twenty-nine of Marin’s 49 public K-12 schools are enrolled in the Zero Waste Schools Program, and more are coming on board every year.

At these schools, students and staff conduct a waste assessment, learn about proper sorting and set up a comprehensive recycling and composting program. Funded by Zero Waste Marin, the Zero Waste Schools Program provides containers for indoor and outdoor discard stations as well as other equipment at no cost to the school. They also train teachers and staff, help with green team coordination and other ongoing zero waste activities. Schools that achieve their goals are certified and awarded with recognition and up to $2,500 in cash. To date, nine schools have been recognized.

Zero Waste School students learn important life lessons and keep waste out of the landfill. For example, Laurel Dell Elementary in San Rafael, one of the first schools to join the program in 2015, has increased the amount of waste that’s recycled or composted from 20% to 50%! That’s a win for the environment and helps reduce the school’s garbage bill. Every dollar not spent on waste is a dollar that can be better used educating our kids.

To learn more about the Zero Waste Schools Program, visit www.ZeroWasteMarin.org/Schools.