Tag: zero waste

Getting to Zero Waste at Home

Posted on February 2, 2024
Green recycling symbol.

Achieving the least waste possible is an important goal at home and at work.

While recycling is important, there are additional elements to zero waste, including reuse and, most importantly, reducing the amount of stuff we buy in the first place.

Here are some resources on this website that can help:

Recycling Guide: Find out how to reuse, donate, recycle or safely dispose of just about anything.

Food Waste Prevention: When we make the most of our food, we ease the pressure on the food supply system, help the environment and save money!

What Is Zero Waste? How is Marin County working toward Zero Waste?

Going Zero Waste is an ongoing task for all Marin residents and businesses.
Thanks for your zero waste efforts.

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. 

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.

 

ExtraFood is going places!

Posted on February 25, 2021

Extra Food logoKnow of a business or school with extra food? 

ExtraFood, a county-wide nonprofit food rescue program, picks up excess fresh food, 7/365 and free of charge, and immediately gets it to vulnerable children, older adults, and families who need it the most. In seven years, ExtraFood has rescued and delivered 4,500,000 pounds of food to more than 8,000 people throughout Marin. Plus, every 100 pounds of food rescued prevents the equivalent emissions of 234 driving miles! These efforts address the critical issues of hunger, wasted food and climate change.

Want to learn more or ask for a pickup? Click here for details.

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.

 

In 2021, Re-Solve to Re-Home!

Posted on December 22, 2020
Green recycling symbol.

Swap. Donate. Share. Image of snow board being listed online.
You sort and recycle. You shun plastic bags. Food scraps in the compost? Check.

Fantastic! Moving to zero waste also means making sure that the stuff you no longer want gets used by someone else, and that we all buy less in the first place. 2021 is a good year to resolve to re-home – to find new homes for unwanted stuff and to find ways to reduce the amount of new stuff we buy. Whether you prefer to designate a box or area where you place items you no longer want or decide to re-home items one at a time, the result is the same – giving reusable items a second life.

Here are some ideas to get your items underway:

  • Done loving it? List it. Consider listing reusable items on services such as Craigslist, Nextdoor or Facebook Marketplace.
  • Pass it along! Join or start a “Buy Nothing group” in your neighborhood. The platform allows neighbors to post anything they’d like to give away, lend, or share, and ask for anything they’d like to receive for free or borrow. Learn more at BuyNothingProject.org.
  • Donate to charity. Donate gently used goods to support reuse outlets such as Make It Home, Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
  • Own it together! Does everyone on your block need to own their own circular saw? Probably not. Consider joining or setting up a “virtual tool-sharing library” in your neighborhood on Nextdoor.com so that those important but rarely used tools can be put to good use all year round.
  • Get your space back. No takers? For damaged or no longer usable items, Marin single-family home residents can request a free bulky waste pickup. Contact your hauler:

Love Food, Not Waste During Stay-at-Home

Posted on May 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic means stocking up on groceries and more meals at home. However, more food preparation at home could also mean more food waste! The Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition (BayROC) has responded to this with renewed promotion of their food waste prevention campaign. You may see these ads all over the Bay Area in the coming weeks. Messages include:

1. Using the Whole Ingredient

2. Food Storage Tips:

3. Getting Creative with Leftovers:

See LoveFoodNotWaste.org. 

keeping strawberries fresh

For more tips and examples, see: