Category — WASTE & POLLUTION

Quick hits:

*  Through the third quarter of 2011, Butte County residents were disposing 4.08 pounds of trash per person per day compared to the statewide average of 4.5.  In 2010, we disposed of 4.23 pounds of trash per person per day.  That small decrease in daily disposal (About 2 1/2 ounces per person) totaled over the year represents more than 6,000 tons of waste that will not get buried in landfills.  Good job Butte County!

*   Helpful Hint:  “Biodegradable” does not always mean “Compostable”. It is a good idea to keep packaging products and other items labeled biodegradable out of your backyard compost bin.

*  Butte County’s annual Christmas Tree Recycling program will be in full swing starting December 26^th.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Holiday Feature: Keeping the Landfill off your gift list.

It would not be a surprise for most people to learn that the Neal Road Recycling & Waste Facility experiences a spike in activity during the winter holiday season.  Considering the extra retail activity, increased dining out and more cooking at home, both residential and commercial garbage trucks come through our scale house significantly heavier than in most other times of the year.

There are ways to keep those trash trucks as light as possible and still have an enjoyable gift giving and belly stuffing holiday season.  A little pre-planning can save money, time and landfill space.

Here are some ideas:

• Shop the Thrift Stores first:  That perfect gift may be sitting on a shelf of a local thrift store.  By purchasing at a charity thrift store, you will not only be supporting a local non-profit, but likely saving loads of money as opposed to purchasing that item new.   And while your there…
• Donate your outgrown, under-used and otherwise classic items that somebody else will appreciate.  You will also get that tax deduction in before the end of the year.
• Bag it, don’t wrap it: Reusable gift bags are not only cheaper, as they are used over and over again, but they are easier and quicker when preparing the gift for giving.
• Donate the leftovers: If you’re hosting a holiday party and you’ve got way too much food leftover, donate what is still fresh or non-perishable to a local charity kitchen.
• Compost those veggies:  If you’ve got a backyard compost full of fall leaves, those vegetables will balance out the leaves quite nicely.  A combination of green food waste and brown dried leaves make for and ideal compost mix.
• Precycle the packaging: Before you give a gift, consider removing and recycling the packaging prior to giving it.  This will ensure that the packaging does get recycled and won’t overload your recycling bin post holidays.  And finally…
• Don’t purchase garbage: Some things that people buy are just destined for the landfill.  Whether it’s because it’s made cheaply or it just has no real lasting use (Remember the singing fish?), it’s best to give gifts that will be valued for a long time.

Special Waste: Waste Tires, they’re not just for swings anymore.

We’re all familiar with the iconic image of the tire strung from a tree by a stout rope to make a backyard swing.  It’s what use to come to mind when thinking of uses for waste tires.  Or, tires being employed on the football practice field to train gridiron gladiators.  As good as these uses are for what to do with waste tires, there are not enough backyards or practice fields to accommodate the over 40 million waste tires produced annually in California.

In the not too distant past, approximately 8 million of the 40 million waste tires were landfilled or stockpiled annually. These stockpiles posed a fire threat and subsequent environmental and human health risks.  Standing water in tires provided a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which potentially carry diseases like West Nile Virus, encephalitis, and dengue fever.

Since passage of the Tire Recycling Act in 1989, California has dramatically increased the number of waste tires diverted from landfill disposal in favor of beneficial end uses. The beneficial use of 30 million tires represents a recycling rate of 72.7 percent in 2009.

The California Tire Recycling Act authorized CalRecycle to award grants and loans to businesses and public entities for activities that could expand markets for used tires. The act specifically lists several types of projects: polymer treatment, crumb rubber production, retreading, shredding, and the manufacture of such products as rubber asphalt, playground equipment, crash barriers, erosion control, floor and track surfacing, oil spill recovery, roofing, and other environmentally safe applications. Grants are intended to fund research projects, to encourage business development, and to assist local government in implementing collection, outreach, and public education programs.

Locally, waste tires have been recycled as all weather tracks at Paradise, Durham, Pleasant Valley and Chico High Schools.  Also, waste tires have been recycled in to playground surfaces in Biggs, Palermo, Thermalito, the Town of Paradise and Paradise Lake.

Several local businesses have started up for the specific purpose of developing uses for waste tires.  Safepath Products of Chico produces a variety of surfacing and transition products made from waste tires.  They introduced the first recycled rubber ramp that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1997.  Waste Tire Products of Orland also produces award winning rubber mats made from recycled tires.

A material that was once discarded in our canyons and back roads is now a valued commodity that when recycled, creates jobs, saves valuable landfill space and makes for a healthier environment.

For more information on waste tire recycling, you can click on the link below.

www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Tires/Info/default.htm

County news: Household Hazardous Waste Facility update.

Household hazardous waste (HHW) is a critical part of waste stream generated by Butte County residents.  It is the waste that cannot be disposed of with regular trash and must be brought to a household hazardous waste facility.  Materials like paint, oils, caustic cleansers and fertilizers all must be disposed of at a permitted haz-waste facility.

In Butte County, there are three facilities permitted to accept HHW from the public.  The County facility at the Chico Airpark Complex, located at 1101 Marauder Street is open Fridays from 9:00 to 1:00 and Saturdays from 9:00 to 4:00.  They will accept up to 5 gallons or 50 pounds of HHW from the public at no charge and is available to all Butte County residents.   Recology of Butte Colusa Counties (533-5868) operates their HHW facility in Oroville at 2720 S 5^th Avenue.  They operate on the first and third Fridays of the month from 1:00 to 5:00.  They accept HHW form all residents of Oroville and all Recology customers in the county.  Northern Recycling and Waste Services (876-3340) operates a HHW facility at their recycling operation located at 920 American Way (Off lower Clark Rd.) in Paradise.  They accept HHW on alternating Wednesdays and Saturdays form 9:00 to 1:00.  They will accept HHW for all Town of Paradise residents and NRWS customers in the county.

E-Waste – Electronic Waste and R2 (Responsible Recycling)    certification

We’ve all seen the scenes on television where old electronics from the United States are shipped overseas to some third world country where the recycling/dismantling process causes tremendous damage to the environment and to the health of the workers doing the work.

It’s a common question by residents regarding where electronic waste generated in Butte County ends up.  Is it handled responsibly or does it get shipped overseas with little or no oversight?

Butte County Public Works deals exclusively with two electronic waste recyclers.  The County’s computer refurbisher, Computers for Classrooms, and our electronic waste recycler, Sims Recycling Solutions, have both earned the R2 certification that acknowledges that they have met a comprehensive list of environmentally safe practices.

R2 certified electronics recyclers have demonstrated through audits and other means that they continually meet specific high environmental standards and safely manage used electronics.  Once certified, the recycler is held to those high standards by continual oversight by an independent accreditation body.

The vast majority of electronic recyclers conduct their operations in a responsible and environmentally sound manner, whether they are certified by an independent agency or not.  However, it’s a good idea to check with your recycler to make sure that all their materials are handled in a way that will not cause harm to people or planet.

If you are not sure with a company’s compliance record, you can search the database of State Certified Electronic Collectors and Recyclers.
All the listed locations are audited by the State for general environmental compliance; however R2 Certification ensures that the electronic recycler has met a high level of environmental compliance beyond what the State of California requires.

Recycling Road Show

Would your club, classroom or organization like a presentation about current trends in recycling and waste management?  Our staff will speak at your school or function about local recycling and waste issues and be happy to answer questions about local and national waste trends.  Call 879-2352.

Coming in the Spring 2012 Issue:

• Landfill Gas to Energy – There’s power in trash
• Agricultural Oil Recycling coming to Biggs
• Closing the Loop – A guide to buying recycled content products
• Recycling Profile  - Our friend the worm

Questions, comments, suggestions?  Email us at recycle@buttecounty.net.  We will respond as soon as possible.

This conference is for all interested in making a difference.

Our annual sustainability conference provides a forum to discuss current issues that are relevant to our region, our community, and our faculty, staff, and students.

We seek to develop common ground to help build a sustainable society; one that balances economic, environmental and social needs.  We will explore programs that will actually help us address the global problems we are now facing.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of this conference please visit our web site for more details:
http://wwww.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/conference/

Session Times: 9:00 A.M. -5:00 P.M. – see our website for schedule details as they become available.

Advanced Registration- Online: January 1, 2012- February 17, 2012
www.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/conference/

Onsite Registration: Opens daily at 8:00 A.M. in the Bell Memorial Union Main Lobby

FEES: Students are free.   $50 for all three days or $20 per day for all other attendees.

Students from UC’s, CSUs, Community Colleges, Private Universities and high schools are encouraged to attend. We also invite community members and others to attend. Attendees will find opportunities to hear inspiring speakers, exchange ideas in workshops, and to celebrate our collective successes.

$25 for Regular (after Oct. 12) - FREE for CSU Chico students

For complete information, please visit : http://www.sustainabilitycoalition.org/fall-convergence-2e

Our keynote speaker this fall will be Derrick Jensen, social and environmental justice activist and author of the critically acclaimed Endgame series.

Friday:
5:00PM-10:00PM Check-in begins at GRUB Cooperative
1525 Dayton Rd, Chico CA 95928
7:00PM Film Screening, “GASLAND”
BMU 100, CSU Chico
10:00PM Friday Night Check-in at GRUB Cooperative Ends
(Any parties arriving after 10PM will need to check in Saturday morning at the on-site registration desk)

Saturday:
8:00AM-9:00AM Breakfast and On-Site Registration Begins
9:00AM-9:30AM Welcome begins in BMU 100
9:30AM-10:30AM Keynote Address by Morgoth Gamboa
10:30AM-11:00AM Transition Time
11:00-11:50AM Track 1 Workshops
11:50AM-1:20PM Lunch
1:30PM-2:20PM Track 2 Workshop
2:30PM-3:20PM Track 3 Workshop
3:30PM-4:20PM Track 4 Workshop
4:30PM-5:30PM Keynote Address by Derrick Jensen
5:30PM-6:00PM Q&A with Derrick Jensen
6:00PM-7:00PM Transition time to travel from CSU, Chico to GRUB
7:00PM-8:30PM Dinner at GRUB with words from Dr. Mark Stemen
8:30PM-9:30PM Speakeasy Performs
9:30PM-10:30PM Soul Union Performs
Midnight Quiet Time

Sunday:
9:00AM-10:00AM Breakfast
10:00AM-10:20AM Welcome
10:30AM-11:20AM System Wide Caucus
11:30AM-12:20PM Getting to know CSSC – Op Team, Council & Board
12:30PM-1:00PM Close-Out and Goodbyes

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Four Workshop Tracks (Saturday of convergence!)

Track 1 (11:00 am)
Growing Activist Communities from the Inside Out
Fair Trade on your campus
Sustainability Funds
Freeganism: The Art of Dumpster Diving
Achieving Group Synergy – Dynamic Meeting Facilitation
ECO Website
Keystone XL Pipeline
Greening Events
End Coal Campaign
Tour of Associated Student’s Recycling Program

Track 2 (1:30 pm)
The Power of the Student Voice
Experiential Education and Student Activism: Butte College Students Report Back from Bioneers Conference
Advocating for Change: Creating a new food system through the 2012Fair = Farm Bill
SCOOP: Auditing an Office
Everyday Recycling
Sustainable Manufacturing Engineering
Cross-Pollination for Clean Energy Campuses
Problems with Plastics and What We Can Do
Shades of Green: Strengthening Diversity in the Environmental Justice Movement
DIY Extreme: Vegan Soap, Lip Balm, Toothpaste, & Deodorant Making

Track 3 (2:30 pm)
Green Leap Forward: Debunking nuclear myths, catalyzing clean energy
Permaculture: A Tool for Radical Student Change-Makers
Youth Organizing in Oakland
Making Energy Tangible
The Recycling and Rubbish Exhibit program and Worm Composting Demo
Taking Back the Tap at UCSC and UC Berkeley
The Predicament and Managing Outcomes
Eco Mindsets
California State Dreaming – The CSU Sustainability Policy
Composting 101

Track 4 (3:30 pm)
Making the Animal-Earth-Human Liberation Connection and Veganism
Climate Action Protest
End Coal Campaign
Ecofeminism 101
Moon Cycles
E-ARC
Taking Back the Fork: What Students Can Do Now to Reclaim our Food System
Move to Amend
Queer Rights and the Sustainability Movement
Art Therapy: Expressing Yourself Through Art

For all updates, visit our  facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/sustainabilitycoalition