Q: My neighbor says "grasscycling" will help my lawn. Would I have to modify my bike to do this?
A: Oh, dear. No! Grasscycling is Re-cycling your lawn clippings by leaving them on your lawn, instead of collecting them and sending them off for either compost or the landfill. If done properly, grasscycling will improve the health of your lawn by providing nutrients to the soil.
For best results, raise your mower's cutting height so that only the top third of the grass is cut, keep your blades sharp, and don't mow when your lawn is wet. You can get special recycling or mulching mowers that cut the grass into small pieces and drive them down into the soil, but really any mower will do. If you're using a conventional mower, just remember to remove the collection bag.
Best of all, grasscycling means less work for you — and more time to ride your bike!
Q: I'd like to be able to compost my food scraps, but I live in an apartment, so maintaining an outdoor compost pile is out of the question. Is there anything I can do besides just throwing my fruit and vegetable trimmings into the garbage?
A: You bet there is! Worm composting is just the thing for urban dwellers like you. Worms are quite happy to live in a box and eat your unwanted veggie scraps. And their castings — what they leave behind — make excellent, odor-free compost. Your houseplants will never be happier. Worm boxes can be small enough to fit indoors or on a sheltered balcony. You can build one yourself, or purchase one already made. For more information on how to buy worms and care for them, go online to RecycleWorks.org and click on "In the Garden."
Q: I own a restaurant and need take-out containers for my customers. Are there alternatives to STYROFOAM™?
A: 'Glad you're looking to replace your STYROFOAM™ (polystyrene) with something more "eco"! While it has useful insulating qualities, polystyrene foam is not easily recyclable. It also contains chemicals believed to cause cancer. As if that weren't enough, the material threatens wildlife because it is easily blown into our waterways and ocean after its short useful life.
Luckily there are better choices. Paper cups and plates are affordable, less bulky than polystyrene foam and can be composted along with food scraps and leftovers.
Another relatively new alternative is disposable food service ware made from "bio-plastics." These plates, cups, bowls, clamshells, cutlery and even straws look and feel just like plastic. In reality, they're manufactured from plant material such as corn starch and sugar cane, instead of petroleum. The best part is, unlike conventional plastics, used bio-plastics can break down into fertile soil when composted!
For a list of bio-plastic distributors visit www.stopwaste.org/docs/15384662006bioplastics_
distributors-200606.pdf
Remember: Even "biodegradable" items don't decompose properly in the landfill where little air, water and bacteria are present to break them down. That's why it's so important that paper and bio-plastic containers be collected for composting, for example through Allied's Commercial Organics Recycling Program.
For more information, contact Allied Waste at (650) 592-2411.
Q: My son seems to think it's more environmentally correct to eat out for our big holiday meal — and ultimately less expensive. Does eating out create less waste? Could it possibly be cheaper?
A: That's a big question, but we're glad you're thinking about the issue. Your son is not quite right, but there are some reasons why eating out might be better for the environment.
Naturally, if your meal is huge, with all the traditional dishes and maybe a few extra gourmet dishes as well, and you can't possibly eat it all, then undoubtedly some or perhaps much of what you make goes to waste. In this case, eating out at a holiday buffet will get you all the dishes you want without the waste.
Other key factors: What kind of food is being served? Is the food local or being shipped over great distances? Are scraps and packaging left over from food preparation being recycled? How far are people traveling to get to the table? Does the restaurant have a commitment to sustainability?
If you're eating mostly locally farmed vegetables and your guests are all as near your house as a restaurant you might choose, then eating at home is probably a great choice. Uneaten leftovers can be composted.
In each question, the answer must weigh factors involving use of land, costs of energy, and potential pollution costs. So a lot depends on your choices.
To learn more about the issues above, spend some time reading about your global footprint. A great place to start is the Global Footprint Network, which provides information about the underlying issues and tools as well as steps you can take to reduce your footprint.
Q: I live in an apartment and my sister rents in a duplex. We would love to recycle, but we're not sure how. What can we do to get in a recycling program?
A: Good for you! Many folks who live in apartments and multi-family dwellings don't recycle because their property managers haven't set up recycling or haven't communicated recycling program information to new residents. But any apartment dweller can recycle with just a little up-front effort.
To learn more about how to encourage your property manager to start a program, or to find materials that will teach you about recycling in multi-family buildings, visit our Apartments page.
Q: Why shouldn't I take plastic bags when shopping?
A: While they may seem harmless, the short-term convenience of plastic bags can cause long-term environmental problems:
- They blow around easily and create litter, snag on trees and clog drains and sewers.
- Birds, turtles, whales and other wildlife mistake the bags for food, causing health problems or death.
- They are often put into recycling and yard trimmings carts, where they interfere with the recycling process.
These reasons and more have inspired cities, states and even entire countries to develop policies and other tactics to reduce the number of bags in circulation. Since Ireland imposed a 17-cent per bag tax in 2002, usage is down 95%.!
Try bringing your own reusable bags with you when you shop. If you currently have a stockpile of plastic bags at home, most large grocery stores (including Safeway, Mollie Stone's, Albertsons and Whole Foods) accept them for recycling.
Q: My microwave oven quit working after just three years. What should I do with it? I have a spare, but it's not as powerful, and I would prefer not to buy a new one. What are my options?
A: We're sorry to hear that your microwave gave up the ghost. But we're glad you can pop corn in the meantime! Keeping useable devices in storage can be a smart plan. You never know when an older, less fancy appliance might come in handy.
Given the age of your microwave, we encourage you to consider repairing it. True, new small appliances are often not much more expensive than the cost of a repair, but for higher-end models the difference is more than enough to justify the expense. Moreover, microwaves and other kitchen appliances are more costly to recycle. Unless, you bought the cheapest unit in the store, there is a good chance you'll save money by repairing your microwave. Look in your yellow pages under Appliances - Small or Appliances - Small - Service & Repair for stores in your area that fix microwaves.
If your microwave cannot be serviced or you decide it's too costly, you can take it for recycling to the Shoreway Recycling & Disposal Center. Fees at the Recycling Center are $14/unit. Fees are $7/unit at the Ox Mountain Landfill.
Q: On bottles and cans I see CRV and then either 4 or 8 cents. What is CRV? How does it work? And what happens if I don't recycle my containers?
A: Most bottles and cans sold in our state have a California Refund Value (CRV). When you buy a drink, you pay either 5 or 10 cents at the register, and get most of it (4 or 8 cents) back — like a deposit — when you return the can to an authorized collection facility.
The money put into the CRV program in stores goes to the California Department of Conservation, which administers the funds. Unclaimed money is pooled with fees paid by manufacturers to sell qualified beverages in the state for distribution, and is redistributed primarily to recycling collectors and processors, public education programs, and grants to increase recycling of bottles and cans and for litter control.
What about bottles and cans in curbside? We sell these, as well as bottles and cans collected from commercial recycling, to brokers. The revenue is shared between Allied and the SBWMA to help keep down your collection rates.
For more information, visit Bottlesandcans.com.
Q: I do most of my own car maintenance. How do I make sure what I'm doing is safe for the environment?
A: Good for you for working to keep your car running clean, mean ... and green! Here are a few tips:
Motor Oil — If you do your own oil change, be careful to avoid spills. Make sure the used oil doesn't get mixed with water, antifreeze or any other substance, as this will make recycling impossible. Never pour used motor oil down the drain, dump it on the ground or put it in the trash. Recycling used motor oil and filters is easy. To find the closest certified collection center, go to www.ciwmb.ca.gov/
UsedOil/CrtCntrs.asp or call 1-800-CLEANUP.
To take it a step further, purchase high-performing, often less expensive rerefined oil. To find out more, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/usedoil and click on "rerefined oil."
Tires — Keep your tires properly inflated. This will increase your mileage and reduce the number of times you need to replace — and dispose of — old tires. Again, this saves money as well as resources.
Battery — Never dispose of an old battery in the garbage. Heavy metals and acid can leach out and contaminate soil and water. Instead, take it to an auto shop that accepts old batteries or to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. Call (650) 363-4718 or visit smhealth.org/hhw for more information.
Q: I can't carry my heavy bins to the curb. What should I do?
A: If you have more recyclables than can fit in your containers, put mixed paper into paper grocery bags. As long as paper is kept separate, bottles, cans and plastics can be placed in either of the recycling containers, even if the container is labeled "paper."
If you are using your own recycling container please note it must not weigh more than 60 pounds and must be clearly marked as recyclable "Paper" or "Bottles and Cans." Labels are available by calling (650) 592-2411.
Q: Why should I compost my food scraps? Doesn't all that stuff decompose in the landfill?
A: While it is true that organic materials like food scraps and yard trimmings break down quickly in a compost bin, the exact opposite is the case inside the landfill. Landfills are so well engineered to control odor and water pollution that very little water or air reaches our buried trash. These conditions make it extremely difficult for the bacteria that would otherwise "eat" our organic wastes to thrive and break them down.
Archeology professor William Rathje and his team of "garbologists" unearthed proof of this surprising fact when they extracted soil cores from 21 landfills around the US and Canada (including some right here in the Bay Area). They found an intact head of lettuce that was ten years old, among many other "mummified" food items. While researchers may find such repulsive relics fascinating, we hope you'll consider a compost pile or a worm bin instead of the trash. That way your food scraps have a chance to really biodegrade.
To learn more:
- Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage by William L. Rathje, Cullen Murphy (Paperback) at Amazon.com.
- Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things (New Report, No 4) by John C. Ryan, Alan Thein Durning (Paperback) at Amazon.com.
- Visit www.RecycleWorks.org to purchase reduced priced compost bins and learn how to compost.
Q: I'm preparing my garden and want to find out about good building materials for landscaping. Where can I learn more?
A: Great question. There are many creative things that you can do in your gardening projects to reuse old materials in innovative and attractive ways. Check out our list of ideas and resources in Reuse in Gardens & Landscaping Projects.
Q: I'm expanding my business. How can I save money and avoid taking office equipment, papers, and other office supplies to the dump?
A: You probably already lighten your load in your closets at home, how about doing the same at work? Many local charities accept lightly used materials for their community groups. Here are a few examples:
- Furniture: Office or hotel furniture can be reused by homeless shelters, such as Samaritan House or Shelter Network
- Office supplies: Community groups can further their efforts by spending money on programs rather than basic supplies
- Computer equipment: Goodwill has a training program to recondition computers and related equipment for lower income residents
Just because you think something is outdated doesn't mean it can't find a new home rather than the dumpster. Give reuse a try. Hey, Mikey, you might like it.
Q: What is the difference between SBWMA and Allied Waste?
A: Thank you for asking! It is easy to get the two confused, since both SBWMA and Allied Waste (formerly BFI) are involved in providing your garbage and recycling services.
Allied Waste picks up the recycling and garbage from your curb and operates the San Carlos Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center, where materials are sorted and processed. Any questions you may have regarding your service — such as requests for additional containers, billing or pick-up schedule — should be directed to Allied Waste.
The SBWMA is the public agency managing Allied Waste's contracts. This includes ensuring cost-effective collection service and operation of the SBWMA-owned facilities in San Carlos. The 12 SBWMA board members meet monthly to discuss rates, programs, performance and to plan for the future.
The SBWMA also organizes innovative programs to help its member communities reduce waste. A good example is the Business Composting Collection program, which collected 9,135 tons of compostable material in the past year.
Q: What do I my old plastic grocery bags? I heard from a neighbor that some grocery stores accept them and turn them into bags again? Is this true?
A: It's an important question! Clean ones can be returned to many grocers for recycling. According to the Canadian Plastics Industry Association, "It is more difficult to recycle bags back into other plastic bags because of the new, higher stringent quality requirements for film-to-film applications, as well as for cost reasons. Plastic bags and polyethylene film are being used to produce plastic lumber or wood fiber and plastic composites; these processes can tolerate higher levels of contamination than resin-to-resin uses." [Source: Canadian Plastics Industry Association] To find the closest store near you that accepts plastic bags, please visit PlasticBagRecycling.org.
Q: What do I do with old cosmetics, soap, shampoos? Is there another use for them? Artist, shelter?
A: Good question! Although some shampoo and cosmetics containers can be recycled (check the packaging carefully!), their contents are not and they often contain chemicals that can pollute waterways and hurt delicate ecosystems. Here are a couple of creative ideas that we recommend:
Source: hairboutique.com
Q: Why did the SBWMA change its name to "Rethink Waste"? I already recycle. What's to rethink?
A: First of all, thanks for recycling. Every little bit helps, and we really do appreciate it. To answer your question, we changed our name last year from SBWMA to Rethink Waste for two reasons: first, to make it more memorable and second, to get the idea across that reducing waste in our communities takes more than recycling alone. In the end it's up to every one of us to take responsibility for our stuff: where it came from, what it's made of, how we use it, and where it's going to go when we're done with it. The more we think these things through the better. Here's an example.
Say you just bought a computer and printer for your home office. You and your family are generating more paper waste than before. You put it in your mixed paper bin for recycling. Great! What else could you do?
- Reuse the second sides of sheets you've already printed on.
- Make scratch paper pads by cutting and stapling already printed sheets.
- Shred it and use it as packing material for that item you just sold on eBay or for a gift you are mailing to a loved one.
- Check the label on the paper before you buy to make sure it's made with post-consumer recycled material.
The rethinking possibilities are limited only by our imaginations.
Q: I just bought my kids a new computer. What should I do with their old PC?
A: You have several options for finding a new home for your old computer. If the equipment is in good working condition, you can donate the computer using Goodwill's ReCompute program. Visit our Electronics page for more information. Also, visit www.recycleworks.org for additional reuse options.
If your computer is beyond reuse or rehabilitation, you can take it to the Allied Waste Recycling Center or to the Computer Recycling Center. Click here for more details.
Q: Where can I get free compost?
A: Twice each year, RethinkWaste, Allied Waste, and your community partner to offer you free compost. This rich compost is made from yard trimmings you and others in our area have put in your yard trimmings bins and placed on the curb. The organic material is then composted at a nearby composting facility. In addition to being great food for your plants, compost can also protect their roots from frost damage. And, you can combine it for a rich soil for your fall plantings. Only residents in participating communities are eligible.
The next upcoming compost giveaways will in in the fall. Dates have not yet been determined, but keep checking back for updates. For more details on composting events, visit our Compost Giveaways page.
Q: I've heard about using recycled and reused materials in home remodeling projects but don't know where to start. Help!
A: For a hands-on experience, visit the Eco Design Resources showroom in San Carlos. This local business specializes in recycled or otherwise environmentally sustainable building materials. They also offer non-toxic or lower toxicity products for those who are chemically sensitive or just wish to use more earth-friendly materials.
"You'll get great advice because each staff member has a background in interior design and is also committed to the environment," says manager Casey Bradshaw. "We're here to help the planet while helping someone make their house pretty."
Bring Casey a list of remodeling projects, and she will help you choose materials that fit your budget and tastes — or simply browse if that suits your mood. The showroom features:
• Counter tops, carpeting and flooring made from recycled and salvaged materials
• Tiles made from recycled glass
• Wallpaper made from recycled fiber
• Paints, stains, and sealers made from natural plant extracts
Eco Design Resources, (650) 591-1123, 633 Quarry Road, Suite A, San Carlos
For more information on green remodeling, visit RecycleWorks and Build It Green
Learn more
Q: For spring cleaning this year, my wife and I focused on the garage. It’s finally neat and tidy, but we’re left with a bunch of cans of paint, pesticides, fertilizers and weed killers we don’t want. I heard you’re not supposed to put these things in the trash. So what do I do with them?
A: You’re right. The items you described DON’T go in the trash. They are considered household hazardous waste (HHW) and require special disposal. Fortunately you have several convenient options for safe disposal that will ensure the harmful ingredients in those products don’t pollute our soil and water.
Learn more
Q: How to do I recycle several hundred floppy disks?
A: Using www.RecycleWorks.org, I looked up your inquiry using the "Recycling Center Search" link. Please refer to www.RecycleWorks.org or contact these organizations to find details.
Q: Can I recycle a computer or other electronics?
A:You absolutely can recycle your old computer. A few options exist: If your computer can be reused, consider taking it to one of the local organizations that offer computer refurbishment for community purposes. Examples are Goodwill and the Computer Recycling Center, and they will take your computer for free. For more than five systems, contact the CRC directly through their Web site at www.crc.org to request a pick up under "Business Pickups". A fee may apply. They responsibly recycle any components they cannot use.
If the computer is no longer usable, you can take it and other electronics to the San Carlos Recycling Center at 333 Shoreway Road. The Recycling Center is located at Gate 1 and accepts most computers and other electronics (anything with a cord, basically) for free. For more info on this program, see www.alliedwastesanmateocounty.com.
Q: I live in Menlo Park. Where can I get information about garbage and recycling enclosure sizes and space needs?
A: Menlo Park has space requirements for garbage and recycling enclosures. The contact for the City of Menlo Park is Dianne Dryer, who can be reached at dddryer@menlopark.org or (650) 330-6764.
Q: What can be recycled and with whom?
A: Most businesses have garbage service through Allied Waste. This company offers free recycling service for those with garbage accounts. The material collected is mixed paper and cardboard, and bottles and cans. Allied Waste can be reached through their Web site at www.alliedwastesanmateocounty.com/, via email at info@alliedwasteanmateocounty.com or (650) 592-2411.
Other materials can be collected by other service providers. For a list, see the RecycleWorks Web site at www.recycleworks.org and select "Recycling Center Search" from the left column, via email at info@recycleworks.org, or phone at (888) 442-2666.
Q: How much does recycling cost?
A: Based on the materials you have to recycle, most of the material can be collected at no charge. However, if you use a shredding service, most providers will charge a fee. Still, recycling fees tend to be cheaper than disposal.
Q: I have a bunch of old film canisters. They're plastic, but I have no idea what type. Can I reuse or recycle them?
A: You can't currently recycle film canisters in your curbside program, but fortunately there are many creative uses for these little cylinders. Click here for ideas.
