RethinkWaste News

The South Bayside Waste Management Authority (RethinkWaste) today announced a new partnership to promote the recycling of household batteries, cell phones and other universal waste related items such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). RethinkWaste has joined with IKEA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and State Assemblymember Ira Ruskin to promote retail take back options for these materials. A press event will be held from 10:30 am to 11:30 am on December 11, 2007 at the IKEA store in East Palo Alto.

South Bayside Waste Management Authority (RethinkWaste) today approved Request for Proposals (RFP) for franchised solid waste and recycling collection services and for operation of the Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center in San Carlos. Separate RFPs will be released on November 1st for franchised collection services and Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center operations, respectively.

With global warming acknowledged as a serious worldwide environmental threat, Allied Waste Services of San Mateo County and the RethinkWaste have teamed up on a climate action plan. RethinkWaste has approved a plan for Allied to convert its entire 225-truck fleet to biodiesel. The biodegradeable, clean-burning alternative fuel is proven to help reduce global warming by dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In the first three months of the curbside battery and cell phone pilot program, San Carlos residents recycled over 1,600 pounds of batteries and cell phones. According to a recent survey, 39% said they used to dispose of their household batteries in the trash. Now that the state universal waste law has gone into effect, they know this is no longer legal. The survey also showed that of the residents who have used this convenient new service, 85% were "extremely satisfied." They are especially thankful they don't have to drive to a store, city hall or recycling center anymore!

RethinkWaste has added three new staff members in 2007. Our new Recycling Programs Manager, Cliff Feldman, started work at the beginning of January, and our new Facility Operations Contracts Manager, Hilary Gans, began work mid-month.

For more information about Cliff and Hilary, please refer to the press release announcing their arrivals.

Press Release for New Senior Staff

Aah, to be 25 again. Wait a minute — WE are 25! At least our agency is. The South Bayside Waste Management Authority (RethinkWaste) was formed in 1982 to help provide cost-effective waste management services to twelve member agencies in San Mateo County. Over the years, this role expanded to include waste reduction, including implementation of California's recycling law AB939.

Do you like the feeling of being in on the latest local news? Well here's a bulletin that's sure to create some buzz. RethinkWaste recently released its 2006 annual report containing all the juiciest statistics on your garbage and recycling. As with any breaking story, there's a little good news and a little bad news.

RethinkWaste has created a new position, Facility Operations Contract Manager, and hired Hilary Gans to fill it. Hilary's 19 years of experience in the recycling field have prepared him well for overseeing the operations of the Shoreway Recycling and Disposal Center in San Carlos.

Kids and gardens go together like, well, kids, dirt and worms. A growing number of teachers are bringing all these elements together in educational gardens — small plots of land on school property where students can learn to appreciate nature while growing their first veggies. At a recent all-day Kids in Gardens workshop held at Lincoln Elementary School in Burlingame, 30 Bay Area educators learned everything they needed to know about starting a school garden, from soil preparation to recycling spent plants.

The California Universal Waste Rule, which went into effect February 2006, made it illegal to throw away common household items with toxic ingredients such as: batteries, fluorescent lamps, cell phones, thermostats, switches and other electronics. Ever since, the RethinkWaste has been developing programs to make proper disposal of these items easier.

When you lace up your hiking boots this spring, you can thank Julia Bott in part for the beautiful scenery in your local parks.

Nine years ago the one-time Sierra Club activist helped found the San Mateo County Parks & Recreation Foundation. Now as executive director, she guides the non-profit, which raises supplemental funding for maintaining and improving the county's seven parks.

Residents in single-family homes can schedule two "cleanups" per year at no extra charge. With each cleanup Allied Waste will collect a maximum of:

• 2 cubic yards of material, which is equivalent to twelve (12) 32-gallon bags.
• One appliance or other large item that does not exceed 200 pounds.

To take advantage of this convenient service, call Allied Waste at (650) 592-2411 at least 10 business days in advance of the date you would like to schedule your cleanup. (Collection takes place on your regularly scheduled collection day.)

Recycling's good. Reuse is great. But waste prevention beats them both — it reduces waste before it starts. This is why the first "R" of the so-called "3Rs," — Reduce — is far preferable to the other two. To illustrate why, think of your local farmer's market.

The next time you go to a local festival, take a break from sipping your lemonade and look around. A lot of hard work goes into planning and hosting a large event. Behind all the delicious food, entertaining music and tantalizing wares is a large infrastructure.

Wondering what to do with expired or otherwise unwanted medicines?

You can now dispose of them safely and confidentially at four locations throughout San Mateo County.

Kudos to our residents: you threw out 7.2 percent less trash in the first half of 2006 than in 2005! That's 3,187 tons less garbage! Unfortunately, we also recycled less — 9.3 percent to be exact That's 1,322 tons that most likely could have been recycled.

Looking for lawn chairs, planters or just some other unique outdoor décor? A wide range of garden accessories made from recycled and reclaimed materials is now available. Here are just a few examples.

A self-proclaimed "recycling evangelist," RethinkWaste area resident and artist Harriete Estel Berman started practicing what she preaches in 1989, by changing the style of her artwork to reflect her environmental values. "My work begins with post-consumer material diverted from a destiny as trash. Revitalized from the mundane, recycled tin containers are deconstructed, cut, folded and reassembled into the extraordinary."

Americans are willing to pay a lot for convenience. ATM fees, credit card finance charges and eating out all can take a toll on a family's budget. Yet we often value "saving time" over the many other costs our choices involve. These include costs to our health, the environment and even our social groups.

RethinkWaste's main job is to make sure you have the best possible and most economical waste collection and recycling services. Since these services require a huge infrastructure, this requires planning far in advance. Right now we're working on waste handling plans for 2011 and beyond!

First we're doing research — finding out from residents and businesses what they want. Once we have this feedback, we can develop a scope of services for the potential providers to bid on. We expect the selection process to begin in mid-2008.