EVERYDAY RECYCLING MADE EASY

RecycleSmartAPARTMENTS & CONDOS EDITION How long until These guys prefer the it disappears? blue bins Toss an apple core and a metal can into your yard— which will disappear first? The core, of course. Toss them into a landfill and guess which one? The can!

Here’s why. Metal oxidizes, forming rust. Microorganisms break the can down into simple molecules, although it will take hundreds of years to disappear in a landfill. But things that biodegrade—like the apple core, tree trimmings, food waste and paper—biodegrade very slooowly in landfills, because the artificial landfill environment doesn’t have the air, water, and bacterial activity needed for the decaying process. That’s because a landfill is carefully designed to isolate trash from the surrounding environment (the air, groundwater that might be used for drinking water or irrigation, and rain that might run off into our streets). Under these conditions, trash won’t decompose very much. A landfill is not like a compost pile, where organic waste is buried so it will decompose quickly (see “How it Works”). The Garbage Project is a waste study conducted at the University of Arizona. Students there dug up the landfill and found Toss those hot dogs, corncobs and grapes that were one-a-days into 25 years old and still recognizable! And they a green cart! found newspapers dating back to 1952 that were still readable. What about plastic? Plastic photodegrades— USE THE ABRACADABRA WIDGET! it degrades under ultraviolet radiation from continued on page 4 Not quite sure how to make something disappear? Just go to RecycleSmart.org and click on “Recycle Where?” You’ll find a range of convenient options for items that you can’t put in any of your bins or carts. Looking Sharp

Look for big, Belly-up to bright red or green medical sharps bins throughout the bins! the RecycleSmart area. Making sure At first glance, you might not notice anything different. you keep discarded needles Then you see…solar panels on a trash can?! out of the trash protects waste workers and public health. Put Downtown Walnut Creek is the first “We’re excited to provide bins that will them in a sharps container, then City in Contra Costa County to install keep our streets cleaner and be more right into the bin. You’ll find a list state-of-the-art, solar-powered Bigbelly efficient to maintain,” says Public Works of bin locations at RecycleSmart. trash and recycling bins. The 35 new Manager Mike Vickers. org/HHW. bins replace all the conventional trash and recycling bins and hold five times Fewer pickups mean fewer trucks rumbling downtown and fewer fuel the amount. They use solar power to emissions from the trucks. The Bigbelly compact both trash and recyclables. bins are funded by selling recyclables, in Wireless technology automatically partnership with RecycleSmart. notifies City staff when bins are almost full and need to be emptied.

Need More Info? RecycleSmart Republic Services www.RecycleSmart.org Organics, Recycling and Landfill 925-906-1801 925-685-4711 [email protected] Ask your property manager to contact Republic Services about additional recycling, organic or landfill carts FSC or bins, computer and TV collection, special clean ups PLACEMENT or to request motor oil recycling kits, recycling tote bags and kitchen food scrap containers.

Printed on paper made from 100% post consumer waste (PCW); processed chlorine free (PCF).

RECYCLESMART How it works Composting in the kitchen and yard.

Republic Services picks up

FOOD We have SCRAPS dinner

KITCHEN PAIL ORGANICS TO COMPOSTING FACILITY, RICHMOND

We have yards YARD TRIMMINGS

Warm and Cooling down humid Water added; and maturing 50%–60% moisture 1–3 months later 21–30 days later

ROTATING SCREEN CURING COVERED AERATED GRINDER PILES STATIC PILES 130O–160O Air blown through pipes underneath

NUTRIENT-RICH SOIL FARMS, LANDSCAPING AMENDMENT

FROM FARM TO TABLE TO FARM TO TABLE TO…

Organics make up about two-thirds of our solid waste for about 2-3 months. The result is very dark, earthy soil, stream; a combination of food scraps, landscaping certified to be safe and pathogen free—and perfect for green waste, food and soiled paper. Organics need air, growing more fruits, vegetables and grains that find moisture and heat to activate the decaying process. their way right back to your table! Your organics are processed on 20 acres in Richmond

SPRING 2017 continued from page 1 really, really, really long time.” Instead, the sun. But there’s no light in that landfill. recycling and composting can make those When will it degrade? items disappear like magic! And a bonus: The estimates of 200 years, 400 years it takes 1/20 of the energy to recycle or 1,000,000 years to decompose in a aluminum products as it does to smelt landfill are a scientific way of saying “a aluminum from scratch.

When Will My Waste Disappear In the Landfill? (...and which cart will make it disappear right away)

PLASTIC JUG FOAM CUPS/TRAYS

1,000,000 Years 500 Years

GLASS BOTTLE PLASTIC DRINKING BOTTLE

1,000,000 Years 450 Years

LEAVES/YARD WASTE DIAPERS

Months–Never 450 Years

FRUIT/VEGETABLE SCRAPS METAL FOIL

Months–Never 400 Years

NATURAL ROPE ALUMINUM CAN

Months–Never 200 Years

PIZZA BOXES JUICE BOXES

Months–Never 200 Years

PLASTIC BAG TIN CAN

1,000 Years 100 Years

FISHING LINE 6-PACK PLASTIC HOLDER

600 Years 100 Years

The cart that items should go into for their quick getaway Sources: U.S. National Park Service, Mote Marine Lab; ScienceLearn.org

RECYCLESMART Turning food into electricity! Our commercial food recycling program.

Your folks always told you to clean your sewage waste. The digesters (called that plate...but if you can’t, now it won’t go because beneficial bacteria “digest” the to waste. waste) produce methane gas as a by- Take a peek at all the businesses product. Big co-generation engines use Because now there’s food participating in a captured methane to generate electricity similar but different recycling. More than 400 , that powers the entire water treatment process from your grocery stores, schools and other home’s food scraps facility, and then some. EBMUD sells the large commercial and industrial food and green waste! excess electricity to the Port of Oakland! waste generators in the RecycleSmart service area participate in our Food The leftover is a nutrient-rich compost-like Recycling Project. material that is used as a soil amendment Simply put, we turn the leftover food, grease for non-food agricultural applications. and paper goods into electricity. It’s a big win all around. Businesses save Republic Services collects the food waste, money by diverting waste out of their for no additional charge, and takes it to East landfill bins, the environment benefits Bay Municipal Water District’s wastewater from smaller landfills and the renewable treatment facility. The food is added to the electricity reduces our dependence on “anaerobic digesters” that primarily process fossil fuels.

CO-GEN ENGINE Methane RESTAURANTS/ REPUBLIC SERVICES EBMUD DIGESTERS SCHOOLS TRUCK

Generate electricity

AGRICULTURE

Lots of leftover food scraps Hauled away for free Sludge digested by helpful bacteria in a hot tank that Biosoils acts like a giant stomach Non-farming soils

SPRING 2017 Let’s eat out! Food recycling participating businesses.

ALAMO Fish on Fire Trader Joe's Merriewood Moraga Office Park WALNUT CREEK Forbes Mill Steakhouse Uncle Wang's Restaurant Metro Lafayette Moraga Post Acute Alamo Palace 1515 Restaurant & Lounge Forge Pizza Vally Medlyn's Millie's Kitchen Moraga Produce Bagel Street Café Fountain & Coffee Shop 5 Star Tiffany Court Gotta Eatta Pitta Oakwood Athletic Club Mountain Mike's Pizza Brass Bear Delicatessen Vitality Bowl 54 Mint High Tech Burrito Oasis Café Ranch House Café Don Jose's Mexican Yo's on Hartz A Sweet Affair Restaurant Ike's Lair Open Sesame Rheem Elementary Bakery & Café Yuki of Tokyo In the Mix Salads Ristorante Amoroma AAA Great Donuts Incontro Ristorante Peet's Coffee Round Table Pizza Alborz Persian Restaurant Ha-La Sushi DIABLO Pizza Antica Royal Siam Atria Montego Heights High Tech Burrito Jersey Mike's Subs Diablo Country Club Postino Restaurant Saint Mary's College Atria Valley View Katrina Rozelle Juice Zone Rancho Cantina Saklan School Babalou's Jules Thin Crust Pizza Reve Bistro Lawrence's Meats LAFAYETTE Bagel Street Café Kane Sushi Roam Artisan Burgers Town of Moraga Offices 360 Gourmet Burrito Peet's Coffee Kanpai Poke Round Table Pizza Bancroft Elementary Acalanes High School Round Table Pizza Leo's Chinese Rustic Tavern Black Bear Restaurant Restaurant Amarin Thai Cuisine ORINDA Roundhill Country Club Sideboard Kitchen Boudin Bakery Little Pear American Kitchen & Coffee Baan Thai Xenia Bistro! Boundary Oaks Clubhouse Locanda Ravello Artisan Bistro Smitten Ice Cream Barbacoa Restaurant Brass Bear Delicatessen Luna Loca Mexican Back to the Table Springhill Elementary Casa Orinda DANVILLE Restaurant Cooking School Broderick Roadhouse Stanley Del Rey Elementary Brown & Caldwell Acai-Me Lunardi's Market Bentley School Intermediate School Genuine Goodness Buckhorn Grill Almanac Mangia Mi Bistro Burger Starbucks Coffee Geppetto's Cafe Buena Vista Elementary Amici's East McDonald's Blue Ginko Susie's Cakes Glorietta School Coast Pizzeria McGahs Bonehead BBQ Swad Indian Cuisine Hanazen and Car Wash Buttercup Grill & Melo's Pizza and Pasta Burton Valley Elementary T's Fire House La Cocina Mexicana Athenian School Restaurant Restaurant Norm's Place Casa Gourmet Burritto Restaurant Bagel Street Café Temple Isaiah Event Byron Park Retirement Old Towne Children's Center Lava Pit Hall and Preschool Community Baja Fresh Danville Bakery Maya Mexican Grill The Rising Loafer Café La Scala Basque Boulangerie Panda Express Chow Restaurant Café & Bakery Miramonte High School Café Pica Deli Black Bear Diner Peet's Coffee Coffee Shop Town Hall Theatre Niwa Restaurant (Walnut Creek Library) Blackhawk Pete's Brass Rail Contra Costa Urban Farmers Orinda Country Club Caffe California Cinemark Theater Piatti Ristorante & Bar Jewish Day School Vitality Bowls Orinda Intermediate California Pizza Kitchen Blackhawk Country Club Pizza Antica Cooperage School Whole Foods Casper's Hot Dogs Blackhawk Grille Pizza Guys Diablo Foods Orinda Theater Yankee Pier Chalogy & Cornology Blue Ginko Prickly Pear Cantina El Charro Mexican Dining Peet's Coffee Cheesecake Factory Bridges Restaurant Reutlinger Community El Jarro Mexican Café Petra Café Chick-Fil-A China Gourmet for Jewish Living Girl Scouts MORAGA Piazza China Village Restaurant China Paradise Revel Kitchen and Bar Summer Camp Aegis of Moraga Piccolo Napoli Cinco de Mayo Restaurant Chipotle Mexican Grill RPM Mortgage Hamlin Cleaners Asia Palace Republic of Cake Civic Garden Deli Choice Lunch Santorini Happy Valley Elementary Berg Senior Services Serika Restaurant Civic Park Chow Restaurant Sideboard Hideout Kitchen Bianca's Deli & Catering Shelby's Community Center Christy Donuts Slow G's Eatery Jamba Juice Camino Pablo School Siam Orchid Thai Civic Plaza Costco Starbucks Johnny's Donuts Restaurant Campolindo High School Cocola Bakery Danville Brewing Co. Sunrise Assisted Living Kabab Burger Starbucks Chef Chao Restaurant Coffee Shop Danville Firehouse Bar Sushi Bar Hana Kane Sushi Golden Palace Corners Tavern Danville Medical Center Tal's Pattisserie Lafayette Care Center Taverna Pelligrini Graze Food Bar Creekside Grill Draeger's Market Taru Sushi Lafayette Village Inn Café Homemade Kitchen Café Crepes Ooh La La Community Center East Bay Flower Company Thai House Restaurant Wagner Ranch Joaquin Moraga School Del Monte Research Lafayette Elementary Elementary El Cerro Medical Center The Basil Leaf Café Center Kirin Sushi Lafayette Park Hotel Wild Magnolia El Nido The Great Impasta Del Valle High School Lamorinda Montessori Mangia Ristorante Wild Magnolia Faz Danville The Growler Deli Delight Little Hearty Noodle Pizzeria Yan's Restaurant Ferrari's Cucina Italiana Togo's Diablo Oriental Foods Los Perales Elementary McDonald's Zamboni's Pizza Fieldhouse Sports Grill Tower Grill Dragon Pond Meher Schools Moraga Country Club

RECYCLESMART Dunkin Donuts Stanford's Restaurant & Bar Kid’s Corner Eagle Peak Montessori Morucci's Si Mangia Bene Starbucks Edible Arrangement Mountain Mike's Pizza Subway Embassy Suites Mr. Green Bubble Sufism Reoriented Extreme Pizza (Consortium of the Arts) Mr. Lucky's Bar & Grill Fleming's Prime Sunnyvale Market Steakhouse & Wine Bar Mr. Pickle's Shop Sunol Ridge Foothill Middle School Mt. Diablo Unitarian Sunrise Bistro & Catering Universalist Church Taheri's Mediterranean Gateway Centre Murphy's Deli Tatsu Sushi Genova's Delicatessan Murwood Elementary Taylor Made Cake Guanatos Ice Cream Nama Sushi & Teriyaki Teleferic Barcelona HF&H Nordstrom Café Tender Greens Hick'ry Pit Northcreek Academy The Counter Burger High Tech Burrito Northgate High School The Gardens at Hillcrest Produce Opa! Heather Farm House of Bagels Pacific Bay Coffee The Greenery Restaurant House of Sake Company The Habit Burger Il Fornaio Pancheros Mexican Grill The Kensington Vintage Restaurant & Bakery Pancoast Pizza Senior Living Il Forno Panera Bread The Original Mel's Diner Il Pavone Restaurant Papa John's Pizza The Perfect Cup India Bazaar Parada Kitchen Tice Creek Elementary Indian Valley Elementary Parkmead Elementary Tiki Tom Jade Garden Parkside Association Tomatina Restaurant Jamba Juice Peet's Coffee Tortilleria el Molino John Muir Medical Center Unlimited PF Chang's Treat Towers Grow Celery Forever! celery! Kaiser Data Center Pinky's Pizza True Food Kitchen Kaiser Hospital Pizza Oliva Tullio's Restaurant You can grow new celery from your Kaiwa Sushi Pressed Juicery Tutti Frutti leftovers! Before you use the celery, cut Kana Sushi Prima Ristorante Va De Vi Bistro off about 2 inches of the entire base. Kara's Cupcakes & Wine Bar Quizno's Sub Kasra Market Valle Verde Elementary Ramen Hiroshi Put the base upright in a small bowl of warm water Kevin's Noodle House Vanda Thai 1 Renaissance ClubSport in a sunny spot and change the water every day. Kinder's Vanessa's Bistro Rocco's Ristorante KLA Schools Veggie Grill 2 You’ll see new leaves in about a week! Rooftop La Fogata Vic Stewart's Rossmoor Diner 3 Put it in a planter or pot with drainage holes and Lark Creek Walnut Vitality Bowl Ruth's Chris Steakhouse cover it with dirt so just the leaves peek out. Creek Restaurant Walnut Acres Sabores del Sur 4 Water generously. Larkey Market & Deli Elementary Saigon Las Lomas High School Walnut Creek City Hall 5 You’ll see stalks in about another week. Vietnamese Bistro Lawrence Berkeley Lab Walnut Creek Salvatore Ristorante 6 Keep watering and snip off the thinner outer stalks Farmer's Market Le Cheval Sargam Indian Cuisine if they wilt. Walnut Creek Lemonade Saroor Indian Cuisine Intermediate School 7 In a few months, you can snip a stalk and enjoy Lottie's Creamery Sasa Restaurant Walnut Creek Plaza some ants-on-a-log! Lunardi's Market Sauced BBQ & Spirits Walnut Creek Produce 8 The celery will keep on growing as long as you Main Street Kitchen Scott's Seafood Walnut Creek Yacht Club water it. Marriott Hotel Sichuan House Walnut Heights School Mary's Pizza Shack This will also work for lettuce, onions and other Silk Road Restaurant Wendy's Massimo Ristorante vegetables—time to experiment! Skipolini's Pizza Whole Foods Market Mi Casa Restaurant Slice House Yalla Mediterranean Miraku Small Talk Family Café Yan's China Bistro Mixed Grain Sorrento's Restaurant Ygnacio Valley MOD Pizza Care Center Specialty's Modern China Bakery & Café Mona's Burgers Sports Basement

SPRING 2017 PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CONCORD, CA 1850 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Ste. 320 PERMIT NO. 122 Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Tice Creek School Goes All In!

“Recycling is good because we can reuse and re-purpose items and that’s better for the environment,” says Cassius Bell, 5th grader at Tice Creek School in Walnut Creek.

Tice Creek promotes project-based learning. Rewarded for Students work for an extended time on investigating an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem or challenge Rewarding Work and then they create a project or product presented to people beyond the classroom. RecycleSmart, in partnership with Mt. THE RECYCLING It’s no wonder they went all in on Diablo Recycling, conducts a student COMMITTEE: $6,000 the “4 Rs” for schools: reduce, reuse, scholarship program to inspire and recycle and rot. San Ramon Valley High School reward student leaders who have helped Tara Bell is one of the parent Green Team reduce waste at their high schools. The Six team members share the award: leaders (Cassius’ mom) assigned to each 2017 awards go to: Riley Arbuckle, Tiffany Chu, Christina classroom, along with a student leader. Gallup, Madison Lake, Andrea Lapuz and “We replaced foam lunch trays with compostable trays, we have recycle and SHELBY BOCKS: $2,500 Amy Zhang. They designed a campus- wide program for recycling bottles, compost bins in the lunch room and Campolindo High School every classroom, and compost bins in cans and paper. They also introduced the restrooms for paper towels.” Shelby implemented a new recycling food scrap collection. To make recycling and composting program on campus. easy, they got recycling bins placed next Next to go will be the dreaded “spork” packets (plastic bag, plastic spork and Once she gained support from the to every single trash bin on campus, napkin). “I watch kids throw the whole administration, she ordered bins, labeled so it’s clear what to put in. Then, packet into the landfill bin,” Bell says. organized work parties, set up the using the proceeds from their recycling “Instead, we can have napkin and fork stations, educated her peers, and efforts, they purchased a water bottle dispensers so each item is disposed of continues to monitor the stations filling station to promote the use of in the right bin.” to ensure proper sorting. It’s now reusable water bottles. Tice Creek is now recycling 74% of its Campolindo vs. Acalanes: which school Photo from left: Riley Arbuckle, Christina Gallup, waste away from the landfill and might can recycle most? Stay tuned… Andrea Lapuz, Amy Zhang, Tiffany Chu, Madison Lake make the 75% Statewide recycling goal and Shelby Bocks. this year!