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PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID EVERYDAY MADE EASY Kid’s Corner CONCORD, CA 1850 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Ste. 320 PERMIT NO. 122 Walnut Creek, CA 94596

RecycleSmartAPARTMENTS & CONDOS EDITION FALL 2019 Give thanks to

“Headed back your green cart! to my roots!”

Ah, Thanksgiving: a day for family, friends, football—and a mountain of food! But after the festivities are finished and the leftovers are stowed safely in the fridge (and Uncle Hank is snoring on the sofa), what do you do with a kitchen full of food scraps? Way to Go, Your trusty green cart is here to help! Orinda! Just toss those scraps into your kitchen food scraps Grow Lettuce all Winter Long (yes, even those Thanksgiving turkey bones) and empty your Orinda homes and businesses pail contents into your green cart. We’ll compost it all and turn Here’s another way to save food scraps from diverted 71% of their trash from it into soil enrichment for local farmers. (We can take bones becoming waste—keep them growing all landfills in 2018. Wow! because we grind them up, unlike in a compost bin—take a winter long! How’d they do it? look at the back page!) “Me too!” • About 6,031 tons of green waste Taking the time to put food scraps, yard trimmings, pizza , This trick works with lettuce, green onions, leeks, and any other Getting down (that’s a lot of food scraps napkins and uncoated paper plates into the green cart is plant with exterior roots that don’t get eaten. Make dirt and dirt-y! !) an easy way to keep those items out of the landfill. 1 Eat the leaves of your lettuce, leaving about an inch of leaf • More than 3,165 tons of Did you know that an entire steel can will disappear faster than at the bottom at the lettuce core. not waste recyclables a pomegranate in a landfill? It’s true! The can will rust and be 2 Place remaining core in a shallow dish of clean water, then • Approximately 236 tons recovered eaten up before the anaerobic conditions allow plant material place dish in a sunny spot on your windowsill or kitchen Moraga’s Henry Walker, a lawyer Worm composting is a very clean from commercial sites like to decay. Landfills don’t have the air, water and bacterial counter. transitioning to a career in horticulture, process! Just gather some dry leaves restaurants and cafeterias. activity that organic waste needs to decay quickly. has been composting for almost a with fruit and vegetable scraps in a bin. We’re watching for your successes, So, let’s give thanks to our green carts—they turn the food 3 Check the water daily to make sure it’s clean and covering decade. His wife and sons help by (Don’t add any meat or products— Central Contra Costa! You’re all scraps of today into soil for tomorrow! And you can ask your the roots. If you need to dump the water and refill, your recycling more and every bit helps! separating their food scraps. “It’s not save them for the green cart!) The worms property manager about getting one if your site doesn’t already. plant will appreciate it. Keep up the great work. about being perfect, it’s about doing will process the food scraps and produce Visit RecycleSmart.org/FoodScraps for more information. 4 Enjoy new leaves as they grow! it!” says Walker. “One way or another, nutrient-rich compost back into the bin. you get something good and help the You can use the worm casting compost

environment.” in your houseplants or herb garden. Outdoor composting is great with Complete instructions are posted at NO FLOCKING FIR yard space, but Walker promises RecycleSmart.org/WormComposting THIS SEASON! “It takes one to indoor composting can be just as fun. grow one!” There are lots of fun ways to set up your Buying fresh holiday greenery this Worm composting is an alternative worm compost, and this is just the tip winter? Keep it green and compostable for apartment and condo dwellers—it of the soil pile! There’s more posted at by skipping the fake “snow” on fresh doesn’t take up much space or have a greenery. “Flocked” greenery goes in the RecycleSmart.org/Composting strong smell. Even better, “kids love it!” landfill, not the compost. How it works My Tips

Republic Services picks up

Did Your Fave We have Make the List? dinner Conundrum of the FOOD SCRAPS AND ORGANICS TO COMPOSTING FACILITY Did you know that more than FOOD-SOILED PAPER One More Before the Bin 500 restaurants, grocery stores green baggie and schools are participating in our commercial food recycling Tim C., Lafayette Warm and If you’ve been buying organic produce You can use paper or go bagless, of program today? It’s a major 5 turns to introduce and humid Water added; lately, you might notice a pileup of green course, too. If you want to use a success that diverts tons of Cooling down maintain oxygen 50%–60% Hi RecycleSmart, baggies in your kitchen. , make sure it’s marked “BPI- food waste from the landfill. and maturing moisture When get close to empty, I use It may seem like a no-brainer to use certified compostable” or “Compostable: Unlike traditional composting, those with your kitchen food scraps BPI—Meets ASTM 6400 Standard.” the Food Recycling Project what’s left in them to make a sauce or container—but hold on! Most produce BPI-Certified compostable bags are the results in electricity, produced salad dressing. If I take it to a potluck at work bags, whether they’re clear or green- only “compostable ” that are at EBMUD’s facility in Oakland. CURING PILE WINDROWS GRINDER or my kids’ school, I don’t have to worry about PILES TURNING 130O–160O colored, are made of (PE), allowed in your green organics cart— From a small pilot program in bringing the container home! I just give the a a petroleum-based film. PE won’t break cups, utensils and other items are trash. 2009, the list of participating wipe and drop in the recycling bin wherever I am. down in our compost piles. Compostable pet waste bags (and even restaurants, schools and Rather than poly-mers, compostable diapers), like all waste from animals other businesses has Honey Mustard Dressing­ or humans, should only go in the black bags are made from a mono-mer called just kept growing. Add the following items to the 2 teaspoons landfill cart. polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is a bio-plastic, You can search the full list at honey left in your jar: made from living materials like corn, Visit RecycleSmart.org/FoodScraps RecycleSmart.org/Restaurants potato or other starches. It makes sense to buy compostable bags and for a full • 1 teaspoon English mustard Is your favorite spot on the list? that thin films of these materials would list of what goes in—and what stays out • Salt & pepper to taste break down in a compost pile—like your of—the green cart. ROTATING SCREEN NUTRIENT-RICH SOIL FARMS, LANDSCAPING pumpkin seeds or cranberry sauce, they AMENDMENT • 2 tablespoons vinegar (white or apple cider) were alive not so long ago! • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Need More Info? World’s Easiest Ranch Dressing: GET YOUR BUILDING A GREEN CART! To a running-low mayonnaise jar (the calls for 1c. mayo, so I eyeball it), add: “Never miss If you don’t have a green cart at your Republic can send starter kits of a beet!” building, give your property manager a information, kitchen food scraps • 1 cup Editor, Janna McKay Organics, Recycling and Landfill call! Republic Services is working hard containers, and signage to your property [email protected] • 1 ranch dressing packet 925-685-4711 to get all homes in the area started with manager to help you and your neighbors For tips, resources and other composting, including apartments and get in on the compost action! Mix well (with a spoon and a good shake) recycling services! Ask your property manager to contact Republic Services about additional recycling, organic or landfill carts or other multifamily buildings. and enjoy! www.RecycleSmart.org bins, computer and TV collection, special clean ups 925-906-1801 or to request motor oil recycling kits, recycling tote [email protected] bags and kitchen food scrap containers.

HAVE TIPS TO SHARE? Printed on paper made from post consumer waste (PCW). Send your ideas to [email protected]

RECYCLESMART FALL 2019