Bainbridge Island Zero Waste, an initiative of Sustainable Bainbridge, is dedicated to reducing the amount of trash generated on Bainbridge Island. We are diverting resources bound for the landfill by promoting waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting.
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Want to be on the BI Zero Waste listserv
and receive 2-4 emails a month?
You'll hear about ZW activities, field trips, special recycling events,
regional ZW news and monthly meeting dates, as well as be part of
the collective wisdom when we pose questions to the group.
Contact us for any reason at
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ZERO WASTE MONTHLY MEETINGS - Held the second Wednesday of the month
except on quarterly Saturdays. Wednesdays - 7 pm-8:30 pm at the Marge Williams Center, 221 Winslow Way West May 9, June 13, NO JULY, Sept. 12, Oct. 10 Saturdays - 11am-12:30 pm at Sotheby's Realty, 240 Winslow Way East (next to Bon Bon) April 14, August 11, November 10
NEXT MEETING - Wednesday, June 13, 7pm-8:30pm, at the Marge Williams Center, 221 Winslow Way West
* : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *: * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *: * : * : * : CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL BI ZERO WASTE VOLUNTEERS!!! We have received the Washington State Recycling Association's 2108 Nonprofit of the Year award. Thanks for all you do, such as staffing discard stations, snapping Styro, creating signs, attending meetings, writing documents, and a whole lot more. Our biggest volunteer ask is just ahead. Keep reading to find out how to help.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - The July 3rd Street Dance and the July 4th celebration are the two biggest public events on Bainbridge. Zero Waste sets up discard stations to capture the recyclables and compostables. We stand at the stations to make sure guests throw their stuff away in the right containers. We have 56 two-hour time slots to fill. Please sign up at the links indicated to help us divert over 75% from the landfill.
July 3 (5:30pm-9:30pm) - Sign up here.
July 4 (7am-6:30pm) - Sign up here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROTARY GREEN TEAM VOLUNTEERS - June 22-30, and day/afternoon of sale
As donations roll in and departments process them, the Green Team makes sure that any unusable items and packing material find a home other than landfill. Green Team members help with recycling (roaming the halls and checking on discard stations), item sorting (Land of Opportunity), information management (GT desk) and mealtime food stations (make sure eaters toss their stuff in the right containers).
Please sign up here to help.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^- STYROFOAM RECYCLING @ Kitsap Fairgrounds - July 7, 9am-3pm. Must be clean, dry, white, snappable, all labels and tape removed. Coolers accepted (no labels or tape). Kitsap will accept some things that we will not at the Bainbridge Styro recycling collection event. Please see Kitsap's flier here.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ STYROFOAM and CD DISK (NO cases) RECYCLING - July 21 & 22, 10am-4pm at Bay Hay and Feed. Styro must be clean, dry, white, snappable, all labels and tape removed. Coolers accepted (no labels or tape). No peanuts (UPS accepts Styro peanuts.) We are only accepting CDs, not their cases, this time. Volunteers needed to help snap! Sign up here. Please include your email if you are not on the Zero Waste email list to receive a reminder and more details as a volunteer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NONRECYCLABLE PLASTIC COLLECTION - V Calvez is making insulated "brick" blocks from some types of nonrecyclable plastic to create an exterior for the Earth Cube composting vessel. Please read all the details here.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^- DONATE OLDER iPADS - Dale Spoor, has volunteered extensively on our sister island, Ometepe, with the deaf children. Dale introduced them to Nicaraguan Sign Language 10 years ago. However, their vocabulary is still somewhat limited: the older kids are teaching the younger kids, but the older kids themselves have not had much training or access to broader vocabulary. Dale recently received an electronic dictionary that contains over 20,000 Nicaraguan Sign Language words and figured out how to get it onto an iPad. Now he would like to gift each of the 20 children, who have no access to a computer or other technology, an older iPad with the dictionary uploaded. If you have any, please contact Dale at dale[dot]spoor27[at]gmail[dot]com.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Persephone Farm @ the Bainbridge Farmers' Market
You'll see farmer Rebecca Slattery at her west-end booth every Saturday.
In addition to selling bouquets, starts, greens and other produce, she will take the following items from you for REUSE. Just stop by her booth any Saturday, 9am-1pm.
1) Plant pots - 4" square type
2) Paper grocery bags - the large size, broken handles okay. Rebecca folds down the top to make a secure carrier for starts purchases.
3) Green paper molded or plastic berry baskets - for her berries
4) Certain plastic bags - specifically, a) returning the bags she sells produce in, b) produce bags from the store or c) bread bags IF all crumbs have been shaken out thoroughly. Rebecca puts the bouquets she sells in them.
5) Rubber bands - She wraps around the bouquet stems.
6) Quart-sized #5 plastic (PP) containers - Clean! NO LIDS, clear or white. She puts edible flowers in them that she sells to restaurants.
`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.`.` TRASHION SHOW - The dynamic duo of Lousana Campagna and Patricia Intihar put
on a show of shows last Sunday, when the third annual sold-out BI Zero
Waste Trashion Show rocked IslandWood.
Congratulations to the first-place finishers of Repurposed Fashion and
Trashion Couture, Janell Abbott and Andy Rovelstad, respectively. (Andy’s
creation is pictured here.) All winners
and photos will be posted on the BI Trashion Show website.
Gratitude abounds.
First, to Christina Doherty and staff at IslandWood, our wonderful
host.
Second, to sponsors of our prize money: Bainbridge Disposal, Jefferson Fine
Home Builders, Diane Sugden and Patti Shannon of Windermere Realty, Kitsap Bank and Sash Mercantile.
Third, to the emcees, Shannon Dowling and James Sgambati and to judges Lindsay
Masters, Mark Nichols, Kelly Johnston and John Nordgren.
Fourth, to our gift donors: Eleven Winery, Grounds for Change, Hildebrand
Cleaners, Alchemy Goods, Blackbird Bakery and Esther’s Fabrics.
Fifth, to Melissa Timme of Timme Photo, whose pictures will provide memories
for years to come.
Sixth, to Zero Waste volunteer Rachel Knudson, for her pre-show bunting
activity, and other ZW helpers Jane Martin, Dawn Snider and Barbara Ochota.
Seventh, to our community partners: Sakai Intermediate School (shoe project
display), Bainbridge Performing Arts (musical act in repurposed costumes
designed by Trashion Show originator Naomi Spinak), BARN (Sue Van Duine hosting
costume-creating sessions), filmmaker and Buy Nothing co-founder Liesl Clark
(the short, "Rag Pickers of Bainbridge Island”) and displays from artist Sulo
Turner and jewelry maker Jane Martin.
Eighth, to The Art Project and Esther’s Fabrics, who will soon be displaying
some of the actual Trashion Show outfits. Come be amazed by the craftsmanship
and creativity of wearable art. =`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=` MEDICATION TAKE-BACK YEAR-ROUND - In late 2017, the Kitsap Public Health Board approved an ordinance establishing secure medicine return regulations throughout the county, including on Bainbridge. On the island, the police station is where our dropbox is located (no needles!). It is free for all county residents. Those who are homebound may dispose of unused medicine by mail at no cost. Go here for all the details.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ REUSABLE BAGS - The UPS Store on High School Road is giving away reusable bags. Just pick one up from the boxes at the front of the store as you walk in.
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'Cause breaking up (with single-use plastics) is GOOD to do! ...
STOP FOOD WASTE - How to store 100 fruit and vegetables to prevent spoilage. See pages 4-11 of this guide by Seattle Public Utilities. Wasted food = wasted resources (water and energy used to produce, package and transport) and money down the drain.
Except for infant formula, the following dates on food/drink packaging do NOT mean, "throw away". (Source: Food and Drug Administration): "Best if Used By/Before" indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date. "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.
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INSPIRATION for students and adults alike...
Check out this 4-minute video of 4 years of trash, then choose some of Lauren Singer's "Trash is for Tossers" brief FAQ youtube clips to see how to make one change at a time toward a zero waste lifestyle:
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PLASTICS SUMMIT - Organized by Zero Waste Washington and held on September 25, 2017. To see slides and/or listen to the presentations, go here.
^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * PLASTIC PLEDGE - Single-use plastic: We use for minutes, yet it lives on for hundreds of years. Plastic is fast becoming the fatal food of marine animals, as plastic bits are on pace to outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050. (And behavioral evidence says they seek out plastic because the biological matter covering it, like algae, mimics the smell of food).
Take our plastic pledge. For one month, switch from using a single-use plastic item to a durable one (or none at all). We're hoping it becomes a lifelong habit!
Start with this: Stop sucking!
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+ PLASTIC FILM RECYCLING - Plastic bags are the #1 contaminant in recycling. They do NOT belong in the curbside bin or at the transfer station. They DO belong in the designated container at the grocery store.
Besides plastic bags, any #2 or #4 film (you can stretch it by pushing your thumb into it) can be put in this designated store container, such as the following (source - plasticfilmrecycling.org):
>> Retail, carryout, produce, newspaper, bread, and dry cleaning bags (clean, dry and free of receipts and clothes hangers)
>> Zip-top food storage bags (clean and dry)
>> Plastic shipping envelopes (remove labels), bubble wrap and air pillows (deflate)
>> Product wrap on cases of water/soda bottles, paper towels, napkins, disposable cups, bathroom tissue, diapers, and female sanitary products
>> Furniture and electronic wrap
>> Plastic cereal box liners (but if it tears like paper, do not include)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ REUSE at the UPS STORE - The UPS Store will take the following plastics for reuse in their packaging:
1) Styrofoam "peanuts" - not compostable peanuts
2) Bubble wrap - clean!!! (Also reused at Meli Melo Island Vintage Boutique)
3) Air pillows - may not have a promotional brand name on them other than that of the air pillow maker
4) EPS #6 Styrofoam flat sheets - not more than 2" thick
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FOOD DISPOSAL - Clean your plate! But if you have leftovers, ANY scraps-- including meat and bones! -- can go in the Bainbridge Disposal yard waste container. Go here to receive service. Bainbridge Disposal trucks the island's yard waste to North Mason Fiber in Belfair.
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| RECYCLE ANYTHING WITH A CORD (that is, if you can't pass it on or fix it) - Take to Bainbridge Disposal Transfer Station. Put in designated box in the e-waste section.
" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " PARTY TIME! - Throwing a big bash? Keep disposal costs down by borrowing tableware from Zero Waste. ZW has a lending library of reusable dishes, cups, glasses, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Contact
for your next function.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x WHERE DOES OUR RECYCLING GO? - It is trucked to the Port of Tacoma to a materials recovery facility (MRF, pronounced "murf") run by Waste Management. There the mixed recyclables are sorted by type, baled, then sold off to be processed into new materials. Here is a short video explaining the general process. For a bit longer video about the actual Kitsap County recycling process, go here.
