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 Sept. 12, Oct. 10 Saturdays - 11am-12:30 pm at Sotheby's Realty, 240 Winslow Way East (next to Bon Bon) November 10 (location and time may change if we decide to have a retreat)
NEXT MEETING - Wednesday,September 13,7-8:30pm at the Marge Williams Center, 221 Winslow Way West
* : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *: * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : *: * : * : * : ATTENTION! UPS is no longer accepting Styrofoam peanuts for reuse because they were receiving complaints that the peanuts included debris or compostable peanuts. You may still take clean bubble wrap and air pillows.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! FARMERS' MARKET KUDOS - About five years ago the Bainbridge Island farmers' market board voted to go low-waste. Vendors are required to use compostable service ware whenever possible. Some vendors go above and beyond. Zero Waste would like to recognize the following FM vendors for their extra efforts that reduce landill waste:
1. Kurdish Kitchen - For serving lemonade without a lid or straw 2. Coquette Bake Shop - For using paper straws
3. Clara's Wok - For reducing compostable waste by serving on-site meals in half clamshells
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^ STYROFOAM and CD DISK (NO cases) RECYCLING,July 21 & 22 - BI Zero Waste continued to set record numbers at our Styrofoam recycling collection, a semi-annual event
co-sponsored by Bay Hay and Feed and Beryllium Discovery. Thirty five
wonderful volunteers curated and snapped for a collective 80 hours to fill 70 gigantic
bags from 200 droppers-off, who donated $364 to ZW program efforts. Bay
Hay owner Howard Block has already driven two stuffed van loads to Styro Recycle
in Kent on regular business trips to the area and will over time transport the
remaining amount. The next event
will probably be the last weekend in January. Start saving up now (in a
clean, dry place).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^- 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.
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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:
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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.
