NewsFlash
September 2016   |
|
|
The Rover is on the move!
The Rover is CSWD’s mobile household hazardous waste collection unit that stops once in each town and accepts household hazardous wastes from residents.
The Rover accepts household hazardous wastes such as paints and stains, automotive fluids, hobby supplies, pesticides, fertilizers, household cleaners, and similar items with the words “Danger,” “Caution,” “Warning,” or “Poison” on the label, including items on this list of household hazardous waste items.
(NOTE: The Rover is available at no charge to Chittenden County households. Fees apply to residents from other towns.)
The Rover Schedule:
September 3: Jericho Highway Garage 9:00 – 1:00
September 10: Richmond CSWD Drop-Off Center 8:00 – 3:30
September 24: Huntington Center Fire Station 9:00 – 1:00
October 1: Williston CSWD Drop-Off Center 8:00 – 3:30
October 8: St. George Town Center 9:00 – 1:00
October 15: Bolton Fire Station 9:00 – 1:00
Need more info? Call our Hotline at 872-8111 or visit cswd.net
Can’t make it to the Rover on any of these dates? Bring it to CSWD’s Environmental Depot any time of year! 1011 Airport Parkway, South Burlington.
Wednesday-Friday 8-2; Saturday 8-3:30.
The fine print: The Environmental Depot is available free to Chittenden County residents. Some fees apply for businesses and out-of-District residents.
|
|
|
Trash & recycling bin pairing law — done right
“Make it convenient, make it obvious, and make it hard to do the wrong thing!” That’s the mantra Michele Morris goes by. She’s CSWD’s Business Outreach Coordinator, and she offers businesses tools, tips, even grant money to help them meet trash and recycling bin pairing, labeling and color requirements that took effect July 1, 2016.
Recycling has been mandatory for businesses and residents of Chittenden County since 1993. Now, over two decades later, we estimate that businesses are still sending more than 21 million pounds of recyclables to the landfill. Research shows that an effective way to capture more recyclables is to pair trash containers with recycling containers. That practice is now law in Chittenden County, wherever a trash can is available for public use. Jude Chicoine couldn’t agree more. He owns Seaway Car Wash locations in South Burlington and Colchester. “I think having the law is a good thing,” he says. “This plastic shouldn’t be going in the landfill. We should be doing something with it. You can’t miss my bold, new recycling containers when you pull up to clean out your car,” says Chicoine. “We love that kind of commitment,” says Morris of CSWD. “Not only do we want to capture more recyclables, but we also now have labeling requirements to make sure that folks are recycling the right materials.” Recycling containers in restrooms are are NOT required. The bottom line, Morris notes, is that all businesses are responsible for making sure their trash doesn’t contain recyclable items, and that trash is kept out of the recycling container. “The best way to avoid a fine or an issue with your trash and recycling hauling company,” says Morris, “is to have a clearly labeled, blue recycling container as close as possible to a non-blue trash bin.” There are many ways to abide by the law, and it doesn’t always involve spending a lot of money on expensive new containers. Many businesses can simply paint, re-label, and repurpose existing trash cans as recycling containers. CSWD can provide stickers and advice to make this work. Grant funding to help defray the cost of new bins is also available through CSWD. “We knew that we were going to have to spend money to meet the law,” says Kim Gobeille, owner of Burlington Bay Market & Café on Battery Street in Burlington. “The grant made it a little bit easier. It was nice to have the assistance, for sure.” Both Chicoine and Gobeille received a reimbursement of 40% of the cost of the trash and recycling waste stations they each chose. They worked with Morris to be sure the bins would meet grant requirements and fit their specific space and customer needs. Schools, not-for-profit and government applicants can receive reimbursement of up to 50% of their investment.
All grants have a cap of $3,000 for this fiscal year, and just over $8,700 remains from the initial pool of $15,000 provided in this round of funding. Funding requests will be considered until June 1, 2017 or all funds are disbursed, whichever comes first.
“I think people are recycling more,” says Gobeille, “because it’s more easily understood.” That, after all, is the whole point.
For more details on the bin pairing, color and labeling requirements, see our Bin Pairing page. For container grant details see our Recycling and Composting Container Grants page. For any business-waste related questions, contact Michele Morris at mmorris@cswd.net, or call (802) 872-8100 x237.
|
|
|
Free backyard composting workshops at Green Mountain Compost
Discover the benefits of “closing the loop” with your own household food scraps in this interactive, hands-on demonstration of a healthy backyard compost system — one that works for you all year ’round!
WHEN: Monday, September 12, 5-6 pm or Thursday, September 15, 5 to 6 pm.
WHERE: Green Mountain Compost Edu-Shed (1042 Redmond Rd., Williston)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: This is a popular class and space is limited —
Here’s what you’ll learn:
– What type of bin is best for you – find free bin plans here.
– Where to locate your bin – What to put into your bin (and what to avoid!) – How to manage your bin – Troubleshooting – Harvesting your compost – Alternatives to a backyard bin (pick up service, or drop-off composting) – And more!
|
|
|
And now, a message from your refrigerator
Your refrigerator is trying to tell you something. It may just come across as a low “hummmm,” along with an occasional quiet rattle or even an earnest “rrrRRRrrrRRRrrr.” Here at CSWD, we know exactly what it’s saying: “I’m not living up to my potential.”
Yep. Your refrigerator has feelings, too, and wants you to know that it is a LOT more than just cold storage for your culinary aspirations. Different foods need different environments. Even the simplest fridge knows how to lean on the laws of physics to provide those environments. Check it out — and you might end up wasting a lot less food: – Cold air is heavy, man. I’ll leave it to the experts to explain why, but cold air weighs more than warm air, so it tends to sink. Use the laws of physics to your advantage and store the most-perishable items, such as eggs, dairy, and meat, on the bottom shelf, where the coolest air hangs out. – The door is the warmest spot in your fridge. Store items that have the longest shelf life there, such as condiments, juices, and water. – Ready-to-eat foods go on the top shelf. The most consistent — but not the coldest — temps up here are best for leftovers, dips, tortillas, herbs, etc. – Crisper-drawer technique: It’s pretty basic — store fruits in one drawer on a low-humidity setting. Use the handy mnemonic “low-hanging fruit” to remember to dial the humidity to “low” for your fruit drawer. Veggies, on the other hand, prefer higher humidity setting. Also, many fruits emit ethylene gas, which speeds ripening, so help your veggies stay at peak longer by keeping them out of reach of fruit gas. But wait! There’s more, and your fridge has been waiting for you to get on it. Visit our website to find some great food-waste-busting tip sheets, or check out this great fridge resource article that breaks it all down nicely and includes an easy-to-use pictograph. |
|
|
Send us your garden shots!
The annual Green Mountain Compost Show Us Your Bounty Contest is back! Send us shots of your garden’s bounty and you could win some bountiful prizes, like a mountain of compost delivered to your yard, baseball caps, pint glasses, bags of compost products … and more! The contest runs from September 1st – 30th. Visit the contest page to find out how to participate — and get snapping!  |
|
|
Help wanted: Must love compost — and biking
 We’re looking for a friendly composting and biking enthusiast! You’ll be a combassador… er, compostador .. uh … Compost ambassador! Your job will be to pedal a festive trailer full of info and give-aways to farmer’s markets and other fun events to promote CSWD’s Drop-Off Composting program. Estimated time commitment is 5-10 hours per week, now through mid-October. Potential for academic credit, or simply a great environmental education and outreach experience to add to your resume.Interested? Please send your resume and brief e-mail describing why you are a good fit for this position to mkeough@cswd.net. |
|
|
Let’s do some back-to-school swapping!
by Rhonda Mace, CSWD School & Youth Outreach Coordinator
Hot dog — it’s time for back-to-school shopping! Or maybe we should make it back-to-school swapping. When I was a kid, August was the only time I was allowed to get one new outfit for school (I was the youngest of 4). The rest of my duds were hand-me-downs. I wasn’t fond of having to wear my older siblings’ clothes but, for my family, it was a financial necessity. Little did I know back then that it was also great for the planet! Chittenden County residents send over 7 million pounds of clothing and textiles to the landfill each year. In case you were skimming, stop and read that last number again: Seven. Million. Pounds. And that’s just from Chittenden County! Much of that could have been recycled into other products or passed on to fellow Vermonters who would love to spice up their wardrobe or linen closet with something you no longer want.
If swapping clothes and blankets with a neighbor isn’t a possibility, consider delivering your duds to a consignment store, reuse store, or charity. NOTE: Everything you donate must be clean, dry, and free of moldy or smoky smells.
The following facilities accept a wide array of wearable clothing as well as clothing torn beyond usability, rags, sheets, towels, fabric scraps, and accessories like shoes, belts, etc.:
CSWD Drop-Off Centers Please bag all items and deposit them in the clothing donation box in the facility. Anyone from any town may use any of our seven sites around Chittenden County.
Salvation Army (336 North Winooski Ave., Burlington; 864-9552) accepts donations at its location in Burlington for donations of clothing, textiles, rags household goods, and more at this Burlington location.
In addition, many local consignment shops, charities, retailers, and resale shops in Chittenden County accept and resell or give away many types of reusable items — clothing, sheets, towels, school supplies, furniture, household goods, books, and more. Visit CSWD’s Reuse & Donation Options page for a list. You can drop off the old and pick up the ‘new’ at a fraction of the cost — economically and environmentally.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where did that huuuuge number come from? CSWD conducts waste studies every five years — the latest was in 2015 — where we sort through representative samples of residential trash to determine what is still being tossed into the landfill. Yep, we don’t just talk trash here at CSWD, we study it. We found a lot of clothing and textiles — 7,786,000 pounds’ worth. Woah — we can do better than that! Call our hotline at (802) 872-8111 or e-mail us at info@cswd.net if you want some help figuring out how to keep it out of the landfill! |
|
|
Your unused bike or sewing machine can change a life
Got a bike or a sewing machine collecting dust? Set it free to become a life-changing gift for someone who could really use it. Bring it to the annual Pedals for Progress (P4P) collection sponsored by the Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
WHEN: Saturday, September 24th, 9am – 1pm
WHERE: The old K-Mart parking lot at 947 Shelburne Rd., South Burlington
DONATION: A tax-deductible $10 donation with each bike or sewing machine will help defray the cost of shipping. For more information, call Joanne Heidkamp at802-238-5414
Visit them on Facebook.
Since 1991, P4P has collected and shipped over 145,000 bikes and 3000 sewing machines. Locally in Vermont, the group has collected over 3000 bikes and 200 sewing machines.
Another option is to donate your bike to Bike Recycle Vermont, where they’ll poach working parts from un-rebuildable bikes and restore others for use by fellow Vermonters in need. Check ’em out! As for that sewing machine, if it works, you can also donate it to one of the many local charities or reuse stores listed on our reuse and donation page. |
|
|
Funding available for school climate action projects
Got a composting or recycling project you want to make happen at school but can’t find a way to fund it? Thanks to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Vermont Energy Education Project is providing grant funding to help get climate action projects off the ground.
As for recyclables, it typically takes a lot more energy to extract, transport, and process raw materials into virgin plastics and paper than it does to use already existing plastics and paper to make more of the same. Recycling’s impact: less carbon in our atmosphere.
That’s what makes your school’s recycling or composting project a perfect fit for the EPA grant. Check out the Vermont Energy Education Project and see if your project meets VEEP’s goals for addressing climate change and improving environmental literacy among students in Vermont schools.
Deadline to apply is November 15, 2016. Grants will be awarded byDecember 1, 2016.
|
Wait: What does keeping food scraps and recyclables out of the landfill have to do with climate action? Good question! When food scraps, yard debris, paper, and other products made from natural materials are buried in a landfill, they stay there for a really, really long time. As they slowly decompose, they produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to the EPA,
|
|
CSWD Calendar
Monday, September 5 – Labor Day
CSWD: All facilities will be closed in observance of the holiday. Facilities will be open during their regular business hours before and after the holiday.
Burlington: Recycling will be NOT be picked up on Labor Day in Burlington. If your recycling day falls on that day, your recyclables will be collected the following week on your recycling day. Call Burlington Public Works at 863-9094 to confirm their collection schedule.
Curbside trash/recycling services outside of Burlington: To find out if your hauler will be taking Labor Day off, please call them directly. You can find contact numbers on our website’s hauler info page.
Private transfer stations and recycling facilities (All Cycle, Casella, McNeil, Myers, etc.): Please call those facilities directly for holiday closure information. Visit our large loads page for a list of facilities and contact numbers. Friday, September 9: One of CSWD’s huge, spectacular Art of Recyclingcontainers will be at Dealer.com during the annual South End Art Hop in Burlington. Stop by, say hi, enjoy Dealer.com’s “Color of Community” Parking Lot Party. Monday, September 12 or Thursday, September 15: Free backyard composting workshops at Green Mountain Compost in Williston. For more info and to register, visit the workshop registration page. Saturday, September 17: Visit the CSWD booth at the Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival! Rhonda Mace, CSWD School & Youth Outreach Coordinator will be there with her famous composting worm gang as well as some really fun recycling and composting games! (10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visit the Shelburne Farmswebsite for more info.) |