The Environmental Classroom

The Environmental Classroom is Marin Sanitary Service’s (MSS) frontline in the battle for zero waste.  Educating Marin County on the importance of recycling and environmentally conscious purchasing begins here.

Education is a crucial element in reaching our goal of zero waste.  Everyone should be involved in the movement toward zero waste and MSS believes that involvement should begin at an early age.

The Marin Sanitary Tour

MSS invites students and teachers from across the Bay Area to tour our award-winning recycling facility. The tour is offered at no charge for school field trips and other civic and education groups. Education Coordinator, Devi Peri, leads the tour.  Please call (415) 458-5539 for more information.

Children Are Our Future

For over a decade, MSS has been dedicated to teaching children how to achieve our goal of zero waste. Every year, more than 2,200 students take our tour.  Every year, their words prove the power and promise of this work:

  • Matthew, 2nd Grade, “Dear Devi, You really explained the stuff at the center really well! Me and my friends are going to make a band and the instruments are going to be made out of recycled stuff - Your recycler.”
  • Saani, 2nd Grade, “Dear Devi, Thank you for letting us come to the recycle center I really liked it a lot. I wish I can come by again! You see a lot of recycling every day!  You must be proud of everybody recycling!”
  • Kyle, 2nd Grade, “Dear Devi, I had a lot of fun!  Thank you!!!! It was so fun I can’t choose my favorite part! Again thanks!!!!!”
  • Ms. Lee from Reed School wrote, “Dear Devi, I can’t thank you enough for showing us all how much we waste and what we can do to be more environmentally friendly.  Thank you! You are making the future a better place.”

It is our hope that through firsthand experience, all groups visiting our facilities will leave with a better understanding of the importance of recycling and how we all need to work together to reach a goal of zero waste.
Please call to schedule your tour today: Devi Peri (415) 458-5539.

How You Can Help

Everyday Things You Can Do to Reduce Waste

  • Waste not, want not. Buy only what you really need.  Think before you buy: Do I really need this?  How much will I use it?  Could I borrow or rent it instead of buying it?  And lend your items to friends!
  • Donate unwanted items to charity, friends or family
  • If it’s broken, fix it!  And, whenever possible, pay a bit more for more durable, long lasting products, rather than disposable ones.
  • Reuse glass jars and bottles, yogurt cups and margarine tubs, aluminum foil, fabric, boxes, bags, packing material, wrapping paper, etc.  When they can no longer be used or passed on to others remember to recycle all recyclable materials.
  • Bring your own coffee cup and water bottle rather than using disposables.
  • Just say no.  “No I don’t need a bag, I brought my own, thank you.”  Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store, drug store, hardware store, clothing stores, etc.  For one or two small items, just carry them out.
  • Less Packaging. Buy in bulk whenever possible (bring your own bags) and look for items with less packaging. When packaging is unavoidable, look for reusable, recyclable or recycled content packaging.
  • Buy used instead of new.  Buy clothing, furniture, toys, books and other items at consignment and thrift stores, garage sales, antique stores, etc.
  • Use cloth napkins, tablecloths and dishtowels instead of disposable paper items.  Rags can be made from soiled or torn clothing that can’t be donated.
  • Make double-sided photocopies to avoid paper waste. Use 100% recycled paper whenever possible.
  • Make your own notepads.  Paper that has been used on only one side can be cut and stapled to make handy note pads for the desk or by the phone. 
  • Buy rechargeable batteries that can be used over and over again and then bring them to Household Hazardous Waste Facility when you’ve exhausted them.
  • Pack waste-free lunches and picnics.  No more plastic wrap!  Instead use durable reusable containers or recyclable aluminum foil. No more disposable plates, cups and silverware.  Avoid juice boxes, foil drink containers, or Styrofoam containers (none of these items are recyclable).  Pack drinks in Thermos, steel or glass bottles.
  • Compost food scraps in a compost bin (with yard waste) or in a worm bin.
  • Write to companies to tell them what you think about their packaging and products.
  • Support organizations that promote waste reduction!

Reduce Waste at Work

  • Conduct a waste audit.
  • Make double sided copies.
  • Make fewer copies. Make only as many as you need and share when possible.
  • Avoid fax cover sheets. Use a plain paper fax.
  • Use single spacing and smaller fonts and margins to reduce the size of forms and reports. Eliminate unnecessary forms and reports.
  • Use e-mail and voice mail instead of memos whenever possible. Circulate written memos instead of distributing copies. Post announcements on bulletin boards.
  • Proof computer drafted documents on the screen before printing.
  • Fold, staple and address design mailers when sending direct mail to avoid the use of envelopes.
  • Purchase products with less packaging and reusable or recyclable packaging.
  • Buy in bulk when possible to reduce packaging waste.  Some vendors even take packaging back for reuse.
  • Print addresses directly on envelopes instead of labels.
  • Avoid non-recyclable papers such as glossy, thermal fax, adhesive (stickers, "post-its", etc.) or brightly colored papers.
  • Combine your garbage and recyclables with another office(s) if your office is small.
  • Place recycling containers at every workstation.  If that’s not possible, place well-labeled containers for recyclables in convenient, visible locations, such as near copiers and vending machines.
  • Collect and reuse paper that has only been printed on one side in fax machines, printers and copiers or as scratch paper.
  • Invest well in a copier and printer that will reliably produce double-sided copies.
  • Reuse envelopes and file folders. Place a label over or whiteout the old address. Use reusable envelopes for inter-office mail.
  • Use newspaper instead of polystyrene "peanuts" for packaging. Reuse packaging received in shipments. Mail Boxes, Etc. also accepts this packaging for reuse.
  • Use CALMAX! CalMAX is a free service designed to help businesses find markets for materials they have traditionally discarded.
  • Contact iReuse. Purchase remanufactured office equipment. Sell or give old equipment and furniture to others or donate to charity.
  • Borrow or rent equipment that you only use occasionally.
  • Encourage co-workers to keep reusable mugs, cups, plates and utensils at their desks and to bring their lunch from home in reusable containers.

Write a Letter to a Company

Dear (President, CEO, Sustainability Officer or To whom it may concern),

I have been using your products for many years and wish to continue to do so.  But I have become very concerned about the environmental impact of all the plastic trash in our waste stream.  Because of this concern, my family and our friends are beginning to search out and make an effort to only purchase products packaged in non-plastic, recyclable containers.

Has your company thought about changing to glass, metal, or cardboard containers that are completely recyclable?  It would be even better if the containers could be made out of recycled glass, metal or cardboard! (Have you heard about the 1989 marketing survey of 1000 adults which shows that 77 percent would pay more for a product packaged in recyclable or biodegradable material?)

I know work is in progress to try to make more plastics recyclable.  But I also know that we have a long way to go before it can be done in an environmentally safe fashion.  Also, because of the nature of plastic, it is impossible to completely recycle it back to its original form, as aluminum and glass can be.  Therefore, every plastic package is with us forever, whether it is in the landfill, a park bench or a street traffic cone; and our dwindling oil supply will continue to be squandered to make each new plastic container.

With national attention being drawn each day to the need for recycling, it would be wonderful to see a company such as yours moving ahead, becoming part of the environmental solution on a voluntary basis.

                                                                           
Sincerely,

Bay vs. The Bag

Save the Bay has made a creative and compelling video on why we should minimize the use of plastic bags in our lives.  To learn more about being plastic bag free check out the plastic bag free town.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PAPER

How is paper production related to forest destruction and global warming? Why is recycling and buying recycled paper important? Watch this video and find out.

To learn more, visit http://www.secret-life.org/paper/.

 

Know Your Resins:  What the Number in the Triangle Really Means

Learn more about recycling numbers here.

PETE PET or PETE – water, soda, sports drink & beer bottles, catsup bottles.  Recycled into cleaning product bottles, luggage, carpets, polar fleece, and car seats.
HDPE HDPE – milk, juice & shampoo bottles.  Recycled into lumber, flowerpots, pails, traffic cones, trash cans.
V V or PVC – Reynolds wrap, floor tiles, shower curtains, hoses, medical tubing, pipes and window frames.  Not/Rarely Recycled.
LDPE LDPE – Saran Wrap, Glad Wrap, bread bags, squeeze bottles and diaper liners. Not/Rarely Recycled.
PP PP – some yogurt & margarine containers, medicine bottles, straws and deli-dishes.  Recycled into signal lights, brooms, pallets, trays, and bins.
PS PS – “Styrofoam” – coffee cups, egg cartons, meat trays and CD jackets. Not/Rarely Recycled.
PS Miscellaneous – some bio-plastics, three and five-gallon water containers, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases and nylon. Not/Rarely Recycled.

Important Links

  • The Berkeley Ecology Center - Provides reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living.
  • Earth Resource - An environmental educational non-profit organization developed to empower the general public with the resources needed to make environmentally sustainable choices and changes.
  • California Product Stewardship Council - Involves consumers, government agencies and product manufacturers sharing the responsibility of reducing the impact of product waste on our environment.
  • San Rafael Clean – Dedicated to making San Rafael a litter free city.
  • Californians Against Waste - Dedicated to conserving resources, preventing pollution and protecting California’s environment through the development, promotion and implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs.
  • CalRecycle - Promotes a zero waste California in partnership with local government, industry, and the public.
  • Zero Waste California - Promotes the goals of market development, recycled product procurement; provides recycled purchase opportunities and continues to research new and sustainable technologies.
  • Green Sangha - Dedicated to restoring our sense of oneness—healing our communities and the earth through mindful practice and awakened action.