March 2020 – The Sausalito Sustainability Commission joined us Around the Table last month to discuss updates to Sausalito’s Climate Action Plan. A key element of the plan is to reach zero waste goals. The Commission is working to educate and encourage local residents and businesses to properly sort waste materials.
In Sausalito, Bay City Refuse picks up Green Waste, Recycling, and Landfill Waste on a weekly basis. Here are some helpful guidelines for proper sorting:
Recycling
Recycling is changing with the global market. The Sausalito Sustainability Commission estimates that 90% of recyclable materials end up in landfills. With these new challenges, ditching plastic is an increasingly important step we can all take to reduce waste.
The blue cart is for co-mingled recycling. All glass, aluminum, tin, newspaper, junk mail, magazines, etc. are to be placed in this cart and placed at the curb every week. No need to separate, place it all in the cart. Recycling loads must now be cleaner to be accepted for processing – never put trash in your recycling cart.
Composting
Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 28% of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
The green cart is for household “Green Waste” and compostable food scraps. See the graphic below for guidelines on what is compostable and what is not.
What can you do to help?
- Take personal responsibility—keep trash out of your recycling containers.
- Put materials in the correct containers
- Place recyclables loose in the recycling container.
- Plastic bags/thin films must be placed in a large clear plastic bag and tied off.
- Put food soiled paper (napkins/paper food boxes) in the organics container.
- Wipe or scrape food residue out of containers.
- Containers should be clean, but do not need to be spotless.
- Keep food containers, paper and plastic Empty, Clean and Dry.
- And most of all… NO GARBAGE IN RECYCLING CONTAINERS!
- Check out Zero Waste Marin’s guide to recycling unwanted items.
