Are We Recycling As Much As We Can? how are we doing keeping recycling out of the GARBAGE?

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1 Spring 2009 Are We Recycling As Much As We Can? how are we doing keeping recycling out of the GARBAGE? To find out, a waste characterization study will be conducted to help us evaluate the effectiveness of our collection, recycling and disposal programs. Over the next year, the county will coordinate three seasonal reviews of garbage from different geographic areas and sources. Results of the analysis will help identify where we can expand recycling programs and focus education and outreach. The first waste sort is scheduled for May. Right now we are gathering information from county solid waste haulers and their disposal locations regarding current routes, customer counts and disposal volumes. This data will help determine transportation routes of solid waste in the county, and will form the basis for how samples of waste are randomly selected for sorting. What will happen during the audit? Samples from incoming loads of waste will be collected. Typically 200 to 300 pounds of a garbage truck load will become the audited sample. The sample is transferred to a specially designed table to be physically sorted into more than 60 categories comprised of several key material types (paper, plastic, glass, etc.) Each sample is hand-sorted piece by piece and placed into bins. After the entire sample is sorted, the bins are weighed and recorded. This process is repeated more than 400 times, so we can obtain statistically representative results from the county s waste streams. Data collected for each sample is entered into a database, which tabulates the composition of each waste stream. The team conducting the audit includes the Pierce County Solid Waste Division; Pierce County Recycling, Composting and Disposal, LLC (LRI, Inc.); the garbage haulers and engineering consulting firm R.W. Beck. Audit covers more than household waste Besides residential garbage (single, multi-family and self-hauled), the waste audit will collect data about the commercial/industrial sector. Determining the amount and type of waste received by an area will be useful for future decision making. Stay tuned for updates Pierce County s last waste audit was in We re eager to see the results of our new audit to find out how our system has changed over the past 14 years. We will publish updates in the Earth Matters newsletter, and audit results will be posted on our website next year. Earth Matters is a publication of Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, Solid Waste Division. Printed on 30% post-consumer recycled paper and recyclable through Pierce County s curbside recycling program. Pierce County Executive: Pierce County Council: Roger Bush, Chair Pat McCarthy Shawn Bunney Tim Farrell Joyce McDonald Barbara Gelman Terry Lee Dick Muri

2 FROM OUR MAILBAG Q. I shred my junk mail; can I still recycle it? A. Yes. Put the shredded paper in a brown paper bag (not a plastic bag), roll down the top and place it in your recycling cart. (Then the shredded paper doesn t fly out onto your street when emptied into the recycling truck.) Q. Can I recycle plastic bottle caps in the recycling cart? A. No. Please throw away the plastic bottle caps. Plastic caps are often made from a type of plastic that is different from the main part of the container and generally are not recyclable. In addition, completely empty the bottles. This improves the quality and marketability of the collected bottles. Q. Where can I get my garbage, recycling or yardwaste schedule? A. Contact your garbage hauler, or visit the Pierce County Solid Waste website for a link to your hauler s website to download your schedule. Go to org/recycle (click on link to Garbage Service ). EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22nd Simple actions make a big difference In the kitchen... Set the refrigerator temperature between 38 F and 42 F. Don t wash dishes with the water running. In the dining room... Use cloth napkins, washable plates, cups and silverware. In the laundry... Wash and dry only full loads. Wash with warm water instead of hot. Rinse with cold water instead of warm. Hang clothes out to dry when possible. In the bathroom... Shut off the water while brushing your teeth and in the shower while soaping or scrubbing. Install a low-flow shower head. Reduce the volume of water in your toilet tank. In the living room... Switch off unnecessary lights. Dress warm: don t turn up the furnace. Dress cool: don t turn on the air conditioner. Raise shades on winter days; lower them in summer. In the yard... Compost leaves and grass clippings. Avoid pesticides, use nontoxic alternatives. Plant a tree. In the garage... Recycle motor oil, antifreeze and car batteries. In the car... Check the tire pressure monthly. Change air and oil filters regularly. At the store Don t buy overpackaged items. Choose products in reusable and/or recyclable containers. Buy concentrated cleaners and detergents. Bring your own tote bags. At work... Send electronic copies whenever possible. Copy reports and memos on both sides. Reuse tubes and envelopes for mailing. Recycle. At play... Carry out what you carry in. Hike, row, sail, ski or paddle don t motor. Observe, don t disturb wildlife and plant life. Share books, cassettes, magazines and videotapes with friends, hospitals, etc. At school Copy bulletins and exams on two sides, make notes and drafts on scrap paper. Serve with reusable trays, dishes and silverware. Compost cafeteria fruit and vegetable waste. RECYCLE!... Spring Cleaning? REMEMBER TO RECYCLE ELECTRONICS RECYCLING IS EASIER THAN EVER: Recycle your computers, monitors and TVs free of charge at more than 30 Pierce County locations through the E-Cycle Washington program. Visit www. ecyclewashington.org or call RECYCLE for more information. Another electronics recycling option: The Take It Back Network is a consortium of businesses committed to recycling electronics in a safe, efficient and cost-effective manner. Items are recycled for a small fee: backnetwork.org or (253) good2toss? Before you take perfectly good household items or building materials to the landfill, check out this free online option: This website is designed to help you get rid of usable items such as appliances, furniture, carpet, windows and more. Listings are posted for free. Items must be offered for $199 or less. Take care of your hazardous waste safely: All Pierce County residents may bring household hazardous items to the following facilities free of charge: Tacoma Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 3510 S. Mullen St., (253) (open 8 a.m. 6 p.m., seven days a week, except major holidays) Hidden Valley Transfer Station, Meridian Street E., Puyallup (253) (open Tuesday & Thursday, 8 a.m. noon and 1-5 p.m.) For details on how to prepare household hazardous waste for transportation, call the Hazardous Waste Line at (800) or visit Please limit the amount of materials to less than 35 gallons or 35 items per visit. Waste generated by businesses will not be accepted.

3 Work Smarter Outdoors Try Natural Yard Care Lots of Free Advice Helps You Dig Into Spring As you plan yard and garden activities this spring, consider how you can use natural yard care techniques. Sometimes we use too many chemicals or water inefficiently. Natural yard care activities help you have a greatlooking landscape that s easier to care for and better for our environment. Following are tips and information to get you started in natural lawn care. Topic General information: WSU MasterGardeners (253) Integrated pest management Noxious weed control Pesticide safety and regulations (Department of Agriculture) Hazardous chemical alternatives and safe disposal options or toxicfreetips@ecy.wa.gov Protecting our water quality Water conservation, indoors and outdoor Building healthy soil and erosion control Choosing the right plant for the right place (includes photos) Native plant information Tips for Natural Yard Care at Your House Flower and vegetable gardens Prepare new planting beds and gardens by mixing in 1-2 inches of compost. Pull weeds when they first start growing, while soil is moist and roots are short, before they go to seed. When purchasing new plants, look for drought-tolerant species and insectresistant varieties. Pest problems? See integrated pest management in the chart below. Natural Solutions Available for Pesky Problems Composting how-to information, including bin designs Website Tree and shrub beds Prepare new tree and shrub beds by mixing compost into the entire bed (not just planting holes) or plant trees in native soil. Mulch well with 3-4 inches of wood chips. Lawns Start mowing about 2 inches high for most lawns, or 1 inch for bentgrass lawns. Grasscycle by leaving the clippings behind it s free fertilizer. Rescue lawns in poor condition: aerate, overseed and top dress with ½ inch of compost. Fertilize lawns in May with natural organic or slow release fertilizer. Watering Prepare sprinkler systems by testing, adjusting and repairing leaks. Lay soaker hoses in beds and cover with mulch. or Check soil moisture at plant roots before watering don t water until they need it. Composting Harvest compost from your bin. Throw any sticks or stalks back in for another cycle. For information about composting, call us at (253) or visit our website at countywa.org/ compost.... Soak Up the Benefits of a Rain Garden A rain garden is a shallow depression in a yard planted with a variety of flowers, shrubs and grasses that don t mind getting their feet wet. Learn how rain gardens help soak up rainwater from downspouts, driveways and sidewalks, while protecting our local waterways. When planted with the right types of plants, rain gardens also attract birds, butterflies and bees. Rain garden workshops 6:30 8:30 p.m. Choose from these dates: April 20, University Place April 30, Edgewood May 28, Puyallup Workshops are free, and advance registration is required. For more information, contact the Pierce Stream Team at (253) or streamteam@piercecountycd.org. Local Garden Centers Support Natural Yard Care Use natural yard care practices and products and you ll be doing your part to help the environment. Plus, you ll have a beautiful yard that is healthy for your family, pets and neighborhood. The following retailers are independent local nurseries and garden centers that are Envirostars-certified, or they: 1) carry products for natural yard care such as natural-organic fertilizers, less toxic pest- and weedcontrol products, and smart watering tools and 2) practice less-toxic pest control in their nursery. Alpine Nursery & Landscape Puyallup (253) Envirostars certified Gardensphere Tacoma (253) Peninsula Gardens Gig Harbor (253) Sunnycrest Nursery & Floral Lakebay (253) Watson s Greenhouse Puyallup (253) Windmill Gardens Sumner (253)

4 WINTER STORM RESPONSE Heavy rainfall produced two major floods in early November and January. The January flood, caused by most areas receiving 3 to 6 inches of rain in 2 ½ days, resulted in a Presidential Declaration of disaster. While some flooding did occur, this was not considered a 100- year storm event which typically gets 4 inches in a 24-hour period or 12 inches in a 7-day period. In between the flooding, the county was hit hard by snowstorms. Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, along with Department of Emergency Management and other departments and agencies, enacted their emergency plans and helped people throughout the area. Department leaders extend their thanks to their crews and the many volunteers who helped their neighbors during the floods and snowstorm. Following is a summary of Public Works and Utilities storm response. FLOOD Levees, storm ponds helped control flood The Surface Water Management Division was pleased to see that the flood control system levees, urban storm ponds and other drainage improvements performed well during the floods and protected Pierce County citizens and infrastructure. However, 86 sites along the levees were damaged. More than 21,700 lineal feet of levee had to be repaired, at a cost of $7.3 million. Fewer than 12 of the 450 storm ponds were damaged. Crews worked about 9,000 hours total to restore flood protection to public infrastructure and communities. Solid Waste Division focused on debris The county s Solid Waste Division worked with Murrey s Disposal Company to place debris collection containers in neighborhoods with a high concentration of debris. About 410 tons of flood debris was removed through this process. Where homes and damage were less centralized, the Solid Waste Division and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department staff responded in person to 395 requests for debris-related assistance. Teams issued 217 vouchers allowing residents to dispose of flooddamaged household goods for free. RESIDENTS GET HELP WITH DEBRIS Staff from the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management and the Solid Waste Division inspected flood-damaged properties to determine if residents qualified for assistance. Approved sites received help from volunteers and Pierce County District Court Probation crews to remove damaged property. In addition, District Court Probation work crews filled more than 15,000 sand bags. SNOW Safe roads in DECEMBER snowstorm cost $1.5 million County road crews, working in 12- hour shifts, plowed more than 22,000 lane-miles after the snowstorms. Teams also applied over 4,200 tons of sand and 3,100 tons of salt. Working to keep the roads safe and passable cost nearly $1.5 million in sand, salt, labor and equipment. How can you be prepared? Keep your family s emergency response plan and evacuation kits handy. Trim trees. After a storm, do not move debris to the curb or street unless advised to do so by the county. Do your part to prepare your family, property and pets to withstand and respond to disaster. Visit pc/abtus/ourorg/dem/pubed.htm or solidwaste for helpful emergency preparedness information. For more information Surface Water Management: (253) Road Maintenance: (253) or Debris management: (253)

5 Worm Classes Join us to learn how you can set up your own worm compost bin. You can register for instruction only (no fee), or for $30 you will receive a pre-drilled, 14-gallon plastic worm bin with lid, a pound of red worms, all class supplies and a certificate of completion your friends will envy. Classes are offered monthly. Registration deadline is two weeks before each class. Additional classes and locations may be added. Check the website for an updated schedule: or call (253) for dates, times and locations. Who to Contact for Garbage Collection & Curbside Recycling American Disposal (800) Lakewood Refuse (253) Murrey s/dm Disposal (253) Pierce County Refuse (253) University Place Refuse/ Westside Disposal (253) For More Information: PIERCE COUNTY SOLID WASTE DIVISION... (253) hour Info Line...(253) Website pcsolidwaste@co.pierce.wa.us STATEWIDE RECYCLING INFORMATION RECYCLE TACOMA-PIERCE CO. HEALTH DEPT. Household Hazardous Waste Info...(800) PIERCE CO. PUBLIC WORKS & UTILITIES, ROAD MAINTENANCE Adopt-A-Road Information...(253) PIERCE COUNTY RESPONDS...(253) Website pcresponds@co.pierce.wa.us (Pierce County Responds accepts reports of illegal dumping, junk vehicles or trash on private property & abandoned vehicles.) Solid Waste Division Public Works and Utilities th Street West University Place, WA