When the employee at the grocery store asks if you would like paper or plastic bags, the best answer is “Neither!” One of the simplest and best things you can do to reduce waste and the impact you have on the environment is to use reusable bags. The challenge, however, may be remembering to bring them. Disposable plastic bags and wraps are ubiquitous in American consumerism, and even if we make an effort to avoid excessive packaging or plastic products, they tend to accumulate in our homes nevertheless. The curbside recycle programs in the County of San Diego do not accept plastic bags in curbside recycling bins due to their have low value and they are not cost-effective to recycle. Furthermore, plastic bags can get stuck in collection and processing equipment, creating a hazard for the recycling process. Fortunately, other methods of recycling plastic bags exist!

Many grocery stores and large retailers, such as VONS and Whole Foods, have recycling bins specifically for plastic bags near the entrance of their stores. Most bags are recycled into plastic products such as composite lumber or post-consumer resin, which is used to make various products–like new bags!

And not just regular grocery bags can be recycled; a host of other plastic bags and wraps can be brought back to the same drop-off locations to be recycled along with grocery bags:

• newspaper bags
• dry cleaning bags
• bread bags
• produce bags
• toilet paper, napkin, and paper towel wraps
• furniture wrap
• electronic wrap
• plastic food storage bags (i.e. Ziploc bags)
• plastic cereal box liners
•  Tyvek (i.e. House wrap or certain mail envelopes)
• diaper wrap
• plastic shipping envelopes (no bubble wrap/remove labels)
• case wrap (snacks, water bottles)
• ice bags
• all clean, dry bags labeled #2 or #4

Bags that cannot be recycled include food or cling wrap, prepackaged food bags like frozen food bags or prewashed salad bags and bio-based or compostable bags. All recyclable bags must be clean and dry without glue or labels.

For the times that we forget our cloth bags and are faced with the only other option of plastic, or when we feel guilty about throwing away so much material that never breaks down, we can make up for it simply by recycling plastic bags and wrap at your nearest drop-off location.

To read more or to find drop-off locations for plastic bags, check out http://www.plasticbagrecycling.org/plasticbag/s01_consumers.html

The winter holidays are a time to treat yourself to some tasty holiday foods or splurge on a present for a loved one. Environmentalism and holiday cheer can go hand-in-hand. You can easily incorporate green practices into your purchases and festivities. Below are 15 tips you can use to make your holiday season environmentally-friendly. Pick one or more of these tips and you will be on your way to ringing in a green year!

Conserve Energy:

1. Lower your thermostat and put on a festive holiday sweater, even host an ugly sweater party to get everyone in the energy-saving spirit!
2. Purchase gifts that are energy efficient. Click here to find TVs, computers, and holiday lights that are ENERGY STAR certified.
3. Carpool to holiday parties and on shopping trips. Not only will you save gas and money, but you will enjoy merry company.

Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

1. Choose gifts, cards, and wrapping paper that contain recycled content.
2. Purchase durable and long-lasting gifts that have minimal packaging.
3. BYOB! Bring your own bag when you shop for food and presents.
4. Choose reusable silverware, plates, and glasses at your holiday parties. Be so bold as to bring your own utensils, plates, and cups to others’ holiday parties. Your host may even thank you for cutting down on their cleanup time!
5. Reuse newspaper, paper grocery bags, tissue paper, and cloth as wrapping paper.
6. Make your own holiday decorations from past cards, family photos, tissue paper, calendars, and other items destined for the landfill.
7. Make mulch from your Christmas trees and wreaths to cut down on irrigation.
8. If you lack a mulcher, recycle your Christmas trees. Visit Waste Management, EDCO, or the City of San Diego’s websites for tree recycling information in your service area.
9. Compost food scraps and holiday decorations (when appropriate).

Have a Greener Trip:

1. Stop your newspaper delivery.
2. Unplug TVs, microwaves, and other electronics.
3. Bring your water-wise and energy-conserving habits to your hotel or hosts’ house.

Get creative with the ways you green your holiday! Making your holiday season more eco-friendly should be fun. And remember to spread the joy!

Sources

1 U.S Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, December 7). Winter Tips. U.S Environmental Protection Agency Web site. <http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm#reducewaste>

2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, November 16). Green Your Holiday Scene. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site.<http://www.epa.gov/students/holiday.html>

3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, September 7). Have a Greener Holiday! U.S Environmental Protection Agency Web site.<http://www.epa.gov/wastes/inforesources/news/2004news/12-holiday.htm>

4 U.S. Environmental Proection Agency. (2011, July 19). Questions About Your Community: What Can I Do to Help the Environment When I Travel for the Holidays or an Upcoming Meeting? U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site. <https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/evaluate.rnav/piddL89ZW3u6Qjouy55EGp0146?activepage=ecampaign.wizard.detail&pageName=ecampaign.wizard.detail&action=what&agent.uid=1108022668584&popin=true&supportedEditor=c&camefrom=detail>

Curbside Recycling

Starting July 1st, 2011, the City of San Diego’s Recycling Ordinance now requires certain materials to be recycled.

Various plastics are now accepted in curbside recycling bins including:

• Food plastics:

clear clamshell plastic, drink cups, deli trays, and berry baskets

• Non-food plastics:

plant pots and garden trays

• Rigid Plastics

buckets, toys, and non-hazardous household product containers like detergent or pet litter

• Large items

plastic crates, totes, laundry baskets, pallets, and even lawn furniture.

Don’t forget that aerosol cans, phone books, shredded paper (bagged), gift wrapping paper, and clean aluminum foil can be recycled in your curbside bin. Bottle caps and jar lids are also recyclable and should be put back on containers when recycled.

Drop-off Recycling

Things like plastic bags, styrofoam, and batteries are all recyclable, but not in your curbside bin. Often times large grocery stores accept plastic grocery bags for recycling, but they must be clean and dry. Styrofoam packing can be donated to mail houses such as UPS and Fedex. Batteries are banned from landfill disposal and must be taken to an appropriate facility. Ikea accepts alkaline batteries and fluorescent light bulbs for recycling.

Damaged CDs can be recycled by AuralTech in Washington. Check out their website for more information:

http://www.auraltech.com/cdfaq.htm#8

Your old sneakers and eyeglasses are recyclable too! Nike Reuse-A-Shoe turns worn athletic shoes and turns them into tennis courts, track fields, and new shoes and apparel. Just drop them off to any Nike Reuse-A-Shoe recycling location so they can be ground up and used again.  Check out their website for more info:

http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/where-it-goes

Do you have old or broken eye glasses? Donate them to Lions Optometric Vision Clinic so they can be reused and recycled and distributed to those in need of better eyesight.

http://www.sandiegolions.org/resources.htm

Send your old bike tubes to SPLAFF, a local San Diego business that makes sandals, bags, and other accessories out of used bicycle tubes.

SPLAFF

http://sites.google.com/site/splaffretailsite/

4950 Del Mar Ave.

San Diego, CA 92107

Almost everything can be recycled or reused in some way, so always think before you throw something away!

Check out www.earth911.com for recycling locations for various materials.

Is your Christmas tree ready to be recycled?

Recycle your Christmas Tree this year and help reduce green waste from going to the landfills.

Click here to find 2010/2011 Christmas tree designated- recycling locations.

The Miramar Recycling Center at 5165 Convoy St. in San Diego now accepts “plastic tubs for food and non-hazardous household products.”

These must be clean and free of metal. Styrofoam and clamshell containers are not taken.

Containers taken include, but are not limited to, yogurt cups, margarine containers, and pet litter containers. The lids, provided that they are the same plastic, are also taken.

These containers must be brought to the recycling center, and may not be put into the blue curbside bins.

“For more information, call the Recycling Center at 858-268-8971, or visit the city’s website, www.recyclingworks.com, and look for “Recycling Centers.”"

IMPORTANT: This list is for  TARGET stores in San Diego County ONLY. This list was made on  6/10/2010. Fees and conditions may apply. Collection policies are subject to change. CALL A LOCATION FOR DETAILS.

Download available here.

MPORTANT: This list is for WAL-MART stores in San Diego County ONLY. This list was made on  6/9/2010. Fees and conditions may apply. Collection policies are subject to change. CALL A LOCATION FOR DETAILS.

Download available here.

The Hazardous Household Waste Hotline number for Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Vista, Poway, and National City is 800-444-4244. (This will change to 800-714-1195 on July 1st.)

The Hazardous Household Waste Hotline number for San Diego County and the Recycling Hotline for the unincorporated San Diego County residents is 1-877-R-1-EARTH. (1-877-713-2784)

The Recycling Hotline for incorporated San Diego County Residents (City of San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, Carlsbad, El Cajon, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas, National City, La Mesa, Santee, Poway, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Coronado, Solana Beach, and Del Mar) is 1-800-237-BLUE. (1-800-237-2583)

(IMPORTANT: Parts of El Cajon and Escondido are unincorporated.)