The world is a very different place than it was just a very short month ago when we sent out the last edition of Currents, and for most of us, #stayathome orders have drastically changed our work, school and social routines. While it is not exactly business as usual at the Port of Redwood City, we are an essential service under the Maritime Transportation category. Our maritime cargo operations continue their critical work for our region with our administrative offices minimally staffed as well as closed to the public. All public facilities are closed to encourage shelter-in-place compliance.
In the not so distant future, social distancing will be behind us, and we will once again be able to focus on living harmoniously along the waterfront with maritime and recreation sharing space with flora and fauna, sometimes even within six feet of each other.
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Kristine A. Zortman
Executive Director, Port of Redwood City
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Scrap Metal is not just scrapped...
Have you ever wondered where your old car, washing machine or refrigerator goes when you discard them? They become ‘scrap metal’, which is actually a term for recycling – and the Port of Redwood City plays a pivotal role in the process. Scrap metal collected from the entire Silicon Valley region is trucked into the Port where our tenant, Sims Metal Management, prepares it for recycling. Scrap metal is shipped across the Pacific Ocean to processing plants in Indonesia, Korea, India, and other eastern countries.
Recycling scrap metal can even be artistic, inspiring artwork like the Heron sculpture gracefully soaring in flight along our
waterfront.
Recycling scrap metal is not only great for the economic benefits, but also for the environmental benefits. Recycled steel, for example, reduces air pollution by 86%, water usage by 40% and water pollution by 76%, as compared to producing new steel, according to
RecycleMetals.org
. Plus, that much less scrap metal ends up in our landfills.
Scrap metal recycling is a consistent industry in both booming economic markets and periods of economic downturns, because appliance purchases are usually only made when the old one gives out. So if you find you are searching for a new appliance, be sure you ask your retailer to recycle your old one.
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Right here waiting for you…
Our public waterfront facilities remain closed at the moment, but not to worry, this is all waiting for you when we are ready to return to waterfront walks, fun events, family picnics, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and more… Until then, #staysafe, #stayathome.
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Tuesday's are for #TrashTips
At the Port of Redwood City, we love #TipTuesday – however, we also love the water so we have created #TrashTipTuesday. On our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages, Tuesday’s are dedicated to “Trash Tips” focused on how we can improve water quality in San Francisco Bay. These tips offer ways residents can make big impacts in our local environment by making small changes.
During April, we will focus on changes people can make while we #stayathome that impact Port waterways. It may seem like a far way to travel, but trash, litter, debris, and even chemicals and bacteria can travel long distances through our watershed. Tips range from switching to reusable food containers to knowing what to dump down the drain. Use the icons below to follow us on social media and share #TrashTipTuesdays to help take care of our Bay. For more resources on how to keep our bay clean visit
here
.
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