February 22, 2024

 Discard Station Ambassador

Want to get a taste of what Zero Waste does to divert landfill waste at community events?

Then pop on down to the Senior Community Center this Sunday, February 25, anytime between 10am-2pm, when we'll be helping the Chilly Hilly bikers compost their soup bowls, napkins and hot drink cups.

Just walk up to any green-vested Zero Waste team member and say you're there to help. Be prepared to get lots of smiles and thank yous from the riders! Questions? Email Barbara Ochota.

Education Outreach

Want to help with some low-key tabling? Don't worry about knowing much -- we'll be there to back you up.

Zero Waste will have a booth at KiDiMu's FamJam on Saturday, March 23, 10am-3pm.

We plan to have compost that kids can poke around in and search for little critters to "feed" produce scraps to.😊 We'll chat with their adult minders to see if they are interested in particpating in the city's Kitchen Pail Program (green article below). You choose the age group with whom you feel most comfortable interacting.

If you're interested and can spare an hour or two that day, please email Barbara Ochota.

Find an hour to watch the sobering "We're All Plastic People Now," a 2023 Regional Emmy Award-winning documentary from PBS. Because plastic is present in our soil, air and water, it is no wonder that micro and nanoplastics have been discovered in all organs of the human body. Researchers discuss those findings, as well as the potential ramifications for our health.

The next time you see the doctor or run into a physician or pediatrician, ask them to take an hour to watch in hopes of promoting dialogue within the medical community.

Looking at the positive...

The next article is an example of a local individual whose actions have decreased single-use plastic on a daily basis in the lives of hundreds of Bainbridge Island children.

Talk about making a big difference in a small amount of time! Elaine Krogfass became the Bainbridge Island School District's food services supervisor at the start of 2022. During that year, teacher Diane Bedell's third-grade class at Blakely learned about the danger of plastic to wildlife in our oceans and conducted a waste audit of plastics in the cafeteria.

After the students presented their findings to Elaine, she took action immediately and used their school as a pilot to replace single-use plastic-packaged foods (applesauce, cereal, cheese, yogurt and thawed fruit) with bulk offerings. Scroll down in the April 2023 newsletter for a more detailed report.

This school year Elaine has expanded bulk selections to Ordway and x̌alilc (Halilts) Elementaries. In all three schools, metal utensils have replaced plastic ones.

Additionally, behind the scenes, plastic wrap from industrially prepared food has declined because the district now produces 80% of its meals from scratch. And in collaboration with islander Erica Curry of Row by Row, 80% of the food is also locally sourced.

The City of Bainbridge Island will conduct a 12-week study on kitchen pails used for food scraps by Bainbridge Island residents beginning around July 2024.

Participating households will receive a complimentary kitchen pail, as well as educational materials on composting organic materials on Bainbridge Island, and be asked to fill out a short survey at the end of the 12 weeks.

If your household is interested in joining this program, please complete this form, and a City staff member will contact you regarding your participation in the coming months. 

Refresh your wardrobe with previously worn items, and you'll be polluting less, too! As noted in the pie chart at right, clothing and textiles are responsible for 35% of microplastics in the ocean.

Initial washings of clothes produce the most microfiber shedding, and those fibers make their way up the aquatic food chain into grocery seafood. By avoiding new clothes and opting for used garments, your clothes washing will release a lot fewer fibers.

There are other ways to reduce microfiber shedding from laundry. Give one of these actions a try:

• Do laundry less often.
• Wash full loads instead of partial loads - reduces release of microfibers because garments are exposed to less friction during the wash cycle.
• Use cold water, - releases fewer microfibers than hot water.
• Run a shorter cycle - limits the opportunity for fiber breakdown.
• Use less or no detergent - decreases microfiber release.
• Dry laundry on a clothesline. Dryer vents release additional microfibers into the air.

For more tips, go to the Zero Waste Reuse/Recycle Guide clothing page.

With two weeks left in the 2024 Washington legislative session, there is still a chance for some priority bills to make it through, including those dealing with the following:

• Mercury light bulbs
• Refrigerant recycling
• Compost
• PFAS in biosolids
• Cannabis waste

You can see bill numbers and follow their progress on Zero Waste Washington's legislative page. If you would like to be added to a local email list for next year to be notified when it is propitious to contact Congress, please let Diane Landry know.

This year's ReWRAP Act, which would have significantly improved Washington state's resource recovery rate, did not pass. But you can show support for the national Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act here.

Whenever you are looking for a destination for something not accepted in your curbside bin, be sure to visit the

 "Guide to Reusing and/or Recycing Locally" on our website.

Newsletter editor: Diane Landry, BI Zero Waste Director

Back issues are available here.

BI Zero Waste is an all-volunteer program of Sustainable Bainbridge.

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