Sustainability Open Hours

Tuesdays 9am - 11am

Have questions or want to share comments about sustainability initiatives in Mill Valley or Tiburon? Come speak to the Climate Action Coordinator during virtual open hours! They will operate on a first come first serve basis and be held weekly via Zoom.

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New Year, New Habits!

As the new year begins, many of us are thinking about ways to improve ourselves. This year, why not focus on a habit that’s good for both us and the planet? Switching to reusables is an easy and effective way to reduce waste and make a positive impact on our health and the environment – win win!

There are many benefits to starting a new habit focused on using reusables, including:

• Reducing waste
• Saving money
• Conserving resources
• Durability
• Reducing exposure to microplastics

Making the swap to reusables doesn’t have to be hard! Start small by bringing a reusable cup to your favorite cafe, and then build in more ways to use reusables instead of single-use items. To help make choosing reusables even easier, Zero Waste Marin is running a pilot program with Sparkl Reusables at the Thursday Civic Center Farmers’ Market: participating prepared food vendors will offer a reusable option to customers who forgot to bring their own reusables. Look out for this pilot program during the first few months of 2025! Small actions can add up to big impacts, making your 2025 more sustainable.

Don't Trash Those Trees!

Christmas trees don’t belong in the landfill! Mill Valley Refuse Service will pick them up and make sure they’re composted. Please cut trees in half (no longer than 5ft in length) to keep drivers safe from injury when lifting them.

Just put your trees out on the curb on any regular collection day along with your compost cart (additional fees may apply starting 1/19) or cut your holiday tree into pieces and place it in your green compost cart, as long as the lid closes.

If you need to drop off your tree for recycling, Zero Waste Marin has provided a list of Christmas tree drop off locations in Marin.

Please remember:

• Remove all ornaments, decorations, and tinsel
• Remove stands
• Trees should be cut in half with each section being no longer than 5 feet
• No plastic trees (they go in garbage)
• No flocked trees (they go in garbage)

Green Takeover at the Belvedere-Tiburon Library

Join our mission to make the library and our community more sustainable!

Be a changemaker by volunteering to co-design an exciting sustainability event and help expand our Library of Things to include items that support climate resilience.

We want your green ideas!

Applications close on January 8, 2025 — don’t miss your chance to get involved. Learn more and sign up

Free Online Climate Action Workshops

Join a Climate Action Workshop and make a difference! You'll get to learn from inspiring Marin climate leaders while connecting with others who share your passion for helping the planet.

Resilient Neighborhoods offers fun and engaging workshops combining personalized support and collaborative learning. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve as you embark on this transformative journey.

Choose from online teams kicking off on Thursday, January 9 at 6:30pm or Wednesday, January 15 at 4:00pm. Sign up today and let’s work together to create a cleaner, healthier planet! Free for Marin residents.

How Water Efficient Is Your Household?

With the rainy season leading to a decline in outdoor water use, it’s a great time to give your home’s indoor water usage a checkup.  

Residential customers can use Marin Water's online Water Efficiency Estimator to get insight into their household’s indoor water usage, as well as receive water efficiency tips customized to household size and water usage patterns.

You can also use the tool to compare scenarios by adjusting the water use to see how even small changes can make a big difference in water savings, which translates to savings on your bi-monthly water bills as well.  

Use the online tool today

Preparing for Sea Level Rise, Together

With more than 70 miles of coast and 40 miles of Bay Shore, Marin County is one of the communities most affected by sea level rise in the Bay Area. Much of our land is low lying and can easily flood. Rising sea levels will affect many parts of life here, including the safety of and access to our schools, businesses, roads, and wastewater treatment plants. Sea level rise crosses city, town, and county boundaries. 

The County of Marin, in partnership with communities across Marin, is sponsoring a collaborative effort to research and define a governing body that could potentially lead sea level rise planning. 

Please take Marin County's 5-minute survey to help understand your priorities and perspectives regarding collaboration on sea level rise adaptation.

Your feedback will:

• Improve understanding of priorities
• Shape and support the development of a county-wide governance structure
• Inform the recommended pathway for implementing a decision-making process

Take the Survey Now

Marin Sustainability Tracker

Are you familiar with the Marin Sustainability Tracker? This tool from the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP) is an interactive map that shows how each jurisdiction is doing in terms of sustainable development. It covers categories such as energy, transportation, green house gas emissions, waste, and water.

Check out the tracker here

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