Zero Waste has invited representatives from Safeway and T&C to speak to our community about how they approach waste reduction in their respective stores, as well as how the Bainbridge city ordinance on single-use plastics affects their practices. We will Zoom this Tuesday, January 17, from 5:00-6:30.

Speaker bios:

Adam Brazeau is the store director of Bainbridge Island Safeway. He has worked in grocery for 24 years, starting as a courtesy clerk and working his way up to his current position.

If you missed January's presentation by Kitsap Recycling Coordinator Caitlin Newman and Senior MRF (materials recovery facility) Manager Mike Range about what's recyclable, how recyclables get sorted and where they end up going, email Diane Landry for the link.

At the first study session of the year on Tuesday, January 17, the Bainbridge Island City Council will hear a report by climate mitigation and adaptation officer Autumn Salamack on the implementation of the 2023 Waste Reduction Ordinance.  This portion is scheduled to begin at 6:40 (right after the Zero Waste meeting ends!).

As part of this presentation, the Council will hear directly from restaurants on their experiences implementing the requirements of the new ordinance (see posters below). You may attend in person in the City Hall chambers or by Zoom. The public does not give input at study sessions.

Although the ordinance requests that service ware be home compostable, you should not put the materials in your curbside yard waste container. For now, it is best to put them in your home compost or in the trash.

 

Here are some current constraints to utilizing the yard bin:

So unless you are truly an expert on this stuff, you will end up putting noncompostable items in yard waste, and the compost facility will end up selling a product with bits of plastic and perhaps the forever chemical PFAS in it.

Please stick to putting only the following in the yard waste bin:

There are other paper items you might wonder about, like pizza boxes, shredded paper, tea bags and egg cartons. See the tab, "Take extra care before composting these items" on Kitsap Solid Waste's curbside composting page for good explanations on how to prepare these materials for the yard waste bin.

In the Senior Center's "Something to Talk about" Zoom presentation on Wednesday, January 25, at 1:30, COBI's Autumn Salamack and Hannah Ljunngren will answer any questions you have about the Bainbridge waste ordinance. Ann Lovejoy also joins to talk about home composting.

Note: This Zoom link is the same for every "Something to Talk about" episode, broadcast each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Check out the Senior Center calendar for all talks. You can watch any of the programs after the fact on the Senior Center's youtube channel.

Washington state opened its 2023 legislative session on January 9. The first hearing for HB 1085 took place on Tuesday. This bill aims to reduce plastic pollution in the following ways:

You can quickly indicate your position on the bill by filling out this page in less than a minute.

For a bit more detail on each of these proposals, read this brief fact sheet.

*Already part of Bainbridge's ordinance

...but need mentorship and/or funding to help it along? Then say hello to PrecycleWA.org! PreCycle is a regional bootcamp pitch competition for the best for-profit or nonprofit business product, service, or idea that addresses waste prevention, waste reduction, or creative reuse in Washington State. Applications for the 2023 PreCycle Innovation Challenge are now open!

The application deadline is March 13.

PreCycle is hosted by Seattle Good and Zero Waste Washington, and is funded in part by the Department of Ecology.

Not to give anyone whiplash, but Terracycle collection is now back at the Marge Williams Center, 221 Winslow Way West. However, the old bin has been replaced by a beautiful maroon storage box (see photo), expertly crafted by Mark Johnson, spouse of Marge board member Wendy Johnson.

The bigger right side is the lid to lift, with the same special recyclables posted on an interior sign. You can always go here for a refresher as to what recyclables are accepted.

Mark your calendars now for an afternoon clothing swap at the Grange on Sunday, March 19.

Calling all clothing artists: The sketch proposal deadline for the seventh annual ReFashion Show is January 29. You may submit up to 3 entries total in any of the categories below by filling out this form.

Email Naomi Spinak if you have questions.

*Mystery box designers do not need to send sketches, just request a box by January 29 and pick up the box by February 3.

Bainbridge Prepares has been made aware of a large stock of milk crates that an organization has had no luck in getting the distributor to pick up. They are looking to get them into the hands of anyone else who can use them.

There is a large quantity (~1000) of 4-gallon crates and some 6-gallons (a little bit wider, most with a steel band for added strength). Bainbridge Prepares can pick them up and reserve them for you. Please fill out this Google form if interested.

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