CRV and recycling in Sebastopol

Dear folks,
I saw an article (sorry, forgot where) saying our Redwood Empire Disposal company has started dumping all our recyclables into the landfill. True, there is a glut of recyclables, and true, the best method for us all is to work toward lifestyle changes and reusing everything, so there is no recycling necessary. Our household has come a little way toward that. BUT, meanwhile, things are not right. Anyone working on this??

Next, last week we noticed that we can no longer take CRV bottles and cans to redeem next to Safeway. I have not followed the local press closely, but I have not seen any articles about this. The CRV fee we pay on beverage cans and bottles is supposed to pay for this service. So, it looks like a ripoff to me.

I hope the nice guy who worked there smashing bottles and dealing with all of us went on to a better job . . . of course, the indigents and low-income folks who went around collecting the containers have also lost that tiny source of income.

Looking online, different websites show varying options for other places to bring the bottles, including a site next to G&G. But for me, I generally limit myself to places I can walk to here in town. So, I need to look around for a worthy scavenger who can use our few CRV bottles and cans.

Ideas, let me know!

Thanks,
R

We need to find out if this is true or not, I feel devastated. I'm sure the City of Sebastopol, or is it the County (?) has a contract with Redwood Empire Disposal to not only pick up our trash, but to recycle the greens and the recycleables. If they are not doing this, it is fraud among other things. We'll need to contract with a new company. And as to the recycling at Safeway, we didn't get any notice that it was going to be removed....we need to know what is happeneing and why--especially here in Sebastopol where recycling and thoughtfullness are key values...thank you for posting.

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Posted in reply to the post by Rebecca Dwan:

Dear folks, I saw an article (sorry, forgot where) saying our Redwood Empire Disposal company has started dumping all our recyclables into the landfill...

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Posted in reply to the post by Dustyg:

We need to find out if this is true or not, I feel devastated...

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Thank you for your posting. I, too, am greatly concerned - and, yes, it is fraudulent. We devote lots of energy to disposing of our trash, following the guidelines as much as we can only to find that our effort are to no avail.

Some time ago I called Redwood Empire because they collected the black bin and the green bin at the same time. The agent claimed that there was a vane that directed the bin content into different parts of the truck - but I don't believe that is true particularly since the truck itself doesn't have a split to allow dumping separately.

More recently I contacted Assembly member Jim Wood on the subject, and received a very polite reply that indicated nothing about any legislative action.

I find it appalling that we're filling our land with millions of tons of trash and very carefully preserving it so that those who occupy this planet thousands of years from now can enjoy this trash. And, our legacy in the Pacific Ocean is worse. We need to devote research $$ to developing ways to reuse much more than we do now.

I checked on www.unicycler.com, and found this article and a picture of the "split body truck".

Split Body Trucks

Have you seen the garbage truck stop to collect their garbage cart and then pull forward and collect the blue recycling cart? These items are not being mixed, but are being placed in separate compartments of Redwood Empire Disposal’s new state-of-the art trucks. You may see these trucks, with a split compartment body, which keeps garbage and recycling separate within the truck.

Article continues on website: www.unicycler.com
Truck Benefits:
• Collection of Two Materials in One Truck
• Reduced Truck Trips in Your Neighborhood
• Reduces Wear and Tear on Your Streets
• Reduced Emissions Exceeds State Standards

Thank you. Another way to reduce the truck energy use and time in picking up recycling is that if you don't have a full curbside bin, and think you'll have enough room for the next week, don't even put it out.

Cranking up the gas for them to lift a barely-full bin up/over/into the truck hopper is a waste of fuel and time.
It can be postponed for any of your bins which are secure, sanitary, and nowhere near full; often for weeks!

Although it probably won't save you money personally, it is still being a good citizen and reducing waste. :thumbsup:

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Posted in reply to the post by Shandi:

I checked on www.unicycler.com, and found this article and a picture of the "split body truck"...

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Thank you for "thinking outside the BIN" :wink2:

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Posted in reply to the post by joloseb:

Thank you. Another way to reduce the truck energy use and time in picking up recycling is that if you don't have a full curbside bin, and think you'll have enough room for the next week, don't even put it out.

Cranking up the gas for them to lift a barely-full bin up/over/into the truck hopper is a waste of fuel and time.
It can be postponed for any of your bins which are secure, sanitary, and nowhere near full; often for weeks!

Although it probably won't save you money personally, it is still being a good citizen and reducing waste. :thumbsup:

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Recycling in America changed when China dropped "The Green Curtain". Basically, they are not taking dirty or valueless plastic in China. A couple of years ago they turned back ships full of plastic film and the nastier stuff. All over the USA non-recyclable plastics (#3-7) are ending up in the landfill. We have few domestic plastic "processors".

So, what do you do? North Bay tried to get consumers to separate out the no-recycle stuff, along with many other collection companies but Americans want to recycle. Right now, there is no market for these plastics, so they go to the landfill. Google "Green garbage curtain in China". It is slightly better today than a year ago.

The California Redemption Value is still intact but Gov. Brown raided the fund during the recession and spent the money. Consequently, redemption value is less today.

The recycle at Safeway is between Safeway and the recycles. It is offered as a service but not mandatory. We should thank Safeway.

I can't help but wonder, still, what is done with the recycle items once they are picked up!

Yes, we can wonder, but who knows the answer?

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Posted in reply to the post by Dustyg:

I can't help but wonder, still, what is done with the recycle items once they are picked up!

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Here goes: The comment on split body trucks is accurate. The recycling is in one big barrel and trash in the other barrel. A hydraulic mechanism moves the door between and compacts the material. One important benefit is a split body reduces one truck on your street and reduces from 3 to 2 passes for collection. Green waste is usually collected separately.

https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-02-...irty-recycling

Above is one reference to what is happening in Asia, mainly China. China reduced their intake of US plastic by 15% from 2008 to 2012. China is still the major market for US plastic but they have cut out the bottom, low end contaminated plastic. There is much to this story but the upstart is there is no market for low end contaminated plastics. The market is still good for CRVs and "clean" plastic. So, all over the Country and particularly in recycle conscious California, the collection system has to be adjusted. Not only does the recycler have to pick the contaminated plastic out of the recycle stream (blue can) because of the market change, it contaminates the other material in the blue can, is labor intense.

As to where does it go? All blue can material is taken to the sort facility and run over a sort line and sorted by commodity, baled and taken to the market. There are buyers for all commodities. Some material can be completely recycled like concrete and asphalt. Cardboard is 95% recycled from all sources in Sonoma County. We recycle at a rate between 75-78% in Sonoma County based upon 1985 figures. The change that has reached consumers because of China's "Green Curtain" is the need to remove contaminated plastic, plastic bags, wraps, lids from the recycle can and place in the waste can. Otherwise, it is removed from the waste stream by hand and taken to the landfill, an unnecessary effort if we can remove on the front end.

Here is the link to the Sonoma County Waste management Agency
https://www.recyclenow.org/
Click on Agency and Waste Profile for interesting material. The Recycle Guide tells all about recycle resource.

Each city (nine) and the County are individually responsible for meeting the State recycle requirements and collection contracts. The land fill is the County responsibility and is run by Republic Services under contract. Recycle rates are reported to Calrecycle by the Waste Management Agency.

It may seem like it takes more time in the shopping phase, but 'not-buying' so much packaging in the first place isn't hard.

Bulk items and fresh local organic produce tend to have so much less packaging, and can usually be bought organic at a comparable price nowadays. That means so-much less plastic and junk to 'pass-the-buck' into the recycling system. They can also be prepared in bulk, and since most folks use a fridge/freezer anyways, portions can be stored for easy prep throughout the week. A good cook can make these foods delicious or show you how if you don't know. YUM!

We need an updated video/fact-sheet to help people understand what is REALLY recyclable these days.

Luther Burbank raved about the potentials of this area for growing such a wide variety of things being verily unmatched. Why do we need non-organic GMO packaged foods shipped so far from so far away to keep us fed? Withdraw support!

Support local organic farming. We don't need monsatano and all that package-trash crapola to eat healthy.

Watch "Intolerable Beauty - Portraits of American Mass Consumption" - (7:29) artists Chris Jordan & Yo Yo Ma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dYip4hHZWM

I appreciate your sharing this. There are some of us that can't take advantage of most bulk foods. I speak for myself. I rent a small room, and have a small refrigerator section shared with two others, in addition to 3 small shelves. I don't cook much. I do buy small amount of bulk items like spices, nuts, protein powder, raisins, and coffee. I pay $7-9 lb. for organic bulk coffee. Most bulk organic bulk coffee goes for nearly twice that. Oliver's which is in my neighborhood doesn't even sell bulk coffee. (Correction... I remembered that Oliver's does sell bulk coffee.) I find the best prices for most of my needs at Sprouts in Petaluma. They have an extensive bulk section.

My housemates seem to dislike recycling, so I'm always re-distributing their throw aways. One of them takes two showers a day, even in the drought. The other lets the water run.

Fortunately my rent includes utilities. The landlord complains about the utility bills, but doesn't connect the dots to his excessive use. I never let the water run to get hot. Instead I use an electric "hot pot" that heats water to boiling in less than 2 minutes, in a glass carafe. It's my favorite appliance because it saves water and power.

The one we have is a Capresso, with a beautifully designed glass carafe. We've had it for 3 years, and use it daily. A little vinegar and water once a week keeps it sparkling clean.

I try to avoid buying anything with excess packaging, and hope that we're getting closer to this being a standard.

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Posted in reply to the post by joloseb:

...Bulk items and fresh local organic produce tend to have so much less packaging...

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We're in Guerneville and have just found out the both our local west county recycling centers are gone! The on behind Safeway and the one in Forestville. So now there is no place to take our cans & bottles for CRV, nor recycle our plastic. How is this possible?

We gave up our trash pick up since we produce so little trash it just seemed like a waste of money.

I've been recycling since the late 1970s, except when i lived in south Florida where they prefer to build trash mountains along the turnpike! If anyone has any info on where we can take our recyclables for CRV besides the dump, please let us know. I just find it hard to believe that, of all places, we don't have anything available locally.

The recyclers are still at G&G Market in SR.......

I haven't checked to see if Rohnert Park uses the split body trucks. I have a feeling they may not. In my neighborhood, there are still 3 separate pick ups. First trash, then green waste, and finally recycling.

There is a place to take recycles on Santa Rosa Ave. I don't remember specific business name or address, but to drive there I take the Todd Rd. exit off 101 (when driving south on 101 from west county). It's a quirky direction to go right and curve over the 101 over pass to get to Santa Rosa Ave. Take a right at the gas station on corner. They recycle center is on the right, set back off the road so hard to see if you've never been there. If you get to Friedman Brothers Hardware you've gone too far. I hope that helps some.
Starcloud

The CRV is a deposit paid on many bottles and cans with the idea being that consumers will return the bottles and get their deposit back. Unlike in Ye Oldynne Tymes of my youth, grocery stores will not accept the returned bottles and cans, forcing consumers to take them to recycling centers.

So, if there's no longer any value to the recycled bottles and cans, and if they're not even being recycled in the first place, why is the state still forcing consumers to pay the CRV surcharge?

:hmmm::spentmoney::recycle:

Just boycott those crv's in the first place, water is better for you anyways, herbs are available locally for flavor. Protect watersheds that provide clean healthy water. -Thanks

Unfortunately, many people are "addicted" to a variety of liquids that come in plastic, metal, and glass containers.
They may know that water is better for them, but that doesn't mean they're ready to give up their habits, even if it means they can't recycle the containers. They may even welcome the opportunity to throw everything in the trash! I happen to live with people who would like this idea, since they resent the effort involved in recycling.

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Posted in reply to the post by joloseb:

Just boycott those crv's in the first place, water is better for you anyways, herbs are available locally for flavor. Protect watersheds that provide clean healthy water. -Thanks

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The PD picked up this topic of CRV recycling centers closing recently and did an article on it here.

Yeah, what we need to confirm this news, whether it’s true or not. This is a thing to get concerned because according to my knowledge, the country had a contract to not just pick up our trash, but also to recycle most of it. If they are not doing it properly means we’ll have to find some other way or try to get another contract going. I have a friend in Toronto and the apartment he is living in had a contract with a local waste disposal company, but when they realized that the work is not going in the right way, they changed and give the contract to a garbage bin and junk removal services company called Junk It. This is the way we should react once we are sure about the news.

It's a little more complicated. Your recycling needs are met if you have pick up from a collection vehicle, put in the blue can. It is the "buy back" centers that are troubled. These buybacks are not County permitted or sanctioned as the state legislation allowed them if they meet certain criteria which was a good thing. They are permitted through CalRecycle, not local government They are not complicated permits and the location was bartered between private CRV collectors for profit and the individual stores. I repeat, local government is not involved in the buy back centers. Two negative things have happened in that 1) cost of running these centers went up and 2) Calrecycle reimbursement went down. The California Redemption Value fund was raided during the recession and never replaced, hence less refund for CRVs.

What will happen is that someone will move in and fill this void. It may take some time. Meanwhile Google Sonoma County Waste Agency and the list of operating CRV Redemption Centers in Sonoma County will be there somewhere.

Thanks to all of you for expressing your concerns,and voicing your fears about this issue;

back in 1972 ,When Bucky Fuller,and Adam Trombly first did the math on "global warming" and climate change, a few folks began to see re-cycling as an answer to this problem..That perhaps coupled with composting could do a lot.... Waste management got wind of the move toward composting and almost managed to make it illegal . Waste management companies are huge shipping and hauling companies ,with notorious history of being controlled by "underground big money interests" what ever you prefer to call them. Sort of like Las Vegas.

Follow the MONEY the big buck is the driver here,our petty environmental concerns are only interesting if there is some kind of million dollar grant that starts an organisation like "Eco Desk" (which may have fizzeled out by now?)

So China is not buying back their crap from us! wow, why am I not surprised,I heard plastic was running cheaper than COAL in China, and burns almost as well in their 110 new coal powered plants they just built in the last 20 years or so. Maybe THEIR environmentalists got pissed,and made them stop doing that??! I would !,plastic is nasty to breathe,even if Ronald Reagan did say "dilution is the solution to pollution" he did not understand some of our modern chemicals and their power in small doses.

Do not be surprised about plastic in Power generators HAWAII has been burning their re cycle for years for power,not a problem for them,their smoke all blows straight over to California .

I am disappointed to put it mildly on the amount of impact environmentalism has NOT had on our mass stupidity $$$ rules the day

Here's a great example(People get mad at me when I go after waste management ,after all their trucks are painted GREEN,and I have a toy garbage truck that says "save the world" on it.)...not sure this tactic is working...

SO the Example,yes Go in your fancy nice GREEN Waste management Brochure and look up composting,you will notice them scientifically mentioning that FOOD WASTE is 25% of the waste stream THIS IS NOT A LIE it is worse than a lie,it is true it is 25% of the VOLUME of waste on average,but truckers charge by WEIGHT not volume, I guarantee you,if you have a can with no food in it(like ours) and pick up one with food in it the one with food will weigh 75% more so they miss-lead you with convenient truth,the INCONVENIENT TRUTH is that food in landfill gets buried up to 30' deep,produces methane ,that is 35% worse than C02 for the ozone layer we are trying to protect or re-build. and hardly anybody knows or cares.
So now Sonoma county wants to build an asphalt plant,and eliminates Sonoma compost WHAT?? Recycle town at the Dump is closing (the Garbage re-incarnation portion where you could divert reuse-able waste). Now we have MORE Wal Mart input, Food Max, Target, Smart and Final,G.O. etc etc than ever before and growing.. I have several friends who live in small Mobile home parks in Santa Rosa 90% of the neighbours there(vecinos) are citizens of Latin American origin, and or folks of low income and many ethnicities,,many off to work at 4 AM .. they make fantastic delicious food,and share it generously,and drink sodas and cheap beer...Some of the Blue cans are just used as trash cans (they are not clearly marked in Spanish,and really WHO has bothered to sell environmentalism to us in the first place? I could imagine it as OUR problem we set up these systems,if we have a problem we need to fix it. I see Dumpsters with Florescent tubes in them all the time,technically if this happens the driver(who often speaks no English ) is supposed to radio the company, and a HAZ MAT team comes in cleans out the dumpster to a containment vehicle at a cost of thousands to the renter of the dumpster ,and even if the "rules" have been presented to them in Spanish,they NEVER do that,and I suspect if they did more than once ,they would lose their jobs,This is a Good Ol' Boy world here in Sonoma county and we just want things to flow as they have been thank you ,do not upset the "Grape cart". the people who SORT the recycling have to deal with amazing mis-use of the system.Yuk. Everyone has their unique relationship to waste and how it should be done we are almost all tied in to a grid based system that uses more than it nurtures in our current ecosystem.All supporting plastics and fossil fuel production at given rates.Our Liquid waste system is equally marginal,with it's issue with overflows..

There is a company that will pick up your florescent tubes for $10 a month or so. As for Composting I have been promoting it in S. County(and Marin and Mendo) for 15 or 20 years.it is easy you can do it at home,it requires little to no equipment and yields amazing soil that contradicts drought and enriches your garden 100 time more than any commercial mix can; out of party waste,and other sources,I managed to accidentally make 15 cubic yards of aged worm compost in 10 years .I just donated about 7 yards to Ceres Garden Project ..

I am pretty much giving up this promotion tour,although I still Compost and teach a bit at Children's Museum of Sonoma County . there is supposed to be a flourishing "Permaculture Activist"community here Building convergences and all...but somehow the county around us is still trying to plunge us back into the 50's,Maybe Efrain can help out? I'm here like chicken little jumping up and down and curmudgeon-ing about this? ? ?no ,tired of that.. I agree with Pete Seeger he said "We're Doomed! (but I might be wrong about this)" make calls ,do your part, stand on corners with signs ,I will toast you.. and I will still "pick up my banjo and go to the next event" but I'm done whining..we’re not winning,and it's been" too long a ride and two high the fare".

OOPOS foot in mouth dept.
seems I have not been on line with W.M. latly ECO DESK Is quite vibrant and alive! evidently everything is fine! full composting is at hand!(Ratto Group!) and yay!

here is "link"
https://www.recyclenow.org/

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Posted in reply to the post by nicofrog:

Thanks to all of you for expressing your concerns,and voicing your fears about this issue;

back in 1972 ,....

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aha GOOL OL INTERNET

residential curbside green waste now gets transferred from the Central Disposal Site and other transfer stations to composting facilities located outside Sonoma County. Currently, these three composting facilities are Jepson Prairie Organics, Redwood Landfill and Cold Creek Compost

wow jee guess that calls for more TRUCKING good for JOBS !

Suppose the environment here cannot handle the amazing impact of a compost facility this large (unless it promises to make more than grapes on the same acreage.. ) hmmm