4 reasons to recycle motor oil

What should you do with your used motor oil? Traditionally, the answer to this question has been "almost anything." There are many ways to dispose of motor oil, but most of them have proven to be harmful and even disastrous for the environment. Luckily, it is now (and has been for many years) possible to recycle used motor oil. It is even convenient and simple enough for the average person to do without difficulty. But are the benefits of recycling worth the small extra effort? To be blunt, yes. Allowing used motor oil to contaminate our surrounding, even if it is just the small amount, can have dire consequences.

It’s the Law

Liquid waste is forbidden from entering landfills within the State of Oregon. In Douglas County, there is NO exception to the rule. Whether it is motor oil, paint, solvents, or any other liquid, disposal in the county landfill is NOT an option. Since motor oil is the most prevalent liquid needing to be collected, recycling opportunities are easily found. In Douglas County your used motor oil is easily recycled at any of the eleven transfer stations. Oil receptacles are available there for the public to use. These containers are intended for OIL ONLY. Gasoline should be used as intended, antifreeze should be taken to your local mechanic and recycled through them, and solvents should be used as directed or taken to the Glenwood Hazardous Waste Facility in Lane County for proper disposal.

Recycle Oil Is Useful

Recycled motor oil is very useful, and simply dumping it wastes a valuable resource. Because motor oil is not used up, it can be refined and purified again and again into a useful product, so there is no sense in throwing it away. In fact, refining used motor oil is much more efficient than refining crude oil from virgin sources. Once it is refined, your used motor oil could end up in a variety of different places. It could end up as base stock for lubricating oil—something that much larger amounts of crude oil would have had to be refined to accomplish. Alternatively, it could end up as fuel in a power plant or furnace specifically designed for the task. It could be used to create asphalt or cement. It could even end up being used as motor oil a second time. As you can see, your used motor oil is an important resource that is not to be taken lightly or wasted.

Keeping Drinking Water Clean

Motor oil that people dump into their lawns, drains, gravel or other places WILL eventually end up in lakes, streams, and ground water. This can cause serious problems with water that is supposed to be clean. Because it takes only 1 gallon of motor oil to contaminate 1 million gallons of drinking water, even a small amount of motor oil dumped improperly can cause serious problems, thus making it very important for each individual person and business to dispose of their used motor oil properly.

Protecting Wildlife

Although your used motor oil will not create destruction on the scale you see on TV after an oil spill, motor oil that is not disposed of properly is a serious problem for many wildlife populations. A great deal of used motor oil that is not recycled ends up in the ocean, carried there by waterways that drain there naturally. Used motor oil in the ocean can cause a wide variety of damage.

For more information visit http://www.recyclepower.org/ and don’t forget, reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

New Electronics Ban Goes Into Effect Jan. 1, 2010

Oregon E-Cycles, Oregon’s free electronics recycling program, will become even more popular when the state’s disposal ban on computers, monitors and televisions goes into effect on January 1, 2010. After that date, Oregonians must recycle these electronics – they will no longer be allowed to be disposed of in the garbage or at disposal sites such as landfills, transfer stations and incinerators.

“After the ban, throwing away these items will be illegal,” says Kathy Kiwala, Oregon E-Cycles Project Lead. “Anyone knowingly violating the ban may face penalties up to $500 per item. With Oregon’s convenient recycling system for electronic waste, it should be easy to keep it out of the trash.”

The purpose of the ban isn’t to make it difficult to clean out your stash of electronics, but to require reuse or recycling instead. Reuse and recycling save energy, conserve resources, support local recyclers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. In addition, requiring manufacturers to take responsibility for end-of-life management of their products encourages them to design products with less waste and fewer toxics. Cathode ray tubes found in televisions and computer monitors typically contain about four pounds of lead, while printed circuit boards and batteries in computers contain toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury.

“Ultimately, the goal is to reduce environmental impacts over the life of these electronics and ensure they are safely managed when discarded,” Kiwala says.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!

If your garbage or recycling is picked up at the curb:
Do not place computers, monitors and TVs in your trash, recycling bin or at the curb. These items require special handling and cannot be collected via your regular curbside service.

If you haul your own trash:
Disposal sites cannot accept computers, monitors and TVs for disposal. All local transfer stations except Roseburg and Slide Creek will accept TV’s, computers, and monitors through our partnership with Sunrise Enterprises.

In Roseburg and surrounding areas, you should take ALL your electronic waste to Next Generation Recycling located in the South Gate Shopping Center right behind "Young’s Garden, Gift, and Pond" on SE Stephens Street. At this location you can recycle almost anything that plugs in or takes batteries. For more information contact Next Generation Recycling at 541-229-9889.

Oregon E-Cycles Provides Free Recycling Options in Oregon
The good news is that even now before the ban takes effect, Oregonians have free recycling options near them. The same law that created the ban also created Oregon E-Cycles, a network of collection sites and services that offer free recycling throughout Oregon. Anyone can take up to seven computers, monitors and TVs at a time to participating collection sites and events. Electronics manufacturers finance Oregon E-Cycles and jointly implement the program with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

What’s more, Oregon E-Cycles ensures proper handling and management of the materials collected. All participating recyclers are required by DEQ to follow certain environmentally sound management practices, including tracking and documenting recycling locations and how the materials were handled until they are reused or processed into commodities such as glass, steel and plastics. This level of due-diligence provides assurance to Oregonians that their discarded electronics are safely reused or recycled and that toxic materials do not harm people or the environment here or abroad.

To find an Oregon E-Cycles location near you, visit www.oregonecycles.org or call 1-800-5-ECYCLE (1-800-532-9253).

If you are a business or nonprofit with more than 10 employees, you may still take your computers, monitors and TVs to an Oregon E-Cycles collection site for recycling, but you may be charged for items over the seven item limit.

Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Liquid Waste

There are many things that are forbidden from entering the landfill. Tires, appliances, lead acid batteries, asbestos, mattresses, and box springs are some. But the item that generates the most questions every week is liquids. Douglas County residents want to know what to do with their liquid wastes.

What constitutes a liquid? Well, by statute, a liquid is any material that will pass through a paint filter. So that means paint, oil, pesticides, herbicides, antifreeze, blood, or anything else that is fluid in nature. The reason this material is forbidden from the landfill is not its toxicity, but rather its fluid state.

All material that enters Douglas County's solid waste system must be managed at various levels. There is you the generator, the hauler of the waste, and the County who manages the transfer stations and the landfill itself. At each of these stages, fluids and liquids can escape. When this happens any number of situations can present themselves from the benign to full on ecologic disasters.

You as the generator of the waste are solely responsible for the material until it enters the landfill. Then the responsibility is ours collectively. So it is best to manage the waste appropriately and safely.

Here in Douglas County, we do not have a collection system for most liquid wastes. We have had, on occasion, the opportunity to host local collection events for hazardous waste, but the last one came in 2005. That particular funding stream has gone dry. We do however have some opportunities and tips.

MOTOR OIL: This can be taken to any of our local transfer stations and recycled for free. Residents are limited to 5 gallons per day. Please make sure you drain your filters as best as you can and dispose of them and the oil containers in the trash.

COOKING OIL: This can be taken to any Eugene Chemical (EC) black container located around the county. They can be found near and by restaurants. There is a very public container located in the parking lot across the street from the Roseburg Post Office downtown.

PAINT: Find someone who wants to use it as it was intended. Otherwise, open it up, let it harden and dispose of it in the trash. To expedite the process stir in kitty litter.

HERBICIDE/PESTICIDE/CLEANERS/CHEMICALS/FUELS: Use it up as intended and labeled or find someone to do the same. Or you may contact Lane County Solid Waste to make an appointment for disposal in Lane County at their Household Hazardous Waste facility. This is free of charge with certain limitations. You may contact them at (541) 682-3111.

Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle to "Trash Douglas County Less!" For more information you may contact me at 440-4350.

No Can Stands Alone

Throughout history there have been war cries and mantras that have stood the test of time; “Give me liberty of give me death”, “Only you can prevent forest fires”, and “Just do it” are some of my favorites. Whether they are inspirational, motivational, humorous, or even silly, these credos and sayings stick with us and remind us of something important.

“No can stands alone” is a new mantra that I share with my friends and colleagues. It sounds important. It echoes of independence. It suggests…recycling?

Yes, indeed recycling. “No can stands alone” reminds us that no garbage can should be without its trusty counterpart, the recycle bin.

When a garbage can stands all alone by itself, it still serves its purpose. We will still fill it with waste, rubbish, trash, garbage, and even everything recyclable or compostable because there in not an alternative readily available. But when you place a friendly little recycle buddy next to the garbage can something special happens…synergy.

Synergy is defined as “The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects”. Together the two containers serve one greater function, waste reduction.

Waste reduction is an important element in combating environmental concerns such as litter, climate change, conservation, landfill capacity, air and water pollution. By reducing waste we clean up our surroundings and save ourselves and our County money in the process.

A good example for this notion of “No can stands alone” can be found every summer at the annual Music on the Halfshell concert series. Partnering with Douglas County Public Works who offers assistance by providing containers and technical assistance, the Half Shell Committee allows volunteers to manage recycling at the event using this “No can stands alone” concept. By doing so, several tons of material is diverted from the landfill, the City of Roseburg saves staff time by having less waste to haul, there is less litter, and all parties involved, including concert goers, are allowed the opportunity to recycle.

It has been observed that those garbage cans left without a recycling container adjacent to it during the concert, have been found filled with recyclables. Whereas those garbage cans paired with the appropriate recycling container are nearly void of recyclables.

An interesting observation on how to maximize this system of managing waste is that the two cans must be directly adjacent to one another to fully maximize the process. As little as two feet of separation has shown to be a significant barrier to recycling. This system can be employed in public settings as described, but also at home, school, and the workplace.

So remember, a recycle bin by itself can become a garbage can. A garbage can by itself will never recycle. So combine the two for a synergistic approach to waste reduction, conservation, and saving money.

For more information visit us online at http://www.recyclepower.org/ and don’t forget to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Photo Credit: City of Chicago, Parks Department

Pay it forward

Several years ago, Douglas County Human Resources developed an award to recognized County staff for going “above and beyond” the call of duty. It was entitled the “Pay It Forward Award”. This award is given out periodically in the spirit of recognizing the efforts and contributions of fellow employees. Many times folks, who by the nature of their job receive very few accolades, receive the award. In so doing, this award is intended to build the spirit of entire departments within the County.

The staff members recognized by this award are not selected by supervisors or department heads, but rather by the most recent recipient of the award. The award is a trophy that circulates with the recipient. I personally like this because it is a great example of reuse! In addition, a certificate is presented to the recipient to keep and display. Two awards circulate throughout the County at any given time.

I was shocked to have been presented this award in July by Karen Vian of the County Health Department. This was quite an honor. But the real honor came when it was my turn to select and present the award to the next person. It took me all of 10 seconds to pick.

In my travels around the County on official business, I meet hundreds of my fellow County co-workers; all of them stellar, exceptional workers and people. But one specific staff member rose to the top for me.

At the County Fairgrounds there is a staff of hard working, dedicated, and inspirational persons working every day to meet the needs of vendors, customers, patrons, co-workers, animals, board members, and citizens alike. They are constantly working on equipment, paperwork, facilities, landscaping, and more to make every event a success for the organizers. As an organizer myself using the fairgrounds, I have found them to be totally dependable, reliable, and efficient.

With every trip to the Douglas County Fairgrounds I was greeting by one smiling face in particular. This gentleman would always greet me and make sure I had everything I needed for a successful event or program. His enthusiasm is contagious. Whenever I needed something, I knew who to count on. I have always had a friend in him. He has especially helped me promote waste reduction and recycling at events and works well with my volunteers.

Ron Pope has worked at the Douglas County Fairgrounds for many years and is the recipient of the most recent “Pay It Forward Award”. It is now his duty to pick the next recipient. Good Luck Ron!

Remember, to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less”

Photo Credit Don Cherry, Douglas County Human Resources Dept.

Thank you recycling volunteers!

This is the Thank You ad that ran in local papers thanking everyone for their hard work recycling at the Douglas County Fair in 2009

What goes where in Douglas County

What Goes Where?

I was perusing a recycling article on the internet today and there was this great online quiz asking readers if they knew “What Went Where”. I began taking the quiz and scored only 75%! It was then I was reminded of the fact that every state in the union, every city in every state, and even individual neighborhoods has different recycling standards and procedures.

The highlight of this experience was that it was brought to my attention that right here in Douglas County, more materials are recyclable that darn near anywhere else in the State of Oregon. All clean paper, plastics, glass containers, metal, and cardboard are recyclable along with dozens of other materials. Yet there are still some materials that still belong in the trash.

Please take the following recycling quiz specific for Douglas County. The answers can be found at the end of the article.

When doing your recycling each week…

1. Where do dog food bags go?
a. Garbage
b. Mixed Paper
c. Cardboard

2. Where do butter tubs go?
a. Garbage
b. Mixed Plastic
c. Burn Pile

3. Where do broken ceramics and window glass go?
a. Garbage
b. Glass Containers
c. Heartwood Resources

4. Where does clean tin foil go?
a. Garbage
b. Tin Cans
c. Scrap Metal

5. Where does junk mail go?
a. Garbage

b. Mixed paper
c. Burn Pile

6. Where do diapers go?
a. Garbage
b. Mixed Plastics
c. Burn Pile

7. Where do household batteries go?
a. Garbage
b. Scrap Metal
c. Next Generation Recycling Center

8. Who buys metal in Douglas County?
a. Douglas County
b. McGovern Metals
c. The Steel Outlet

9. Where does Styrofoam go?
a. Garbage
b. Mixed plastic
c. Burn pile

10. Where do compact fluorescent light bulbs go?
a. Garbage
b. Glass Containers
c. Home Depot

11. Where do regular light bulbs go?
a. Garbage

b. Glass Containers
c. Home Depot

12. Where do mattresses and box springs go?
a. Garbage
b. Thrift Stores
c. Roseburg or Reedsport Transfer Stations

Thanks for playing and remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!” For more information visit us online at http://www.recyclepower.org/.


Answers:

1. a


2. b


3. a


4. b or c


5. b


6. a


7. c


8. b and c


9. a


10. c


11. a


12. c

Grasscycling

Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings will quickly decompose, returning valuable nutrients to the soil.
Grasscycling saves time, money, and conserves natural and human resources. Mowing time is reduced since the bagging and disposal of clippings is eliminated. Not to mention no more bags! Grass clippings add beneficial organic matter to the soil, which provides free fertilizer and produces healthy, green lawns. Grasscycling reduces turf grass fertilizer and water requirements, which can minimize toxic runoff entering storm drains and polluting lakes, creeks, and rivers.

Grasscycling also reduces the amount of yard waste disposed in our local landfill thereby saving the county money. Research has shown that lawns can generate approximately 300 pounds of grass clippings per 1000 square feet annually. This can be as much as 6 1/2 tons per acre each year! Grass clippings are too valuable to throw away, and grasscycling allows this green material to be reused in our urban landscapes.
Historically, folks have been informed that one must remove grass from the lawn to reduce thatch and to have a healthy lawn. To the contrary, this process would do exactly the opposite. There are many conspiracy theories why this all began. Just remember, leave your clippings on your lawn to settle in to nurture itself.

Many people treat their lawns like a "crop:" they (over) water and (over) fertilize their lawns to encourage excessive growth. The "harvested crop" (grass clippings) is then bagged and disposed. Proper mowing, watering, and fertilizing practices result in more moderate turf growth, yet still produce a healthy, green lawn. Grasscycling can be practiced on any healthy lawn as long as the following turf management guidelines are followed.

Proper mowing is required for successful grasscycling. It is best to cut grass when the surface is dry, and keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades can shred grass and create a potential entryway for disease. Follow the "1/3 rule:" by mowing the lawn often enough so that no more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade is removed in any one mowing. Proper mowing will produce short clippings that will not cover up the grass surface. You may have to cut the lawn more frequently, or double cut, when the lawn is growing fast, such as in the spring, but much less when the turf is growing slowly. Additionally, raising the mowing height in the summer encourages deeper roots and protects grass from drought and heat damage.

You can grasscycle with most any mower. Refer to your owner's manual or contact a local lawnmower dealer to learn if you can safely grasscycle with your existing mower. You may need to purchase a retrofit kit, and your mower dealer can assist you in selecting the correct one. Mulching or recycling mowers make grasscycling easy by cutting grass blades in to small pieces and forcing them into the soil. You may also want to consider purchasing an electric mulching mower to reduce air pollution.

Remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less”. For more information, visit us online at http://www.recyclepower.org/

Kudos to the Oregon State Parks!

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the successes and failures of California recycling efforts in public places. The resulting conclusion was that Oregon is doing pretty good. This week I would like to share with you a shining example of how to provide recycling in a public area right here in Oregon!

This past weekend while on an excursion with old friends on the on the Oregon Coast, my family stayed at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park just outside Florence, Oregon. Nestled in the Oregon Dunes and surrounded by Sitka spruce and rhododendrons, the park is a jewel in the State Park Department’s offerings.

As on any camping trip, waste abounded. We had to deal with food waste, water waste, bottles, cans, plastic, paper, metal, glass, and cardboard. Of course with the “Recycle Guy” in their campsite, my friends and family had no choice but to do the right thing.

Even if the Recycle Guy had not been around, the folks at Honeyman made recycling a breeze! There were a dozen co-mingled recycle carts at the entrance of the park. These bins allowed campers an opportunity to recycle all paper, plastic bottles, cardboard, and cans. A partnership with the local hauler makes this possible. In Lace County, where Honeyman is located, co-mingle recycling is the norm and is picked up by all waste haulers. Although, mixed plastics are not recyclable as they are here in Douglas County thanks to our very own Sunrise Enterprises.

In addition to the co-mingle bins, there were plenty of bins for glass, used propane canisters, used motor oil, and a dumpster specifically for cardboard.

I was very pleased that we could keep our garbage to a minimum and offer KUDOS to the staff at Honeyman and the administrators of the Oregon Park’s Department for entering the 21st century and offering such a great program. Hopefully, this system will find its way into other parks around the state.

Don’t forget! Reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!!”

For more information on recycling in Douglas County visit us online at www.RecyclePower.org.

Recycled Art

A sculpture made of thousands of aluminum cans is unveiled on an English cliff top as part of a United Kingdom national initiative to encourage consumers to recycle more The world's largest recycled artwork was unveiled as part of a new drive to encourage consumers to recycle their cans and bottles this summer.

Transforming thousands of used aluminum cans collected from around the UK, the sculpture, called Precious Metal, took a team of artists a week to complete and can only be fully viewed from the air.

The artwork, near Eastbourne, is inspired by a classic 1949 summer poster from the Coca-Cola archives of a swimsuit-clad lady relaxing in the sun. It was led by the award-winning Cornish sculptor Robert Bradford.

Liz Lowe, citizenship manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain, said: "Old cans aren't just waste, they're precious metal. They can live forever through recycling, to be used time and time again to make a whole number of new things, saving huge amounts of energy and raw materials."

The fact is when you recycle aluminum; you preserve 95% of the energy it would have taken to create the same material again from virgin resources. These resources are traditionally located overseas, thereby compounding the issue by having our money leave the United States in return for even more future waste materials.

Recycling aluminum is a domestic process with a plant right here in the northwest. When you recycle aluminum, you are supporting our own, local economies.

This initiative is timely even here in the United States. Many millions of aluminum cans and plastic bottles are discarded into the trash daily. This material is a precious natural resource and when recycled preserves other resources, reduces litter, and creates much needed jobs. Now is the time to decide, do you care more about your community or the convenience offered by easy disposal.

For more information on recycling here in Douglas County, visit http://www.recyclepower.org/ and don’t forget to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Photograph: Jason Hawkes/Exposure

Think Local Party!

Friends,

The new Buy Local guide will be available for FREE distribution on Wed. July 8th.

Please find attached to this email, your flier that highlights this moment with a launch party at the UCDC offices. You are free to post this in your work place and forward to others.

At the launch party, you will find locally sourced beef that will be prepared by Charley’s BBQ as well as local appetizers and desserts, for FREE! Join us from 3-7 for the party and while you are there, pick up your new Local Pages directories and share them with your friends and family so we can promote keeping our hard earned dollars here in Douglas County!

Thank you for being part of this local movement and for “Trashing Douglas County Less!”

For more information, go online to http://www.thinklocalumpqua.com/ which went live today!

Recycling at the Summer Arts Festival

This past weekend was the 41st annual Summer Arts Fesival at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association located on Harvard Ave in Roseburg. Scores of artists, musician, and vendors showed their wares and talents. My family and I enjoyed the fun, family friendly atmosphere.

The event, held annually on the last weekend of each June compliments and showcases the great culture in Douglas County. I have lived in Douglas County off and on for 12 years, but this was the first time my family was in town and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.

I have been involved with the festival for the past 4 years continuing a partnership between the Arts Center and Douglas County Public Works. This public/private partnership is a great example of what can be accomplished for multiple organizations and the public in general. Public Works provided its supply of recycling equipment for the event and a portable recycle depot for Association volunteers to use throughout the weekend.

Volunteers collected glass, plastic, metal, and cardboard all weekend. Public Works staff then transported the recyclables to our primary recycling partner, Sunrise Enterprises in Green. Approximately 6 cubic yards of cardboard was recycled from the vendors and food booths. over 3 cubic yards of plastics were collected by volunteers for recycling. This was primarily in the form of water bottles. Over 100 pounds of glass was collected in the form of wine bottles. This is a great measure of success for the partnership.

My hat is off to the Summer Arts Festival Planning Committee for involving elements of sustainability, like recycling, in their program and for providing the volunteer staff to make it happen!

For more information about recycling in Douglas County, visit us online at http://www.recyclepower.org/ and don't forget to reduce, reuse, and recycle to "Trash Douglas County Less!"

5 year old Jackson McCullough poses after recycling his bottle at the 2009 Umpqua Valley Summer Arts Festival.

At Saturday’s Earth Day and Energy Fair, Douglas County Waste Reduction Manager, Chris McCullough, announced the winners of this year=s A3R=s At Work@ awards. The annual awards recognize those County businesses and employees who excel at reducing waste in the workplace.

Three businesses and one set of individuals were awarded special trophies made from recycled bicycle-parts at annual Earth Day and Energy Fair Main Stage at the fairgrounds in Roseburg. The recipient’s experiences are simple model practices that other businesses can incorporate into their operations.

The Annual Earth Day and Energy Fair proved to be the perfect venue to share with the audience the principles of “sustainability”, which is something that is key for us all to practice in order to help future generations meet their needs has we have. Sustainability encompasses ideas, aspirations, and values that inspire public and private organizations to become better stewards of the environment while promoting positive economic growth and social objectives. Sustainability demands that development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Douglas County is proud to announce the 2008 A3R=s At Work@ award winners:

For significant contribution and service to the recycling community:
Madeline Oldfield
Jerry Fleming
Eileen Swegles

For outstanding business waste reduction efforts:
Cascade Community Credit Union
Ingram Book Company
Battered Person’s Advocacy, Marisha Johnson

Madeline Oldfield, Jerry Fleming, and Eileen Swegles

For the past four years Madeline, Jerry, and Eileen have been instrumental in increasing awareness of recycling and waste reduction throughout Douglas County. By becoming active volunteers with Douglas County Public Works, these three stellar recyclers have impressed upon thousands of people the importance of recycling.

You have seen them actively manning recycling bins at the Douglas County Fair, Relay for Life, Show and Shine, and dozens of other large scale events in Douglas County. At the 2008 Douglas County Fair alone, this trio of volunteers was single handedly responsible for diverting over 300 cubic yards of plastic and cardboard from the local landfill.

In addition to their volunteer work with the County, they have even made inroads with local stores to allow them to assist in removing unwanted recyclables for free; such items include plastic film, cardboard, and paper board boxes.

Douglas County proudly presents the 3R’s and work award for contributions made to the recycling community to Madeline Oldfield, Jerry Fleming, and Eileen Swegles

Cascade Community Credit Union

For demonstrating concerted efforts in reducing waste and conserving energy, the team at Cascade Community Credit Union was presented their own trophy.

CCCU sponsors twice each year a community shredding event for their customers and the community. By providing this service, CCCU prevents tons of paper from entering the landfill, or worse, going up in smoke in backyard burn barrels.

CCCU has instituted business-wide recycling standards that have led to decreased waste fees. In addition, they have researched and assessed their own paper consumption and implemented usage and buying procedures that have save a lot of money.

CCCU continues to look at ways to reduce waste and save energy.

Ingram Book Company

For many years, Ingram Book has been setting the example for the community by putting into practice waste reduction strategies and green office procedures.

Ingram strives every day to reduce its waste and be a great steward of local resources. Having purchased a cardboard baler, built a bubble wrap popper, and collecting every scrap of paper have reduced their waste by about 90%.

Ingram makes available to the public their broken pallets for firewood, Styrofoam peanuts and board for packaging, and bubble wrap for what ever you need. They have even built a staff recycling area for their employees to bring material from home.

In partnership with previous 3R’s at Work recipient Sunrise Enterprises, Ingram is able to keep many tons of materials out of the landfill and support our local community.

Battered Person’s Advocacy

In 2006, BPA had zero recycling opportunity at its transitional housing program. Since then, the complex collects plastic, paper, metal, glass, and organics for recycling or composting.

Transitional Services Coordinator Marisha Johnson was handling all the material herself until entering into a partnership with Douglas County Public Works and Roseburg Disposal, a previous 3R’s at Work Award recipient. By doing so, Roseburg Disposal now collects curbside most of the materials as it is a residential complex. Public Works provided a waste audit and technical assistance.

Marisha and the residents take 100% ownership of the program and truly enjoy recycling and keeping materials out of their dumpster. By composting and recycling, Marisha and BPA are demonstrating to all of our community what it means to be good steward of our Earth.

Modern Bottle Bill

As of January 1, 2009 the citizens of Oregon finally got the chance to redeem water bottles for nickel return through a “modernized” version of the Oregon Bottle Bill that was first established in 1971. I am proud of the Oregon legislature for taking a step forward by adding this item to the list, but we are not done.

Here are a couple litter facts to consider:

· Non deposit containers are twice as likely to be littered as are containers without an Oregon deposit.
· Beverage containers were found to account for 13% by weight of ODOT’s roadside litter collection programs.

When the bottle bill was created there was not such a thing as an energy drink, juice containers were not individually served, nor was bottled water even considered a reasonable choice for consumption. Now, in our ever-consuming society, we have a battery of choices when it comes to beverages. Each choice proves not any different than beer of soda when it comes to littler, pollution, and waste.

This legislative session, another new expansion to the bottle bill is being introduced to include sports drink, juice, and coffee containers and raise the deposit and return to ten cents per container if recycling goals are not achieved with the additional materials. The objective is of course to stop wasting natural resources, reduce litter, save energy, and create jobs. Expanding the bottle bill does all these things.

This proposal has been recommended by the Bottle Bill Board which was commissioned under the 2007 legislation that brought us deposits on water bottles. This board has the responsibility to keep our state current on container recycling and maintain leadership in the recycling movement among the states.

The current proposal has now left committee and will be going to the State House for a vote and then onto the State Senate. If you are at all interested in this topic, please let your legislator know your position as we need to be heard on the subject.

Remember, by reducing, reusing, and recycling we can all “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Think Local Umpqua!

As a charter member of the newly formed “Think Local Umpqua” organization, I understand well the importance of supporting our local economy. I understand that local businesses shop and service other local businesses thereby supporting each other. Local businesses spend more of there hared earned money on our own community, thereby supporting each one of us. Each dollar spent locally circulates in the community three times longer than each dollar spent at an establishment owned and/or operated from outside our county.

When we buy goods and services from entities headquartered or located outside of Douglas County, we are sending our money out of town to them. Instead of buying your insurance on the internet, consider trying a local agent who hires local staff and that can work with you when you need them to. Consider instead of ordering a book on Amazon.com, supporting your local corner book store whose prices are comparable and can help you find exactly what you are looking for, all while contributing to the local character and charm of your community.

There are many ways to “Think Local First”. Try eating at a different locally owned and independently operated restaurant each week or month. Don’t drive by your local hardware store on the way to that big box-mart across town. Remember, you can usually save on gas and time, all while getting better service by patronizing your small business owner.

In addition, shopping local goods and services actually reduces waste! That’s right, by buying local you reduce the amount of energy consumed in shipping small quantities to homes via the internet, you save on fuel and emissions by not driving out of town or even across town, and understand that small businesses generate on average, less waste than the typical big box-store or internet shipper.

This summer, the Think Local Umpqua movement will be publishing a free shop local guidebook filled with information about local agriculture, restaurants, retail establishments, services, and more. This guide will assist the citizens of Douglas County in making more educated buying decisions that will create a stronger local economy. 10,000 copies of this guide will be made available for free to the public, so if your business is entirely owned within Douglas County and you operate independent of any franchise or parent company, contact Lily at 673-5023 today and get in the guide!

So next time you need to make a buying decision, “Think Local First”, and do not forget to reduce, reuse, and recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less.”

Safety Saves

As I was reviewing recycling trends in the trade publications today, I came across a story of an accidental death in the middle east when a recycling worker tossed a live round of ammunition into the smelter. This is a tragic story that highlights the dangers of everyday life in a region of the world few of us can truly understand. However, it illustrated something to me that I thought I would share with you today, the dangers of recycling.

Here is Douglas County we are blessed with wonderful partnerships that allow us to recycle darned near every thing. Paper, plastic, metal, glass, and organics are all recyclable here. We do however need to show caution at times as we do our best to trash Douglas County Less. Here are a few pointers to help all of us stay safe:

1. Propane tanks can be recycled. However, large tanks must have the valves removed by a professional. Please take these to a propane company for proper disposal. The smaller container, of the Coleman variety, may be tossed into the scrap metal bins at the transfer stations or taken to our local scrap metal yards. None of these are to be sent to thrift stores or Sunrise Enterprises for resale or recycling.

2. Ammunition should be dismantled by a professional gunsmith if it is no longer usable. Never recycle or dispose of in the waste. Nor should it ever be donated.

3. Special care should be taken with glass containers. When recycling take care not to drop or throw the glass. Shards can fly through the air and damage your eyes. Shards can remain on the ground at cause damage to vehicles, people, and animals. Remember, only glass containers are recyclable, not window, bulbs, or dishware.

4. Liquids are not allowed in the landfill or in recyclable bins. Take care to properly empty your recyclable containers. Paint can be disposed of after it is a solid. Pesticides, herbicides, cleaners and other hazardous waste should be used up as the material is designed. Then the container can be rinsed and recycled. Motor oil can be recycled at the county transfer stations. And cooking oil can be recycled in the various black disposal bins at restaurants around the community.

5. All barbeque ashes and fireplace ashes should be placed in a plastic bag. This way you will know that the ashes are dead out. Fires can erupt in the landfill when this material is disposed of inappropriately.

6. Never smoke at the landfill or transfer stations. Butts have fallen into the bins and caused fires in the past. This results in great expense for the county in manpower and equipment.

7. When conducting any construction activity, take special care to review the policies and procedures for asbestos removal. Asbestos is forbidden from the landfill and special fees apply to it disposal. Failure to do so will result in stiff penalties. This is important for your safety, the safety of your contractors, and the safety of solid waste employees handling the waste.

8. Always cover and secure your truck loads of material as you transport disposables or recyclables to their final destination. The safety of those around you is at risk should your load not be secure. There is a $300 fine if you fail to cover your load.

9. Be very careful as you enter and leave disposal and recycling areas. There are always workers milling about. Some of them have special needs and require your utmost attention to stay safe.

Thank you for taking the time to be safe when managing your waste here in Douglas County. And don’t forget, when we Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle we can “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Bottle Bill Bonanza

For the first time since 1971, changes have been made to Oregon’s landmark “Bottle Bill”, the law that requires deposits on certain beverage containers. As of last week, water bottles have been added to the list of containers required to carry a five cent deposit and return value. This is going to mean four times as many water bottles will be returned for recycling rather than being thrown out and destined for the landfill.

In a recent survey conducted by OSPRIG, a state-wide college student group, over 80% of Oregonians favored adding water bottles to the list. This must be why I have received zero phone calls complaining about the new changes. Most folks have been disturbed and confused that we would be compelled to recycle one container of a particular material but not be incentivized to recycle a different container of the same makeup.

This new addition is a great step forward in helping citizens understand the importance of recycling as a way to improve our surroundings. Having this bottle bill reduces litter, saves landfill space, increases feedstock for regional industry, and reduces the amount of oil needed for new production of containers.

Even better than recycling your water bottles, is of course, to not buy them in the first place. Reuse a durable container and refill it with our great tap water for free! If you feel you still need bottled water, consider contracting with a local water distributor and have a 5 gallon dispenser installed in your house. This is way cheaper than buying pint sized bottles. My friend spent $4.50 at a theater recently on one bottle of water! You can also install a water filter to your tap and ultimately save money.

There has been one glitch in the system so far. Some containers being sold are from 2008 and do not have the OR5¢ marking on them. Some retailers are on top of it and not charging the deposit. Some however are confused and charging a deposit you cannot get back. So please be careful in these first few months and check your bottles and you receipt. If you have been charged a deposit, and the bottle is not marked with OR5¢, you will not get your money back. So work with the retailer at the point of purchase.

If you feel a retailer is not living up to their end of the bargain on either sales or return call the Oregon Liquor Control Commission or OLCC. They are the regulatory agency responsible for enforcing this law. The information and complaint hotline is 1-800-h2o-2009.

Remember, recycling is important, but not making the waste in the first place is our best solution to reducing our impact on our surroundings. Together we can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”

Visit www.RecyclePower.org for more information.

Buried In Phonebooks?

The loud “THUMP” on our front porches and driveways each year signals delivery of phone directories – often multiple directories from multiple companies. Oregon DEQ estimates that in 2003 there were 6.45 million sets of white/yellow pages published and distributed in Oregon, despite the fact that there were only 1.33 million households in the state.

Recycling outdated or unwanted phone books is certainly an option. Recycling a three-pound phone book saves resources and also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 5.9 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. But not printing that same phone book prevents three times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions − 18.1 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. (Source: Oregon DEQ.)

Some people don’t want or need the directories at all, but haven’t known what to do, other than dropping them right into their recycling cart or bin. Oregon DEQ offers the following guidance for opting out of phone books you don’t want:

DEX/Qwest
1. Go to dexknows.com. Select “Directory Options” in the small gray print at the bottom of the page.
2. Enter your Zip code and click through screens until you see “Personalize Your Directory Order.”
3. Fill in your address and contact information, and from the dropdown menu, select “0” or the number of directories you wish to receive. Or, call 1-800-422-8793 and press 2 to speak with a representative.

Yellow Book
Call 1-800-929-3556 and press 3 to speak with a representative.
Other Phone Books
Check on the front cover or inside page for a customer service number to “order directories.”

Remember, recycling is important, but not making the waste in the first place is our best solution to reducing our impact on our surroundings. Together we can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to “Trash Douglas County Less!”