nsitive - El Dorado Disposal

Page 4
Summer 2015
El Dorado
Disposal
Recycling
Centers
580 Truck Street, Placerville
(Corner of Highway 49 & Truck Street)
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, from
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Materials Accepted:
nBuy back for cans and bottles
nCardboard bin for all cardboard,
newspaper, and magazines
nE-Waste accepted for free
nDrop-off box for household
batteries only (No car, motorcycle
or other large batteries accepted)
n15 fluorescent light bulbs and
tubes (up to 4’ long, 15 tube limit)
accepted for free
4421 Latrobe Road, El Dorado Hills
(1.4 miles south of Highway 50,
on left side)
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, from
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Materials Accepted:
nBuy back for cans and bottles
nCardboard bin for all cardboard,
newspaper, and magazines
nGreen waste bin
nE-Waste accepted for free
nDrop-off box for household
batteries only (No car, motorcycle
or other large batteries accepted)
n15 fluorescent light bulbs and
tubes (up to 4’ long, 15 tube limit)
accepted for free
3510 Palmer Drive, Cameron Park
(Behind Bel-Air and Long’s Drugs)
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, from
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Materials Accepted:
nBuy back for cans and bottles
nCardboard bin for all cardboard,
newspaper, and magazines
nE-Waste accepted for free
nDrop-off box for household
batteries only (No car, motorcycle
or other large batteries accepted)
n15 fluorescent light bulbs and
tubes (up to 4’ long, 15 tube limit)
accepted for free
Visit the CalRecycle website, www.
calrecycle.ca.gov, for current California
Redemption Value (CRV) pricing.
*Attendant takes a half-hour lunch,
tentatively between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m.
We want your
suggestions, questions,
and comments!
El Dorado Disposal Service
P.O. Box 1270
Diamond Springs, CA 95619
Customer Service:
530-626-4141 or 916-985-1162
Ombudsman: 530-295-2818
www.eldoradodisposal.com
Funded by El Dorado Disposal
Copyright© 2015
Waste Connections, El Dorado Disposal Service,
and Eco Partners, Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed on Recycled Paper
70% Post-Consumer News Content, Using Soy Inks.
Upcoming Special Events
Cameron Park Area
Pooch Plunge and Laps at the Lake
Saturday, August 15
9:00 a.m. registration
Cameron Park Lake
Cameron Park Countryfest
Saturday, August 15
11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Christa McAuliffe Park
Summer 2015
A smaller footprint
and cleaner closets
City of Placerville
Craft Faire
Sunday, August 23
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Historic Main Street
Hangtown Car Show
Thursday, August 27
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Kacie’s Ride for Hope
Saturday, September 12
8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Main Street
El Dorado Hills
Summer Concert
Performing: Ike and Martin
Friday, July 24, 7:00 p.m.
Community Park
Photo courtesy of El Dorado County Visitors Authority
Summer Concert
Performing: Pop Fiction
Friday, August 14, 7:00 p.m.
Community Park
Learn more about local events at http://
visit-eldorado.com/special-events.php.
Saturday Night in the Park
Performing: Rock Monsterz
Saturday, August 22
Community Park
Did you know?
1. The El Dorado Disposal Buy Back
Centers now accept household batteries
and fluorescent light bulbs and tubes up
to 4 feet long (15 tube limit).
2. Household hazardous waste can be
dropped off at the Material Recovery
Facility (MRF) on Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
free of charge. There is 15-gallon limit
for liquids per trip. The MRF is located
at 4100 Throwita Way, Placerville.
3. El Dorado Disposal offers 6, 10, 20, 30,
and 40 yard debris boxes for those extra
projects and property cleanups.
4.Bulky item
pickup is available
all year long.
5. Electronic
waste may be
dropped off at the
MRF any day of
the week free of
charge.
6. We offer
curbside battery
and oil pickup.
7. We conduct recycling education
programs at schools countywide.
8. We offer educational tours for schools
and organized youth groups.
9. We offer community cleanup days.
Please visit our website, www.
ElDoradoDisposal.com, for date and
location information.
10.You can manage your account online
and communicate with Customer
Service via email. Register online
and receive service information
electronically. Go to www.
ElDoradoDisposal.com.
11.Trash service remains the same every
holiday, except Christmas and New
Year’s Day.
12.It’s important to keep the lids on your
carts closed to prevent litter.
Need to shred sensitive
documents?
All of the material received is destroyed
and then recycled—it never ends up in a
landfill. MORE provides a certificate to
verify that all confidential material has been
destroyed. MORE charges 25¢ per pound if
material is dropped off
and 30¢
For over 30 years, MORE has been serving
our community. Did you know that one of
the services they provide is professional
document shredding? Whether you are a
resident who needs to shred a few boxes of
tax and medical records or a business that
needs to shred financial and customer data,
MORE can help.
MORE has a commercial paper shredder
that can process up to 1,500 pounds of paper
per hour. All confidential paper dropped off
is contained within a secure, fenced area.
© iS
tock
.com
| tom
prou
t
per pound if pickup service is needed and
provided. For details, call (530) 622-4848.
MORE’s mission is to empower
individuals with disabilities to enhance
their quality of life. MORE makes dreams
come true for adults with developmental
disabilities.
Learn about services
provided by MORE at
www.morerehab.org.
Your shoes leave footprints behind
on a forest trail, mountain path, or
sandy beach. Your life leaves a carbon
footprint behind on our environment.
Your carbon footprint results from
the choices you make to purchase,
transport, use, and consume all sorts
of products, all of which add carbon
and other greenhouse gases to our
environment.
It turns out that even your shoes
are part of that carbon footprint. The
average American trashes 68 pounds of
shoes, clothing, and other textiles every
year. This adds up to over 11 million
tons of textile waste nationwide. When
you recycle textiles, you keep valuable
resources in use, reduce energy
consumption, limit waste, and preserve
Melody Byers spearheaded our newest
landfill space.
recycling initiative.
Melody Byers, the sustainability
coordinator for El Dorado Disposal
lPlacerville Recycling Center, 580 Truck
Service, recently spearheaded a textile
Street, Placerville
recycling program for El Dorado County
lEl
Dorado Hills Recycling Center, 4421
residents. The new program is a partnership
Latrobe
Road, El Dorado Hills
between El Dorado Disposal and USAgain,
lCameron Park Recycling Center, 3510
a business that has over 14,000 collection
Palmer Drive (located behind the CVS
bins for unwanted textiles in 19 states.
store)
“Recycling textiles reduces our carbon
lMaterial
Recovery Facility (MRF),
footprint,” said Byers. “Since 1999,
4100 Throwita Way, Placerville
USAgain textile recycling has kept over 4
Go through your closet and bag up all
billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of our
clothing, shoes, and other textiles that are
environment.”
not worthy to donate at a local thrift store.
With this new recycling program, you
Put the items in a bag and tie it shut. Bring
can recycle your clothing, shoes, towels,
your bagged recyclable textiles to one of
bedding, hats, and other fabric household
our recycling centers and drop them into the
items at our four recycling centers:
green and white USAgain bin.
Waste Wizard
Thanks to the widgets in El Dorado
Disposal’s Waste Wizard application,
you can use your smartphone, tablet, or
computer to access all sorts of information:
tEnter your address and get an
individualized electronic collection
calendar.
tSign up for electronic or telephone
reminders alerting you to your
collection days.
tSign up for emergency notifications
regarding service interruptions or
weather delays.
tSearch for a specific item and receive
disposal instructions, as well as different
disposal options, such as curbside
removal or self-hauling to the Material
Recovery Facility (MRF).
tWatch for an online bulky item pickup
request feature coming soon!
These features make it easier for you
to find information about your services.
The Waste Wizard also helps El Dorado
Disposal Service understand what kinds of
information and services residents need.
To get the app for your smartphone or
device, search for “El Dorado Disposal”
in your app store. To use the Waste
Wizard features online, visit www.
ElDoradoDisposal.com.
Solid waste plan sets
county recycling goal
at 75% by 2020
Did you know El Dorado County has a Solid
Waste Management Plan? The El Dorado
County Solid Waste Management Plan
was approved by the County
Board of Supervisors
in 2012. The overall
goals of the plan are
to bridge the current
waste management
program with
a system that
meets the
future needs
of the urban
and rural
populations
of the county
and increase
the countywide
recycling rate to
75% by the year
2020.
In 2014, El
Dorado County’s
recycling rate was 66%. This
means, of all the waste that was taken to our
Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), 66%
of the material was recovered for recycling
and not sent to landfills. This is great! But
there is still more we can do.
County residents and businesses have
many convenient opportunities to reduce,
reuse, and recycle their wastes. Here are just
a few:
vPay As You Throw (PAYT) garbage rate
structure – The more you recycle, the less
garbage you generate and the cheaper your
garbage bill. Recycling and green waste
collection is free with garbage service.
vRecycling centers offer free collection
of beverage containers, paper products,
e-waste, household batteries, green
waste, and other items. (Some centers
may not accept all items listed.)
vSeveral non-profit organizations accept
donations of used items.
vRecycling bins are located throughout
many of our parks and recreation
facilities.
vFour free Household Hazardous
Waste (HHW) Collection locations are
available for residents throughout the
County. For location information, please
call 530-621-5300.
vMany free Certified Used Oil Collection
Centers are located in El Dorado
County, many of which also
accept used oil filters.
v Free e-waste
recycling is offered at
the HHW locations
and some recycling
centers.
v Free waste
audits are
offered to
commercial
businesses
with
garbage
service.
Your waste
hauler
can help
evaluate the
waste materials
your business
generates. This
waste audit helps
your business determine
whether you can save
money on your garbage service by
increasing the amount of materials being
recycled.
To learn more about these programs
and additional recycling opportunities,
contact the franchise waste hauler for your
area or El Dorado County Environmental
Management Division of the Community
Development Agency at (530) 621-5300.
Additionally, El Dorado County and
its solid waste management partners
would like to introduce you to the new
“El Dorado County Recycles” logo
(pictured here). Look for this logo and
watch for information about existing and
new recycling opportunities available in
our communities and what items can be
recycled and how.
Working together, we can protect our
environment, conserve more resources, and
strengthen our economy. Help El Dorado
County meet and exceed its 75% recycling
goal. Let’s turn our waste stream into a
supply stream!
El Dorado Disposal Service
24-Hour Payment Line
With your Visa or MasterCard, you can make payments
using our automated 24-hour toll-free number.
Simply call (855) 569-2719.
You will be prompted to provide your account number.
El Dorado Disposal and El Dorado County Fire Safe
Council are partnering to help you prepare now before
fire season begins. Are you aware that El Dorado County
Fire Safe Council has free community yard waste
disposal and chipping? Check out the programs at:
EDCFiresafe.org.
Conserving water
as you recycle
As the severe drought in California
continues, we are all looking for ways to
conserve water. Here are some tips for
cleaning your recyclables without using
extra water:
lMost beverage containers don’t need to
be rinsed. Simply empty them and then
leave them upside down in the sink or a
dish drainer for several minutes to allow
all of the liquid to drain out.
lFor jars or cans that held peanut butter,
jelly, spaghetti sauce, soup,
or other sticky food,
clean the inside
Law targets
commercial food
waste for recycling
of the jar or can with a spatula or a paper
towel. If all of the residue is removed,
place the jar or can in your recycling cart.
lIf you have containers that you need to
rinse, use dishwater or reuse water from
rinsing vegetables or cooking pasta.
When you are running water to let it
heat up, don’t send it down the drain—
capture it! Use a basin or bucket to catch
water in the shower, tub, or kitchen sink.
This water has never been used and is
perfect for filling pet bowls, watering
plants, or rinsing recyclables.
To remove sticky residue, use a spatula or
paper towel first. Then, if you still need to do
a little rinsing, use water
that has already
been used once
to cook pasta or
rinse fruit.
©
iS
to
ck
.c
om
|c
ve
ltr
i
© iStock.com | Marina Lohrbach
Quotes
Requoted
© iStock.com | princessdlaf
Thousands have lived without love, not one
W. H. Auden, 1907-1973
without water.
Anglo-American Poet
Last fall, Governor Jerry Brown signed
Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) into law.
This new law expands on the success of
California’s commercial recycling law (AB
341), which took effect in 2012. However,
AB 1826 targets a specific component of
commercial waste—organics, such as food
scraps, food-soiled paper, green waste, and
landscape and pruning waste. Organics
constitute about one-third of the waste
disposed in California landfills each year.
Assembly Member Wesley Chesbro,
who sponsored this legislation, said,
“Food waste alone is the single largest
component of the waste stream. Landfilled
food and other organic materials are a
major contributor to climate change.” He
continued, “California is on the forefront
of the farm-to-fork movement, but the next
step is to move the entire state full circle
and transition from fork-to-farm.”
The new law phases in recycling
requirements for organics. First, by April 1,
2016, businesses that create 8 or more cubic
yards of organics per week, such as large
supermarkets, convention centers, venues,
and food processors, will be required to
recycle this material. Many of these large
businesses already have organics waste
recycling programs in place or have plans
under way. Second, on January 1, 2017,
businesses that create 4 or more cubic
yards of organics per week, such as large
restaurants, will also be required to begin
recycling this material. Finally, by January
1, 2019, all businesses that generate 4
or more cubic yards of any type of solid
waste per week will be required to recycle
organics.
To comply with the law, businesses will
have the option of recycling organic waste
on-site, self-hauling organics to a recycling
facility, contracting for separated collection
and recycling, or subscribing to a mixed
waste processing service that captures and
recycles organic waste.
Phasing in the requirements allows both
businesses and haulers time to plan for the
changes that will be needed for collection.
It also gives the processing industry time to
prepare for the influx of organic materials.
Organics can be recycled by composting
or by conversion to renewable energy
through a process known as anaerobic
digestion. Compost has many landscape
and agricultural uses. Anaerobic digestion,
which breaks down organics using bacteria
in an enclosed, oxygen-free space, creates
two useful products—biogas and solid
residue. Biogas can be used to power
electric generators or as a vehicle fuel. Solid
residue can be used as a soil amendment in
certain types of agriculture.
Recycling organics keeps material out of
landfills, creates California jobs, results in
useful products, and reduces our production
of greenhouse gases.
To learn more about the new
commercial organics recycling law,
visit www.CalRecycle.CA.gov/recycle/
commercial/organics.
For more information about commercial
and multi-family recycling, contact El
Dorado Disposal Service at (530) 626-4141
for a free consultation.
Page 3
9 Tips for Summertime
Shopping
Ahhh...summertime. Family vacations,
lounging by the pool, picnics with friends,
and back-to-school shopping. Whether
you’re getting ready for school yourself,
getting someone else ready for school,
or just taking care of your own summer
shopping, there are things that you can do
before, during, and after your shopping
trip to reduce your waste, improve our
environment, and save money, too.
1. Clean out your closets and cabinets. If
you are sending a student off to college,
you may find that you have plenty
of towels and sheets without buying
new ones. If you’re sending a student
back to school, you might discover
unused notebooks, pens, and pencils or
remember that last year’s backpack is
in great shape. If you’re shopping for
housewares, garden supplies, or even
food, you may learn that what you need
is already sitting on your shelf!
2. Organize what you already own. We’ve
all watched those organization (and
hoarding) shows on TV. How many
times have you watched someone find
more than one coffee maker or enough
white T-shirts or tank tops to clothe
everyone on the block? While most of
us aren’t quite that organizationally
challenged, we often have some
area—a junk drawer, a pantry shelf, or
a bedroom closet—that could use some
attention. When you organize what you
have, you’ll find things you can still use.
This is also a great way to find the stuff
you no longer want that you could sell
or give away.
3. No matter where you are shopping, plan
ahead and make a list. Going to the
hardware store? Make a list. Going to a
clothing store? Make a list. We all know
that we make fewer impulse purchases
at the grocery store when we shop from
a list—the same is true at other kinds of
stores, as well.
4. Shop for reused items first. Before you
hit the mall, check the neighborhood
garage sales or stop by thrift stores or
secondhand shops. You can find clothes,
shoes, appliances, books, toys, games,
office supplies, household goods,
DVDs, and more.
5.Look for recycled-content products.
Since it will soon be back-to-school
season, paper is a great place to
start. The average American uses
about 500 pounds of paper each
year. Recycled-content notebooks,
loose-leaf paper, and printer paper
are readily available, high-quality,
and cost-competitive. According to
the Environmental Paper Network,
making new paper from recycled
paper uses 31% less energy and
creates 53% less wastewater than
7. Select durable,
making the same paper directly from
reusable products that also reduce
trees. And don’t forget recycled-content
your waste or energy use at home. For
tissues and paper towels. These items
example, if you have a drying rack, you
are often on school supply lists. You’ll
won’t need to use your dryer as often.
be teaching a great lesson to the whole
When you purchase electrical appliances
class by sending recycled-content
or electronics, look for the Energy Star
tissues or paper towels to school.
label, which guarantees an energy6. Paper isn’t the only recycled-content
efficient product. Choose reusables,
product, of course! Look for pens,
pencils, scissors,
rulers, file folders,
binders, storage
containers,
jewelry, and
outerwear,
such as fleece
pullovers and
scarves, to name
just a few. If
you don’t find
recycled-content
alternatives, tell
the store manager
that you want
them. The store
may be able
to order them
for you now or
stock them in the
future.
Photo courtesy of El Dorado County Visitors Authority
.com | Pa
mela Moo
re
From fork
to farm
Be fire safe!
Summer 2015
© iStock
Summer 2015
such as refillable mugs and insulated
cold cups. Many stores will refill your
mug or cup—sometimes at a slightly
discounted price.
8. Shop for food and flowers at farmers
markets. These markets provide fresh
food without extra transportation or
excess packaging. Wouldn’t it be nice
to enjoy fruits and vegetables without
throwing away a lot of plastic bags and
containers? National Farmers Market
Week is the first week of August, so go
out and show your support for our local
farmers. For more information about
farmers markets or to locate them here
or as you travel, go to www.ams.usda.
gov/farmersmarkets.
9. Say “no thanks” to overly packaged
items. Ask yourself, “If I buy this item,
how many layers of packaging are
going to go straight into my recycling or
trash?” If your answer is more than two,
see whether an alternative product is
available that has less packaging.
Painting the town green
With the
start of
California’s
paint
stewardship
program
on October 19, 2012, citizens
are now able to recycle their paint more
easily and more frequently than before. This
ease is thanks to PaintCare, a not-for-profit
organization run by the American Coatings
Association (ACA) to help seven states
collect leftover and unwanted paint.
The first-ever U.S. paint stewardship
law was passed in Oregon in July of
2009. The law prompted the need for an
organization like PaintCare to collect the
used paint. Collection services apply to
both oil-based and latex paint used for
the interior and exterior of buildings and
sold in 5-gallon cans or smaller (called
“architectural paint”).
Since the program began in California
in 2012, PaintCare has established 738
© Zoonar RF | Thinkstock
Page 2
drop-off sites in the state.
More than 2.6 million
gallons of paint have
been collected, with 96%
of that paint recycled into
new paint.
The paint recycling
process begins with the purchase of a new
container of paint. Each container has a
“paint stewardship assessment,” or a small
fee, placed on all architectural paint sold
in California. That assessment is used
to pay for the costs of recycling and the
administration of PaintCare.
Once paint is used or no longer needed,
residents and businesses can drop it off at
the Household Hazardous Waste facility
located at the Material Recovery Facility
(MRF), 4100 Throwita Way, Placerville.
Collected paint is packed into larger
containers and sent to facilities to be sorted.
Oil-based paint is burned to recover
energy. Latex paint is
reprocessed into new paint, made into
other products, sent to reuse programs or
stores, or used for biodegration projects.
Only 1-4% of all collected paint is sent to
landfills.
PaintCare sites currently accept house
paint and primers, stains, sealers, and clear
coatings such as varnish in 5-gallon cans or
smaller. The program cannot take aerosols,
solvents, and products made for industrial
use. For a comprehensive list of acceptable
and unacceptable products, visit www.
paintcare.org/products-we-accept.
Thanks to PaintCare, California now
offers a sustainable way to collect the state’s
leftover paint and turn it into something
useful. For more information, visit www.
paintcare.org.
El Dorado Disposal and El Dorado County Fire Safe
Council are partnering to help you prepare now before
fire season begins. Are you aware that El Dorado County
Fire Safe Council has free community yard waste
disposal and chipping? Check out the programs at:
EDCFiresafe.org.
Conserving water
as you recycle
As the severe drought in California
continues, we are all looking for ways to
conserve water. Here are some tips for
cleaning your recyclables without using
extra water:
lMost beverage containers don’t need to
be rinsed. Simply empty them and then
leave them upside down in the sink or a
dish drainer for several minutes to allow
all of the liquid to drain out.
lFor jars or cans that held peanut butter,
jelly, spaghetti sauce, soup,
or other sticky food,
clean the inside
Law targets
commercial food
waste for recycling
of the jar or can with a spatula or a paper
towel. If all of the residue is removed,
place the jar or can in your recycling cart.
lIf you have containers that you need to
rinse, use dishwater or reuse water from
rinsing vegetables or cooking pasta.
When you are running water to let it
heat up, don’t send it down the drain—
capture it! Use a basin or bucket to catch
water in the shower, tub, or kitchen sink.
This water has never been used and is
perfect for filling pet bowls, watering
plants, or rinsing recyclables.
To remove sticky residue, use a spatula or
paper towel first. Then, if you still need to do
a little rinsing, use water
that has already
been used once
to cook pasta or
rinse fruit.
©
iS
to
ck
.c
om
|c
ve
ltr
i
© iStock.com | Marina Lohrbach
Quotes
Requoted
© iStock.com | princessdlaf
Thousands have lived without love, not one
W. H. Auden, 1907-1973
without water.
Anglo-American Poet
Last fall, Governor Jerry Brown signed
Assembly Bill 1826 (AB 1826) into law.
This new law expands on the success of
California’s commercial recycling law (AB
341), which took effect in 2012. However,
AB 1826 targets a specific component of
commercial waste—organics, such as food
scraps, food-soiled paper, green waste, and
landscape and pruning waste. Organics
constitute about one-third of the waste
disposed in California landfills each year.
Assembly Member Wesley Chesbro,
who sponsored this legislation, said,
“Food waste alone is the single largest
component of the waste stream. Landfilled
food and other organic materials are a
major contributor to climate change.” He
continued, “California is on the forefront
of the farm-to-fork movement, but the next
step is to move the entire state full circle
and transition from fork-to-farm.”
The new law phases in recycling
requirements for organics. First, by April 1,
2016, businesses that create 8 or more cubic
yards of organics per week, such as large
supermarkets, convention centers, venues,
and food processors, will be required to
recycle this material. Many of these large
businesses already have organics waste
recycling programs in place or have plans
under way. Second, on January 1, 2017,
businesses that create 4 or more cubic
yards of organics per week, such as large
restaurants, will also be required to begin
recycling this material. Finally, by January
1, 2019, all businesses that generate 4
or more cubic yards of any type of solid
waste per week will be required to recycle
organics.
To comply with the law, businesses will
have the option of recycling organic waste
on-site, self-hauling organics to a recycling
facility, contracting for separated collection
and recycling, or subscribing to a mixed
waste processing service that captures and
recycles organic waste.
Phasing in the requirements allows both
businesses and haulers time to plan for the
changes that will be needed for collection.
It also gives the processing industry time to
prepare for the influx of organic materials.
Organics can be recycled by composting
or by conversion to renewable energy
through a process known as anaerobic
digestion. Compost has many landscape
and agricultural uses. Anaerobic digestion,
which breaks down organics using bacteria
in an enclosed, oxygen-free space, creates
two useful products—biogas and solid
residue. Biogas can be used to power
electric generators or as a vehicle fuel. Solid
residue can be used as a soil amendment in
certain types of agriculture.
Recycling organics keeps material out of
landfills, creates California jobs, results in
useful products, and reduces our production
of greenhouse gases.
To learn more about the new
commercial organics recycling law,
visit www.CalRecycle.CA.gov/recycle/
commercial/organics.
For more information about commercial
and multi-family recycling, contact El
Dorado Disposal Service at (530) 626-4141
for a free consultation.
Page 3
9 Tips for Summertime
Shopping
Ahhh...summertime. Family vacations,
lounging by the pool, picnics with friends,
and back-to-school shopping. Whether
you’re getting ready for school yourself,
getting someone else ready for school,
or just taking care of your own summer
shopping, there are things that you can do
before, during, and after your shopping
trip to reduce your waste, improve our
environment, and save money, too.
1. Clean out your closets and cabinets. If
you are sending a student off to college,
you may find that you have plenty
of towels and sheets without buying
new ones. If you’re sending a student
back to school, you might discover
unused notebooks, pens, and pencils or
remember that last year’s backpack is
in great shape. If you’re shopping for
housewares, garden supplies, or even
food, you may learn that what you need
is already sitting on your shelf!
2. Organize what you already own. We’ve
all watched those organization (and
hoarding) shows on TV. How many
times have you watched someone find
more than one coffee maker or enough
white T-shirts or tank tops to clothe
everyone on the block? While most of
us aren’t quite that organizationally
challenged, we often have some
area—a junk drawer, a pantry shelf, or
a bedroom closet—that could use some
attention. When you organize what you
have, you’ll find things you can still use.
This is also a great way to find the stuff
you no longer want that you could sell
or give away.
3. No matter where you are shopping, plan
ahead and make a list. Going to the
hardware store? Make a list. Going to a
clothing store? Make a list. We all know
that we make fewer impulse purchases
at the grocery store when we shop from
a list—the same is true at other kinds of
stores, as well.
4. Shop for reused items first. Before you
hit the mall, check the neighborhood
garage sales or stop by thrift stores or
secondhand shops. You can find clothes,
shoes, appliances, books, toys, games,
office supplies, household goods,
DVDs, and more.
5.Look for recycled-content products.
Since it will soon be back-to-school
season, paper is a great place to
start. The average American uses
about 500 pounds of paper each
year. Recycled-content notebooks,
loose-leaf paper, and printer paper
are readily available, high-quality,
and cost-competitive. According to
the Environmental Paper Network,
making new paper from recycled
paper uses 31% less energy and
creates 53% less wastewater than
7. Select durable,
making the same paper directly from
reusable products that also reduce
trees. And don’t forget recycled-content
your waste or energy use at home. For
tissues and paper towels. These items
example, if you have a drying rack, you
are often on school supply lists. You’ll
won’t need to use your dryer as often.
be teaching a great lesson to the whole
When you purchase electrical appliances
class by sending recycled-content
or electronics, look for the Energy Star
tissues or paper towels to school.
label, which guarantees an energy6. Paper isn’t the only recycled-content
efficient product. Choose reusables,
product, of course! Look for pens,
pencils, scissors,
rulers, file folders,
binders, storage
containers,
jewelry, and
outerwear,
such as fleece
pullovers and
scarves, to name
just a few. If
you don’t find
recycled-content
alternatives, tell
the store manager
that you want
them. The store
may be able
to order them
for you now or
stock them in the
future.
Photo courtesy of El Dorado County Visitors Authority
.com | Pa
mela Moo
re
From fork
to farm
Be fire safe!
Summer 2015
© iStock
Summer 2015
such as refillable mugs and insulated
cold cups. Many stores will refill your
mug or cup—sometimes at a slightly
discounted price.
8. Shop for food and flowers at farmers
markets. These markets provide fresh
food without extra transportation or
excess packaging. Wouldn’t it be nice
to enjoy fruits and vegetables without
throwing away a lot of plastic bags and
containers? National Farmers Market
Week is the first week of August, so go
out and show your support for our local
farmers. For more information about
farmers markets or to locate them here
or as you travel, go to www.ams.usda.
gov/farmersmarkets.
9. Say “no thanks” to overly packaged
items. Ask yourself, “If I buy this item,
how many layers of packaging are
going to go straight into my recycling or
trash?” If your answer is more than two,
see whether an alternative product is
available that has less packaging.
Painting the town green
With the
start of
California’s
paint
stewardship
program
on October 19, 2012, citizens
are now able to recycle their paint more
easily and more frequently than before. This
ease is thanks to PaintCare, a not-for-profit
organization run by the American Coatings
Association (ACA) to help seven states
collect leftover and unwanted paint.
The first-ever U.S. paint stewardship
law was passed in Oregon in July of
2009. The law prompted the need for an
organization like PaintCare to collect the
used paint. Collection services apply to
both oil-based and latex paint used for
the interior and exterior of buildings and
sold in 5-gallon cans or smaller (called
“architectural paint”).
Since the program began in California
in 2012, PaintCare has established 738
© Zoonar RF | Thinkstock
Page 2
drop-off sites in the state.
More than 2.6 million
gallons of paint have
been collected, with 96%
of that paint recycled into
new paint.
The paint recycling
process begins with the purchase of a new
container of paint. Each container has a
“paint stewardship assessment,” or a small
fee, placed on all architectural paint sold
in California. That assessment is used
to pay for the costs of recycling and the
administration of PaintCare.
Once paint is used or no longer needed,
residents and businesses can drop it off at
the Household Hazardous Waste facility
located at the Material Recovery Facility
(MRF), 4100 Throwita Way, Placerville.
Collected paint is packed into larger
containers and sent to facilities to be sorted.
Oil-based paint is burned to recover
energy. Latex paint is
reprocessed into new paint, made into
other products, sent to reuse programs or
stores, or used for biodegration projects.
Only 1-4% of all collected paint is sent to
landfills.
PaintCare sites currently accept house
paint and primers, stains, sealers, and clear
coatings such as varnish in 5-gallon cans or
smaller. The program cannot take aerosols,
solvents, and products made for industrial
use. For a comprehensive list of acceptable
and unacceptable products, visit www.
paintcare.org/products-we-accept.
Thanks to PaintCare, California now
offers a sustainable way to collect the state’s
leftover paint and turn it into something
useful. For more information, visit www.
paintcare.org.
Page 4
Summer 2015
El Dorado
Disposal
Recycling
Centers
580 Truck Street, Placerville
(Corner of Highway 49 & Truck Street)
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, from
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Materials Accepted:
nBuy back for cans and bottles
nCardboard bin for all cardboard,
newspaper, and magazines
nE-Waste accepted for free
nDrop-off box for household
batteries only (No car, motorcycle
or other large batteries accepted)
n15 fluorescent light bulbs and
tubes (up to 4’ long, 15 tube limit)
accepted for free
4421 Latrobe Road, El Dorado Hills
(1.4 miles south of Highway 50,
on left side)
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, from
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Materials Accepted:
nBuy back for cans and bottles
nCardboard bin for all cardboard,
newspaper, and magazines
nGreen waste bin
nE-Waste accepted for free
nDrop-off box for household
batteries only (No car, motorcycle
or other large batteries accepted)
n15 fluorescent light bulbs and
tubes (up to 4’ long, 15 tube limit)
accepted for free
3510 Palmer Drive, Cameron Park
(Behind Bel-Air and Long’s Drugs)
Open: Tuesday through Saturday, from
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.*
Materials Accepted:
nBuy back for cans and bottles
nCardboard bin for all cardboard,
newspaper, and magazines
nE-Waste accepted for free
nDrop-off box for household
batteries only (No car, motorcycle
or other large batteries accepted)
n15 fluorescent light bulbs and
tubes (up to 4’ long, 15 tube limit)
accepted for free
Visit the CalRecycle website, www.
calrecycle.ca.gov, for current California
Redemption Value (CRV) pricing.
*Attendant takes a half-hour lunch,
tentatively between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m.
We want your
suggestions, questions,
and comments!
El Dorado Disposal Service
P.O. Box 1270
Diamond Springs, CA 95619
Customer Service:
530-626-4141 or 916-985-1162
Ombudsman: 530-295-2818
www.eldoradodisposal.com
Funded by El Dorado Disposal
Copyright© 2015
Waste Connections, El Dorado Disposal Service,
and Eco Partners, Inc. All rights reserved.
Printed on Recycled Paper
70% Post-Consumer News Content, Using Soy Inks.
Upcoming Special Events
Cameron Park Area
Pooch Plunge and Laps at the Lake
Saturday, August 15
9:00 a.m. registration
Cameron Park Lake
Cameron Park Countryfest
Saturday, August 15
11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Christa McAuliffe Park
Summer 2015
A smaller footprint
and cleaner closets
City of Placerville
Craft Faire
Sunday, August 23
8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Historic Main Street
Hangtown Car Show
Thursday, August 27
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Kacie’s Ride for Hope
Saturday, September 12
8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Main Street
El Dorado Hills
Summer Concert
Performing: Ike and Martin
Friday, July 24, 7:00 p.m.
Community Park
Photo courtesy of El Dorado County Visitors Authority
Summer Concert
Performing: Pop Fiction
Friday, August 14, 7:00 p.m.
Community Park
Learn more about local events at http://
visit-eldorado.com/special-events.php.
Saturday Night in the Park
Performing: Rock Monsterz
Saturday, August 22
Community Park
Did you know?
1. The El Dorado Disposal Buy Back
Centers now accept household batteries
and fluorescent light bulbs and tubes up
to 4 feet long (15 tube limit).
2. Household hazardous waste can be
dropped off at the Material Recovery
Facility (MRF) on Friday, Saturday, and
Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
free of charge. There is 15-gallon limit
for liquids per trip. The MRF is located
at 4100 Throwita Way, Placerville.
3. El Dorado Disposal offers 6, 10, 20, 30,
and 40 yard debris boxes for those extra
projects and property cleanups.
4.Bulky item
pickup is available
all year long.
5. Electronic
waste may be
dropped off at the
MRF any day of
the week free of
charge.
6. We offer
curbside battery
and oil pickup.
7. We conduct recycling education
programs at schools countywide.
8. We offer educational tours for schools
and organized youth groups.
9. We offer community cleanup days.
Please visit our website, www.
ElDoradoDisposal.com, for date and
location information.
10.You can manage your account online
and communicate with Customer
Service via email. Register online
and receive service information
electronically. Go to www.
ElDoradoDisposal.com.
11.Trash service remains the same every
holiday, except Christmas and New
Year’s Day.
12.It’s important to keep the lids on your
carts closed to prevent litter.
Need to shred sensitive
documents?
All of the material received is destroyed
and then recycled—it never ends up in a
landfill. MORE provides a certificate to
verify that all confidential material has been
destroyed. MORE charges 25¢ per pound if
material is dropped off
and 30¢
For over 30 years, MORE has been serving
our community. Did you know that one of
the services they provide is professional
document shredding? Whether you are a
resident who needs to shred a few boxes of
tax and medical records or a business that
needs to shred financial and customer data,
MORE can help.
MORE has a commercial paper shredder
that can process up to 1,500 pounds of paper
per hour. All confidential paper dropped off
is contained within a secure, fenced area.
© iS
tock
.com
| tom
prou
t
per pound if pickup service is needed and
provided. For details, call (530) 622-4848.
MORE’s mission is to empower
individuals with disabilities to enhance
their quality of life. MORE makes dreams
come true for adults with developmental
disabilities.
Learn about services
provided by MORE at
www.morerehab.org.
Your shoes leave footprints behind
on a forest trail, mountain path, or
sandy beach. Your life leaves a carbon
footprint behind on our environment.
Your carbon footprint results from
the choices you make to purchase,
transport, use, and consume all sorts
of products, all of which add carbon
and other greenhouse gases to our
environment.
It turns out that even your shoes
are part of that carbon footprint. The
average American trashes 68 pounds of
shoes, clothing, and other textiles every
year. This adds up to over 11 million
tons of textile waste nationwide. When
you recycle textiles, you keep valuable
resources in use, reduce energy
consumption, limit waste, and preserve
Melody Byers spearheaded our newest
landfill space.
recycling initiative.
Melody Byers, the sustainability
coordinator for El Dorado Disposal
lPlacerville Recycling Center, 580 Truck
Service, recently spearheaded a textile
Street, Placerville
recycling program for El Dorado County
lEl
Dorado Hills Recycling Center, 4421
residents. The new program is a partnership
Latrobe
Road, El Dorado Hills
between El Dorado Disposal and USAgain,
lCameron Park Recycling Center, 3510
a business that has over 14,000 collection
Palmer Drive (located behind the CVS
bins for unwanted textiles in 19 states.
store)
“Recycling textiles reduces our carbon
lMaterial
Recovery Facility (MRF),
footprint,” said Byers. “Since 1999,
4100 Throwita Way, Placerville
USAgain textile recycling has kept over 4
Go through your closet and bag up all
billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of our
clothing, shoes, and other textiles that are
environment.”
not worthy to donate at a local thrift store.
With this new recycling program, you
Put the items in a bag and tie it shut. Bring
can recycle your clothing, shoes, towels,
your bagged recyclable textiles to one of
bedding, hats, and other fabric household
our recycling centers and drop them into the
items at our four recycling centers:
green and white USAgain bin.
Waste Wizard
Thanks to the widgets in El Dorado
Disposal’s Waste Wizard application,
you can use your smartphone, tablet, or
computer to access all sorts of information:
tEnter your address and get an
individualized electronic collection
calendar.
tSign up for electronic or telephone
reminders alerting you to your
collection days.
tSign up for emergency notifications
regarding service interruptions or
weather delays.
tSearch for a specific item and receive
disposal instructions, as well as different
disposal options, such as curbside
removal or self-hauling to the Material
Recovery Facility (MRF).
tWatch for an online bulky item pickup
request feature coming soon!
These features make it easier for you
to find information about your services.
The Waste Wizard also helps El Dorado
Disposal Service understand what kinds of
information and services residents need.
To get the app for your smartphone or
device, search for “El Dorado Disposal”
in your app store. To use the Waste
Wizard features online, visit www.
ElDoradoDisposal.com.
Solid waste plan sets
county recycling goal
at 75% by 2020
Did you know El Dorado County has a Solid
Waste Management Plan? The El Dorado
County Solid Waste Management Plan
was approved by the County
Board of Supervisors
in 2012. The overall
goals of the plan are
to bridge the current
waste management
program with
a system that
meets the
future needs
of the urban
and rural
populations
of the county
and increase
the countywide
recycling rate to
75% by the year
2020.
In 2014, El
Dorado County’s
recycling rate was 66%. This
means, of all the waste that was taken to our
Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), 66%
of the material was recovered for recycling
and not sent to landfills. This is great! But
there is still more we can do.
County residents and businesses have
many convenient opportunities to reduce,
reuse, and recycle their wastes. Here are just
a few:
vPay As You Throw (PAYT) garbage rate
structure – The more you recycle, the less
garbage you generate and the cheaper your
garbage bill. Recycling and green waste
collection is free with garbage service.
vRecycling centers offer free collection
of beverage containers, paper products,
e-waste, household batteries, green
waste, and other items. (Some centers
may not accept all items listed.)
vSeveral non-profit organizations accept
donations of used items.
vRecycling bins are located throughout
many of our parks and recreation
facilities.
vFour free Household Hazardous
Waste (HHW) Collection locations are
available for residents throughout the
County. For location information, please
call 530-621-5300.
vMany free Certified Used Oil Collection
Centers are located in El Dorado
County, many of which also
accept used oil filters.
v Free e-waste
recycling is offered at
the HHW locations
and some recycling
centers.
v Free waste
audits are
offered to
commercial
businesses
with
garbage
service.
Your waste
hauler
can help
evaluate the
waste materials
your business
generates. This
waste audit helps
your business determine
whether you can save
money on your garbage service by
increasing the amount of materials being
recycled.
To learn more about these programs
and additional recycling opportunities,
contact the franchise waste hauler for your
area or El Dorado County Environmental
Management Division of the Community
Development Agency at (530) 621-5300.
Additionally, El Dorado County and
its solid waste management partners
would like to introduce you to the new
“El Dorado County Recycles” logo
(pictured here). Look for this logo and
watch for information about existing and
new recycling opportunities available in
our communities and what items can be
recycled and how.
Working together, we can protect our
environment, conserve more resources, and
strengthen our economy. Help El Dorado
County meet and exceed its 75% recycling
goal. Let’s turn our waste stream into a
supply stream!
El Dorado Disposal Service
24-Hour Payment Line
With your Visa or MasterCard, you can make payments
using our automated 24-hour toll-free number.
Simply call (855) 569-2719.
You will be prompted to provide your account number.