New DC Policy for Recycling Bins!

Treat me nicely!
I'm a precious commodity!

Citing budget cuts and a high demand for recycling bins, trash cans and super cans, the DC government announced that as of April 25, 2011, they'll begin charging residents for replacement bins.  The 32 gallon bins will cost $45 while the Supercans used in areas where trash is picked up only once a week will cost $62.50.  Senior citizens will have to pay the same price as all other residents. Supercans are still being repaired by DPW free of charge. You can call 311 or 737-4404 to have your recycling or trash bin or Supercan disposed of or repaired . Further details, including a link to a website that will tell you the day of the week the recycle bins on your street or alley are picked up can be found here!

In Praise of the Humble Clothes Line

Now that Spring is finally here to stay, it’s great to open up the house and let all that fresh air in.  It’s also a great time to come home to a good old fashion clothes line for your laundry.  There are many advantages to using a clothes line: getting rid of all that hot air that a dryer generates in your house; reducing costs (estimates say that the average US household spends $150 or more a year just on drying clothes in a dryer); reducing your energy usage (Project Laundry List estimates that US households can attribute anywhere between 10-25% of their electric bill to an electric clothes dryer), and the fact that clothes will last longer (and your jeans won’t be as tight) when they’re line dried.  And they smell good.  If the towels and jeans feel too scratchy, just throw them dry in the dryer for about 2 minutes (vs 60!) and…..voila!

Fortunately, Congress has yet to regulate DC’s use of clothes lines, and they come in all sorts of styles.  I have a collapsible drying rack with lots of bars that I use inside and outside,  weather depending.  You can buy a couple of pulleys, hooks and some rope at your local hardware store and easily rig your own clothes line up in no time.  And those retro retractable models are still out there which are perfect for our small yards that need to adapt to multiple uses (my local hardware store on the Hill carries them).  I have one of those clothes lines that you find in hotels rigged up above my bathtub which is great for year round laundry.  Give the dryer a break and put the sun to work!

Just in Time for Earth Day....

In celebration of Earth Day 2011, Washington Gas Energy Services offers DC Residents an opportunity to go green for free....or at least for a discount! Through April 30, if you buy 100% carbon offsets for your natural gas, they'll give you one month free!  Similarly, when you opt for 50% wind energy, WGES will provide you with an additional 50% for free.  You won't even have to install turbines on your roof...it just means that the portion of electricity that you use for your home will come into DC off the wind grid vs off of fossil fuel (coal) grid.  Through deregulation of the gas and electric industry, DC residents can now select to receive their utilities from several providers.  So, for example, if you opt to purchase wind energy through WGES, you'll still receive one monthly utility bill from PEPCO that includes the cost of your WGES wind energy..and a (small) amount that goes to PEPCO for maintaining/reading your meter and power lines. It's worth checking out!

A Drop - or two in the Bucket: DC's Rain Barrel Rebate Program

"Abe", my rain barrel



OK, back to my gardening theme. DC Greenworks is a non profit organization that provides training, tools, and technologies that utilize, advance, and protect the environment.  They provide several environmental services..and incentives for taking environmental measures such as purchasing and installing RAIN BARRELS, increasing the permeable area in your yard and providing green collar job training. 

Their rain barrel program is great!  There are several "approved" models that you can chose from.  Once you purchase the barrel and install it (Aquabarrel delivered it to my house!), you can apply for a rebate.  I live in a rowhouse, and my slightly sloping roof drains off the back of my house.  All of this water did drain directly into a storm drain.  Now, with my 80 gallon "Abe" (I bought one made out of recycled plastic), I'm harvesting most of that water to use in my garden.  I was really surprised to just how much water comes off my relatively small roof. Once Abe is full, the barrel is designed so that any overflow goes into the storm drain like it used to do.  In the winter, I'll need to empty the barrel and block off the flow of water into it (by turning a knob), so that the water doesn't freeze inside the barrel and damage it.  Right now I've got my hose hooked up to it and I'm watering away!  I could even wash my car with this.  My dog is eyeing me as I write, hoping I don't get any bright ideas about making her a grey water mascot for those summer baths.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!



DC Greenworks reimbursed me for 1/2 of the price of the rain barrel.  I didn't want to wait for them to come by and install it (for a very reasonable $30), so I had some contractors do it.  That wasn't a good idea. They'd never installed one before, and it took them a long time and cost me quite a bit of money.  The barrels aren't that difficult to install, but it does take some noodling.  Some local vendors like Aquabarrel also do installation, though I'm not sure how much they charge.

Working with the DC Greenworks folks was great, and I love the idea of saving money on my watering bill and reducing (a tiny bit) of that runoff into the Anacostia.

The Power of a Nickel - DC's Bag Tax

ReUse those plastic bags you
do have.  Here, an IKEA bag
dispenser is attached to a
light post w/ long zipties. 
"Biodegradable" dog poop bags
don't decompose in landfills
and they're expensive!

WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi Show had a segment on DC's 5cent bag tax on Monday, March 28, 2011.  DC Councilmember Tommy Wells sponsored the 5 cent bag tax that's levied on paper and plastic bags taken by a consumer at check-out. While initial estimates indicated that DC would generate some $4Million annually in revenue from the bag tax that would go to Anacostia Clean-up, the actual amount has been much lower as people have changed their behavior and reduced their use of plastic bags.  The impact of the bag tax was immediate. In December 2009 before the tax was levied, DC Residents were using some 22.5 million bags per month.  In January 2010, with the tax in place, only some 3 million bags were used. Tax revenue from the bag tax has been averaging about $200,000 per month.

A report on the website plasticbaglaws.org notes that in DC, there was a drop in bag use from 270 million bags in 2009 to 55 million in 2010 resulting in an 80% reduction in bag use translating to less trash and litter.  In 2010, The Alice Ferguson Foundation (AFF), a non-profit that focuses on the Potomac River watershed, commissioned a survey of 600 D.C. residents and 51 business owners and found that since the fee was enacted, 75% of customers are using fewer bags while 78% of business owners are experiencing either zero or positive effect on their business. Other positive results included less noticeable litter around stores and costs savings from not having to purchase as many bags. Meanwhile, a Washington Examiner article in an interview with AFF staff noting that during their annual Potomac River Clean-Up last April, AFF picked up some 21,600 plastic bags a 50% reduction from 2009. Sweet!

AFF's next Potomac River Clean-Up is on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at a wide variety of locations!  Check it out!  It's really a lot of fun!

Prepping for a Trip to DC Residential Hazardous Waste Drop-Off – what you can take and what you need to get inside



Sample of goods you can
dispose of at Fort Totten
every 1st Saturday.

Next Saturday, April 2, 2011, is the first Saturday of the month, so it’s a good time to start rounding up goods for a trip to DC’s Fort Totten Transfer Station for their monthly Hazardous Waste Disposal Program.  There’s a fair amount of incorrect information floating out there ..so I thought I’d take a stab a setting the record straight.

Where to go?  The monthly event is held at the Fort Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Road, NE, between 8 am and 3 pm.  I’ve never had to wait in line to get in more than 10 minutes…but I’ve heard stories of hour long waits.  Best to go early, I reckon.   There’s still information floating around out there that you can also go to the Benning Road Transfer Station..and that you can go every Saturday.  That information is incorrect.  

Who can go?  This gets dicey.  According to the person I spoke with, you need to have two forms of ID with your DC address on them – like a DC Drivers License and a utility bill.  You can only drop off goods at Fort Totten if you live in a residence has DC serviced garbage collection.  That means if you live in an apartment that has a contracted service for waste disposal, you can’t drop off goods at Fort Totten.  "But what if your address is an apartment, but it’s serviced by DC?  How could you prove that?"  I couldn’t get a clear answer.

What about your car?  Apparently, you need to have your car registration with you as well.  I asked, "But what if I don't have a car , and I borrow my friend’s car who lives in Maryland, but I show you my DC IDs.  Can I get in?"  The answer wasn’t clear.

What you can take? Once you get in, you drive to a series of stops depending on what you’re getting rid of. They take all sorts of electronics, paper to be shreded, non latex paint, poisons, pesticides, batteries, etc, etc.  There’s a list of what they will and won’t take as you scroll down on this link.  The website says that they provide free compost to DC residents.  If anyone can report back on this, I'd be grateful!

Other ideas:  When I know I’m heading up to Fort Totten, I send out an email to my neighbors early in the week and offer to take their disposables along as well.  And, why not make an event out of it and explore another part of DC while you’re at it?  Googling “coffee shops near Fort Totten, Washington, DC” gave me a long list of places.  Qualia looked very interesting. 

So, good luck on your Fort Totten outing next weekend!  I hope the stars align, and the ID and car registration gods smile favorably upon you! Send a note about your adventure to dcrecyclerdc@gmail.com.

SO, what is a CSA and why should you care…and join one?

Wikepedia defines Community-supported agriculture (CSA), as "a community of individuals who pledge support to (a most often local) farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production (eg, too much/little rain, bug infestations, etc). CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit..and.. sometimes include dairy products and meat” (and even flowers and bread). This bundle of goods is called a “share”. There are some 3000-4000 CSAs in the US today.  Here is an interesting video showing how the CSA movement has grown and spread across the US from 1984-2010.

Back in 2009, the Washington Post did a story on CSAs.  The article includes a very comprehensive list of CSAs around DC, along with pricing and delivery options in/around town.  While I’m sure things have changed a bit since the story, it’s still a great reference point for finding a CSA in DC. 

CSAs usually involve a several month contract with a farm.  Many CSAs offer various share size options. If you’re going to be out of town for a week or so during your contract period, send out an email to friends/colleagues offering it for $X …and it’ll likely be snatched right up. You can also do your own bit of CSA exchanging once you get to know the community of shareholders.  I’m not a big fan of celery…but I’ll take all the fresh basil I can get.  I can usually find someone to swap with me.  Some farms offer a variety of delivery locations. On the Hill, there’s a CSA pick up spot on someone’s front porch, and there’s a stream of people stopping by to pick up bags of fresh veggies on Thursday afternoons on their way home from work.  

I’m a fan of CSAs as they provide me with fresh, local, and organic agriculture for five months of the year.  I’ve learned a lot by participating in one over the years…like that those really tasty local tomatoes aren’t going to be in my June share…but I’ll get tons later in the summer..and beet greens can be pretty tasty.  CSAs aren’t for everyone.  Buying local and organic can be pricey…and you get what’s ripe …when it’s ripe, and in June you're going to get mostly greens.   You’re never going to get an avocado in a local DC area CSA…and you’ll probably want to suplement your weekly share with other vegetables.  If you get too many tomatoes or basil, pass them along to me!

...and on to Composting...and what if you can't have a composter.

My Countertop Compost bin

My recent post on community gardening got me thinking about composting.  I <3 composting as it's reduced my contribution to the landfill significantly over the past few years.  It's still a mystery to me how all that organic matter can break down into such a small amount of stuff. I have a 5 gallon composting container on my counter.  It has a charcoal filter that absorbs smells.  (You can store scraps in any kind of container, the advantage of a bin is the charcoal filter). Once that's full, I empty it into my compost barrel that I keep out in the alley.  It's been there for years.  It's a closed container, and no, I've never seen a rodent around it (there's too much other low hanging fruit out there). My neighbors occasionally contribute to it.  I don't put any meat products in there...but paper towels, yard waste, banana peels, coffee filters all get thrown in.  Every couple of weeks or so, I'll pick up a bag of coffee grounds from the local coffee shop and throw that in along with a bucket of water.  The acid from the coffee seems to help break down the goods faster.  In the summer, I add more water. I stir my compost every couple of weeks (and am awed by the diversity of organisms I find breaking down my stuff), and in the spring and fall, I take out that rich, dark compost and throw it on my yard.   If I didn't use it on my own yard, I'm sure if I posted it on FreeCycle DC, someone would want it. 

But I know that a lot of folks live in apartments. What to do?  There are a couple of interesting options I've found.  COMPOST CAB says for $8 per week, they will supply you with a bin, pick it up and replace it with a new clean one.  They'll even bring compost back to you if you want it.  Fat Worm Compost seems to provide a similar service. You might stop by your community garden and see if you can drop off your scraps in their compost bin. My workplace has contracted a company to compost our (many) coffee grounds and tea bags.  It's great to get this organic material out of our landfills and back into our soil.

Community gardening is in the air!

Map of Community Gardens in DC

It's amazing how a switch to daylight savings time changes things my routine.  While I now have to drag myself out of bed in the dark in the morning (again - but only for a little while) it's great to have natural light later in the day.  Tonight's dog walk got me thinking about community gardening in DC...so I found a couple of resources I thought I'd share from DC's Field to Fork network.  The site includes this map (from 2009) and what seems to be a fairly complete listing of DC community gardens by neighborhood (from 2010) along with contact information to get a plot. Emailing your community list serv is another good way to learn of other community gardens in your neighborhood.  Community gardening is a great way to get to know your neighbors and to get rid of all that compost that you've got stirred up!  And there's nothing like the taste of those home grown tomatoes in July!!!

A Big Thanks!!

...to Johanna for creating this blog. I look forward to taking it on and sharing creative ways to recycle in Washington, DC!

Cathy

Opt out of Receiving the Yellow Pages

Finally! You can opt out of receiving a paper copy of the yellow pages: YellowPagesOptOut. How exciting!!

From Recycling Pal Cathy

Dear DC Recycler,

I love your blog, and I appreciate the list of places you mention that will recycle certain products. I hope that your blog will encourage readers to think outside the box a bit when it comes to recycling. For example, I've found that almost ANY UPS/Mailbox store will accept "used" styro peanuts AND those plastic inflated bags that now seem to be the mode as well as that "foamy like" paper stuff that's used. I recently swapped out my old wire coat hangers for nicer ones, so I dropped off my old ones at a local dry cleaner. THEN, I needed some extra coat hangers for a winter party, so I went back to a drycleaner and picked up some used wire hangers..and then dropped them back off after the party. I bought myself some lovely gerber daisies the other day..and after they lost their bloom, I dropped off the plastic stem sticks at a local florist. They were thrilled. Once I finish with my magazines, I take them to work and put them in the kitchen where they're gone in a minute. I'd love to hear other creative ideas for recycling from your readers!

Cathy

Basic Battery Recycling

We need an update on battery recycling in DC.

1) Choose rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries have improved a lot, retain their charge much longer, and, according to Tree Hugger, are much less damaging than disposable batteries to the environment over the entire life of the battery. They are also a good price. It is essential that one gets the right batteries (most recommended: hybrid Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) cells) and a good charger.

According to Metaefficient, here are the best rechargeable batteries:

• Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries by Sanyo
• Hybrio Rechargeable Batteries by Uniross

Here are the best chargers:

• LaCrosse Technology BC-900 Alpha Battery Charger
• Ansmann Deluxe “Energy 8″ Charger
• Maha PowerEx “Ultimate Professional” Charger

Remember that rechargeable batteries must be recycled, rather than dumped. Luckily, DC has many options for this: Radio Shack at Eastern Market and other locations found at Call2Recycle.

2) DC Government does collect batteries. One day each month (used to be weekly), you can bring your batteries and other items to Fort Totten transfer station for household hazardous waste/e-cycling/document shredding services. As I understand it, the city isn't actually recycling them, but rather they are keeping the batteries out of the landfills and the Fairfax incinerator. So, it is still better to use rechargeable batteries.

3) Car batteries can be recycled at most retailers of car batteries. AutoZone on H St NE should recycle car batteries and motor oil for free.

4) Other places collect batteries: the House office buildings, Best Buy. Or you can send them by mail (fee involved): Battery Solutions, Battery Mart, Big Green Box.

Greater Goods store

I was just up at Greater Goods store on U St. The owner is such a great resource. After thinking about ways to get rid of plastics, I decided to buy some corn garbage bags that fit my garbage can, which he sells too. He sells 50 bags for $5, which was a lot less than I was expecting to pay. If the bags end up in the landfill, they might decompose. If the bags end up in the Fairfax incinerator, they won't cause more air pollution. Greater Goods also has some great reusable sandwich bags (LunchSkins invented by some women in Bethesda and made in PA), water bottles (a big Kleen Kanteen shipment is coming in next week), natural cleaning sponges, water filtering systems, and a bunch of other great items. Thanks, Greater Goods!

Corks, Recycling, and You (Continued)

So, I've been collecting corks from Hayden's, friends, and neighbors (they suddenly appear on my doorstep!) for my journey by Metro to Whole Foods. I sorted through all the corks and removed the plastic ones, which you can see in the above picture. These plastic corks will all go in the garbage and to the landfill now. So, please don't buy wine with plastic corks. I've bought $3 and $4 wine with natural corks, so it isn't a matter of cost. It is a matter of saving the 100,000 jobs in the Mediterranean and the acres and acres of cork trees.

Below are the two very large shopping bags that I am bringing on the Metro to Whole Foods to their collection station, which is one floor down from the main floor right in front of the elevators. It would be sooooooo great if Schneider's and other wine stores would collect corks! There are great organizations to work with, such as:

• Cork ReHarvest (works with Whole Foods)
  
• Recork (works with Cork and Fork)
  
• Yemm & Hart
  

Let your local wine store know about these organizations. Maybe you can interest them in collecting corks too. Let me know if you find other businesses collecting corks, Brita water filters, etc. Thanks!

Corks, Recycling, and You

Can you help the DC Recycler? Schneider's on the Hill is all set to collect corks, but they haven't put out their collection box yet. They have a collection box and a recycling company to work with. They just need to find a spot in the store to place the box. In the meantime, I collect corks and take them over to Whole Foods by Metro (I don't have a car and actually don't shop at Whole Foods). It would be so great if Schneider's collected corks since I and many other Hillies are customers there!

Can you contact Schneider's either by phone (202.543.9300), email (customerservice@cellar.com), or in person and say something like, "I hear that you'll be collecting corks for recycling soon. When will this be? Thank you for doing this!" We love Schneider's, and cork collection there would make it even greater. Also, this would really help the DC Recycler out a lot. Thank you!

P.S. Remember that plastic corks are not recyclable and not sustainable environmentally or socially (natural corks maintain a regional economy in the Mediterranean for something like 100,000 workers), so choose wine with natural corks (or twist tops but they aren't recyclable). World Wildlife Fund recommends natural corks. Save the cork forests! Save jobs!

A great way to recycle your computer (and peripherals)

Project Reboot accepts computers, cleans/fixes them, and then sells them to non-profits for $10. What a great idea! They accept working or non-working computers, so long as they contain a Pentium III class processor or better. Here is a list of other items they accept. They are located in Rockville. Project Reboot is organized by the Capitol PC Users Group (CPCUG), a non-profit educational organization established in 1982, which provides a forum for sharing information, experience, and resources among computer users, from novice to advanced. They have great educational events! Get the word out about Project Reboot!

Stop using plastics today

“It’s safe to say that plastics with the resin code 3-7 are not recyclable and should be avoided by consumers,” says Mark Murray of Californians Against Waste.

#1 and #2 plastics can be downcycled into such things as picnic tables and decks. Preserve turns #5 yogurt cups into toothbrushes and razors. Basically, there is no domestic market for #3-#7 plastics or for plastic wrap. Equally important: DC and VA are burning garbage to create energy, which means that plastics (and batteries) are being burned and are polluting. Here are ten things one could do to stop using plastics, end the plastics market, and create new sustainable markets:

1) Avoid using plastic wrap.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in bowls covered with a saucer or plate. Alternatively, use Pyrex glass storage containers, which are very sturdy and union made. For sandwiches, you can even make your own reusable sandwich bags.

2) Avoid plastic silverware, plates, and salad containers at lunch.
I'm the worst offender on this front. I have been trying for months to get around to doing this. My goal this semester is to bring some silverware (or bamboo To-Go Ware) to work. Also, I should just bring my lunch, since there are no bring-your-own plate options where I work (wish there were!). The House of Representatives' office buildings have corn silverware, which they have composted. You have to commercially compost corn silverware and other compostable products.

3) Avoid plastic yogurt containers.
See previous post on 12/31 on making your own yogurt (in a glass container). It's super easy.

4) Avoid plastic water bottles.
Yes, it is good to reuse plastic water bottles. However, it seems even better to get a stainless steel water bottle (such as Kleen Kanteen) or glass water bottle (such as Lifefactory discussed on another website).

5) Bring your own mug to the cafe.
Of course, great cafes have ceramic mugs. If your great cafe doesn't, you can avoid the plastic "adult sippy cup" lid by bringing your own mug. A few years back, I bought myself a ceramic travel mug with a lid.

6) Bring your own vegetable bags to the grocery store.
You can bring your previously used bags or purchase some reusable bags.

7) Buy in bulk.
Many coops (like Takoma Park-Silver Spring Coop) and other grocery stores (Yes! Market) have bulk bins with grains, dried fruit, spices, etc. Maybe you can bring in pre-weighed glass jars and containers, rather than using plastic bags?

8) Buy milk in glass bottles.
South Mountain Creamery delivers milk in glass bottles to your door in the District. P&C Market at Lincoln Park on the Hill sells delicious milk in returnable glass bottles, though it might be seen as expensive. Here's a list of dairies that use glass bottles.

9) Say goodbye to straws.
I know that many have revolted by this point... No, you can get a glass straw!

10) Say goodbye to plastic garbage bags?
Well, I made the brilliant decision to get a garbage can that uses plastic grocery bags right before DC implemented the 5 cent bag tax. I still use the various plastic grocery bags I come across. One could use bioplastic bags, such as BioBag or Bag-to-Nature bags. However, since a lot of us are noticing that we have very little garbage because there is so much that DC government recycles, we could just roll up our garbage in some newspaper and say goodbye to plastic garbage bags altogether.

After writing this, I found this great blog, Life Less Plastic, which has even more ideas. Do you have some other ideas about how to reduce our plastic footprint?

Shout out for Freecycle

Dear DC Recycler, I'm just writing to tout my great appreciation for the freecycle network and FreecycleDC. This site is amazing as it's allowed me to recycle things that I knew were still of use...but just needed that "special someone" to find it. In the last year, I've freecycled foamed rubber stuffing from a pillow that my dog chewed up, moving boxes, a lamp, plates, a (large and heavy) futon and frame, a small file cabinet, very cool art work I found in a trash can, old light fixtures, and a security gate for a back door. Sometimes I meet the people who pick up the goodies, but often I just leave the stuff on my front stoop. When I have met the folks, I've found them to be great people who are just interested in moving things along in the world. I hope you'll encourage folks to use this great service!

Recycler 123

P.S. When I joined the Yahoo Group for Freecycle DC I opted out of their emails and even their daily blog...so you can opt in...or out of the large amount of traffic on the site.

Create Markets: Choose to Buy Recycled Products

Some have said: If you’re not buying recycled, you’re not really recycling. Buying items made with recycled materials helps close the loop and create new markets for these goods. Here are some easy ways to do this:

1) Recycled Paper
Kinko's at Eastern Market sells 30% post-consumer waste (PCW) printer/copy paper. Greenline Paper sells 100% recycled/100% PCW wire-bound notebooks, copy paper, envelopes, file folders, and a wide variety of school supplies, including Eco-Writer pencils made from 100% recycled newsprint.

2) Recycled Plastic
Preserve toothbrushes, razors, plates, etc. made from recycled #5 plastics.

3) Recycled Cork: natural cork is an organically sustainable practice that provide 100,000 jobs in the Mediterranean; synthetic/plastic and screw caps are not.

• SOLE shoes organized by ReCork.
• Wine cork tiles from Yemm & Hart.
  
• Cork cheese boards from Corkologie.
• Cork flooring, furniture, and many other things at Jelinek Cork Group. I'm not sure how much of their stuff is actually recycled.
  

4) Recycled Glass
Uncommon Goods has glasses made from wine bottles.

5) Sustainable, non-petroleum materials

• Bamboo computer mouse and keyboard: bamboo instead of plastic.
• To-Go Ware: bamboo silverware.
  
• Burt's Bees: Lip balm and other items made from vegetable oils and beeswax, rather than petroleum, which is not a renewable resource and can be toxic.
  
• Jelinek Cork Group: Cork.
  
• Agave fibers (sisal), Coconut fibers (coir), flax, hemp, kapok, tampico used in pillows, bedding, and clothing.