Climate Action Toolkit

Waste Reduction

ACTIONS: 3-1 thru 3-6

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Key Resources

Read Part 1 of the Resilient Neighborhoods Handbook covering Waste Reduction and explore the Toolkit sections below to choose the actions you will take and learn how to take those actions.

Waste Reduction: Actions 3-1 thru 3-6

​EASY - GET STARTED NOW (5 minutes to 1 hour)

​Click the (+/-) sign next to the action number to (view/ hide) the information for that action.

Action 3-1. Start backyard composting and/or using your green curbside cart for all of your food waste
*** Now required by law *** 

California Law SB 1383 requires all cities, counties, institutions, residents, and businesses to divert food and other organic waste from landfills. Diverting your yard and food waste from the landfill will help reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases like methane and will reduce the impacts of climate change in our lifetime.  

CURBSIDE COMPOSTING
- Visit your waste hauler's website to find out what is accepted in your green curbside food & yard waste cart (see links at top of this page).

- Collect all of your food waste in a kitchen compost pail. Your pail will stay cleaner if you line it with paper. (Let us know if you need a kitchen compost pail; we usually have some available).

- You can put your compostable items in a paper bag, which can go right into the green cart! 

- Hate the smell of rotting food in your home? Place the compostable items in the fridge or freezer to prevent food from rotting as quickly. Make sure to empty your compost pail regularly and clean it after emptying it.

- Adding layers of yard waste and/or newspaper in your green cart can help reduce the smell and rotting of food waste.

- Is your curbside compost cart starting to smell?  Call your waste hauler to replace your cart (for a fee). 

- Dirt/soil and other non-organic waste, including bio-plastics or "compostable" plastic bags, are not allowed in the curbside compost cart except at Bay Cities Refuse (Sausalito).

BACKYARD COMPOSTING
- Here’s a good resource for starting a compost pile.  And check out the different composting systems here.

- Concerned about your compost attracting rats? Consider a compost tumbler, or a kitchen composter like this one.  We have received great feedback on Mill, which is an easy odor-free way of composting- it is an investment of $999, or you can rent it for $35 per month.

Action 3-2. Inspire others to start composting

Action 3-3. Recycle all the materials that you can

- Zero Waste Marin: Find your hauler and many reuse, recycling, and composting resources.

- An online tool for Marin Sanitary Service customers: ​Where Does it Go Joe? (You can also download the app for "Joe on the Go")

- Mill Valley Refuse has a tool called "What Goes Where?" - Scroll down on their Residential Recycling Service page or the Apartment Services page

- Recology Novato and Recology West Marin have a feature called "What Bin" (click "Search" on their "What Goes Where" page).

- You can collect a California Redemption Value (CRV) for any plastic, aluminum, or glass CRV container- 5¢ for less than 24 oz., and 10¢ for anything larger. The CRV redemption location in Marin is the Novato Recycling Center. Update: Effective January 1, 2024, you can get 25¢ for boxes, bladders or pouches containing wine, distilled spirits, wine coolers, or distilled spirit coolers. Learn more 

​EASY PROJECTS (1-3 hours)

Action 3-4. Reduce junk mail

- DMA Choice (no fee)

- ​Catalog Choice for catalogs
- To opt out of credit card and insurance offers, go here
- If you don't mind using a cell phone app, download Paper Karma (for a fee).
- Coupons & Marketing Offers. You can make a big dent by taking your address off the biggest marketing lists. Just request to be removed from the mailing lists of major junk mail senders:
​     Save/Valassis/RedPlum 
     ValPak
     Mspark

- Check out the Reduce Junk Mail handout for more detailed instructions.

Action 3-5 and 3-6. Take unwanted electronics and hazardous waste to proper location

- For electronics, clean your hard drive of all your information first. (For batteries, consider getting rechargeable ones- available at any hardware store).

- Renew Computers in San Rafael takes TVs and all kinds of electronics and household items and reuses what they can.

- EWaste Collective in Novato is a nonprofit that uses your old electronics to refurbish computers for people in need.

- Marin Hazardous Waste Facility- Drop off electronics, batteries, bulbs, cleaning products, and more. Address: 565 Jacoby St., San Rafael. Phone: 415-458-6806 

- Novato Sanitary District: hazardous waste recycling for Novato residents.​

- The Conservation Corps of the North Bay (CCNB) provides free pickup of residential e-waste to households in Marin County. If you are in Novato, they pick up every Monday and Thursday. The e-waste collected by CCNB will be recycled by a certified e-waste recycler in California. To schedule a pick up, email recycle@ccnorthbay.org (or call (415) 454-4554).

- Zero Waste Marin: Bulb & Battery Take-Back Program: find out the closest location to safely dispose of batteries and the curly CFL light bulbs (these bulbs are considered hazardous waste and should not go in your trash). Visit this Home Depot link to learn how to dispose of different kinds of bulbs.​

- Marin locations to dispose of medical waste and expired pharmaceuticals. Sharps disposal locations in Marin (scroll down) ​​
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