Sustainable Fairfax

Bringing people together to support a vital environment and thriving community

zero waste

Community Chat — A FOOD FOCUS Because Wasted Food is a Waste! Nov 19, 7 pm

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Join us for the 2nd No Waste November Community Chats!

Thursday, November 19,  7-8 PM — A FOOD FOCUS Because Wasted Food is a Waste!

FIRST – Visit the No Waste November pages!  they are filled with information about the Pledges: 1) to Pay Attention; 2) To Reduce Food Waste (And Compost Correctly!); and 3) to Recycle Right!

          • Roughly a 3rd of the world’s food is never eaten — what can YOU do?
          • How can you store your food to prevent spoilage?
          • How can you make common foods at home (relatively easily) that are ZERO WASTE?
          • Food and other organics SHOUD NEVER EVER go into your garbage.
          • Learn tips on composting correctly and why it’s so important!

Register below so we know you’re interested, or simply cut and paste the Zoom information into your calendar.

Contact Laura to help with the effort or if you have questions – 415-866-5377

Virtual Zero Waste Holiday Fair (sponsored by Marin Sanitary)

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Join Marin Sanitary Service for our virtual Winter Zero Waste Fair!

When: Wednesday, November 18th at 7pm

Sign up: https://forms.gle/ArrihTLhLdtMk7c6A

More info: We had so much fun having you at our recycling center for a zero waste holiday fair last year, and we are excited to bring you a virtual event this year!  We will do a virtual recycling center tour, tips for a zero waste holiday season, and *exclusive* discount codes from local, sustainable vendors for you to do sustainable holiday shopping through Black Friday!

NO Waste Living JUST EAT IT Documentary: What We Learned

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NO Waste November Film – JUST EAT IT
Sorry you missed it.  But look it up to learn more about food waste.  Described as spunky, startling, funny, shocking and fascinating!!!  This online screening of the documentary explores the HUGE problem of wasted food — and how you can do your part to reduce food waste.
Lessons learned:
  • Over 1/3 of all food produced globally goes to waste.
  • The annual value of food wasted globally is $1 trillion, and it weighs 1.3 billion tons.
  • All the world’s nearly one billion hungry people could be fed on less than a quarter of the food that is wasted in the US, UK and Europe.
  • An area larger than China is used to grow food that is never eaten.
  • 25% of the world’s fresh water supply is used to grow food that is never eaten.
  •  If food waste were a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases (after China & the USA).
  • Reducing food waste is the #1 solution to the climate crisis, according to Project DrawDown – coming above electric cars, solar power and plant-based diets.
  • In most developed countries, over half of all food waste takes place in the home.
  • In the home food waste is worth $2,275 for the average family in the USA.
  • 2.3 billion people are joining the planet by 2050 – this will require a 60-70% increase in global food production. Or we can just stop throwing away our food

What you can do!  Take the pledge  and Let’s Live Consciously, Together!

Fairfax Take Back Day 2020!

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Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020

Time: 10am-4pm

Location: Fairfax Pavilion Parking Lot, 142 Bolinas Road, Fairfax

Take Back Day is Back! Come to a one stop shop for recycling and safe disposal of these items:

NOTICE: For the safety of their staff, follow COVID-19 rules: 1. Remain in vehicle at all times. Crack window in order to talk to collection event staff. 2. Place materials in trunk of car, or bed of truck, not on seats.

1) Prescription Drugs and Medications- collected by the Fairfax Police- UNTIL 1pm Only.

Household medications are the number one cause of childhood poisonings. And, they pollute our waterways when they are flushed. The DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back program safely disposes your medicines.

2) Electronics Waste- collected by Conservation Corps North Bay

Accepting: working and non-working TVs, office equipment, cell phones, tablets, microwaves, printers, computers, laptops, stereos, game consoles, cords. Not accepting: appliances, batteries, and fluorescent lamps

Note: Fairfax Lumber and Good Earth collect used batteries. Fluorescent (CFLs), Halogen and LED light bulbs and batteries can be taken to the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal or recycling. Incandescent bulbs may be disposed of in your trash.

3) Paper Shredding- service provided by Marin Sanitary Service. This free service is for Fairfax Residents Only. 

Shred your sensitive documents (up to 2 bankers boxes). Please no plastic, folders or binders. Staples/paperclips OK.

Also…. FREE COMPOST FOR FAIRFAX RESIDENTS!

Bring it Home! Free compost will be available for Fairfax residents at Take Back Day. This will be the last of three deliveries made in 2020. The compost is made from the food and yard waste collected in your green curbside carts. Since the delivery is shared with all Fairfax residents, please do not take more than five 5-gallon buckets (which provides about a one inch cover for a 40 square foot garden).
Use of Compost: Compost is a soil amendment that improves the water-holding capacity and structure of your soil, but too much of it can harm your plants! It is recommended that you use no more than 1-2 inches on your annuals & perennials.

GETTING THERE: Drop off spots in the Fairfax Pavilion Parking lot. Please enter from Bank Street.

Sustainable Fairfax, Marin Sanitary Service, Conservation Corps North Bay and the Town of Fairfax bring this opportunity to Fairfax residents once a year.

Community Chats – Download materials on How to Electrify your Home!

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Did you know that 88% of residential natural gas use in CA if for water and space heating? Electrify Marin is a county-wide effort that encourages Marin residents to replace gas powered appliances with electric ones to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality! 
But when your hot water or space heater implodes,  you don’t have time to think so you need to have a plan in place!
Sustainable Fairfax hosted 4-educational chats that overviewed the steps you can take to electrify, including understanding the rebates available today!  Download all of the session materials below.
Inspiration — Learn about why a family in Oakland made the commitment

CHAT DOWNLOADS:

Sept 3rd – WHY electrify and understanding the critical steps to replacing gas appliances. Video Recording of Zoom Chat – Click here to watch!! Download copies of Presentations – Ann Edminster’s great presentation; Electrify Marin’s presentation [great overview of available rebates!]

Sept 10th – We learned some of the components of putting a plan in place to replace your hot water and space heating systems; the importance of making your home energy efficient, and the rebates available. Video Recording of Zoom Chat – Click here to watch!!  Download copies of Presentations – Electrify Marin Chat #2; BayRen.

Sept 17th – We learned about battery as a back-up energy storage; the role of solar in resiliency, and benefits of Induction stoves.  Video recording of Zoom chat – click here! Online Guidance for Home Batteries.  Electrify Marin presentation.

Sept 24th – We reviewed the importance of phasing out all gas appliances and discussed heat pump clothes dryers, spas&hot tubs.  We reviewed the new technologies around electric fireplaces.  Video recording of Zoom chat – click here!   Electrify Marin presentation.

Thank you to Mark Chhabria from Electrify Marin and all our other contributors for making this a fun and informative series! Let us know if you have any questions at info@sustainablefairfax.org.

Past Chat: Recycling and Waste Minimization. Zoom and presentation links available.

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Sustainable Fairfax Launches Community Chats.  Zoom with us to learn and discuss the ever-present importance of paying attention — to the stuff we buy and to the waste we create every day. Our actions, now as much as ever, matter. Talk to the Sustainability Coordinator from Marin Sanitary (our waste and recycling hauler) and some neighbors about today’s challenges, AND HOW YOU CAN HELP! We can ALL do better.

Date: Thursday, August 27th, 7:00-7:45 – PAST

PAST ZOOM CHAT LINK

Copy of Powerpoint Presentation

Are you Generating more Waste at Home During Covid? Bulk bin sections are closed, you can’t bring your own containers, and many people report more online shopping. But we can cook more food with less packaging, and we can do more shopping locally. It’s so important today to support our local stores.

Let’s zoom and chat about some of the strategies we are ALL doing to counter our waste epidemic!

Let us know if you have any questions at info@sustainablefairfax.org.