POLLUTION PREVENTION POST
Earth Day is April 22
P3 Spring 2012
YOUR NEWS AND INFORMATION SOURCE ABOUT: RECYCLING, POLLUTION PREVENTION, LESS TOXIC PRODUCTS
Each year people come together to
celebrate and work to sustain the
planet we live on. You can make a
difference with something big, like
volunteering for a cleanup, or
something small, like weather-
stripping that leaky door.
This year Earth Day is Sunday, April 22. There are various activities
taking place around the County. To find out more, go to the
www.flowstobay.org calendar to find outdoor appreciation activities on
Earth Day and every day!
various other dates in the spring, depend-
ing on the city. The San Mateo County-
wide Water Pollution Prevention Program
has launched Spring Cleaning SMC, a
season-long promotion of spring cleanup
events throughout the county. Spring
Cleaning SMC events include
( C ontinued on page 2 )
Shop Green 2
Pest Control 3
Car Wash Discount 3
Tires 4
CONTENTS
Don’t Forget Your Curbside Options!
Some local garbage companies are
now providing curbside pickup of bat-
teries, bulbs, motor oil, and even
household hazardous waste.
To find out what services are provided
by your city’s contracted hauling
service, you can call the hauler di-
rectly, or visit their website. Or you
can visit www.Recycleworks.org and
use their interactive “Find Your
Garbage Company” map to find the
details of each company’s service.
And if you live in multi-family housing,
look for good news later this year.
Many apartment buildings and condo-
miniums will offer recycling services
for the first time.
Funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). © Copyright 2012 by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). All rights reserved. This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced without permis-sion from CalRecycle.
Spring Cleaning SMC!
Due to the huge success of the California Coastal Cleanup Day that takes
place every September, many cities in San Mateo County are now coordinat-
ing local cleanups that take place in the spring. Some events take place on or
around Earth Day (April 22), National River Cleanup Day (May 19), and
POLLUTION PREVENTION POST SPRING 2012 PAGE 2 P3 So you’re ready to “vote with your
dollars” and support businesses that
practice good product stewardship,
by using green design, avoiding
toxics, and taking back used-up
products if they need special dis-
posal. Great!
Now how do you that?
To help local governments take
action with their purchasing power,
the County recently sponsored a
Sustainable Purchasing Training
Flex Your Consumer Power - Shop Green $
trash pickup, habitat restoration, graffiti abatement, and
general sprucing up! Many events emphasize
neighborhood cleanups to capture trash before it goes
into the stormdrain where it can end up in the creeks
and beaches.
Log onto www.flowstobay.org/litter and select the
Spring Cleaning SMC tab to see a list of cleanup
activities taking place around the Peninsula.
Become a part of the Pollution Solution Team by sending an
email to [email protected] to receive email
updates of pollution prevention events taking place around
the County. Volunteers like you make all the difference!
Spring Cleaning SMC! (continued from page 1)
Series. Although the series was
tailored to the needs of government
purchasers, there is plenty of
information a small business owner
or average County resident can use.
Online Training Videos
Each of the live training sessions
was taped and has been edited into
easy-to-watch video segments. They
are available for viewing online at
www.flowstobay.org/
sp_purchasing.php .
Sessions include:
Sustainable
Purchasing 101
Environmental Products and
Practices that Save Money
Green Cleaners
Green Lighting (Indoors & Out)
Reducing Battery Waste
Log on and learn about saving
money while saving the environment,
how to avoid green-washing, and
how to use free tools to simplify your
savvy shopping.
POLLUTION PREVENTION POST SPRING 2012 PAGE 3 P3 Choosing Less Toxic Pest Control
Everyone has pests in their
home and garden, but many prod-
ucts on the market to control them
are harmful to the environment. Not
only do the chemicals wash into the
stormdrain and end up in the local
waterways, but many are “broad
spectrum” pesticides and herbicides,
meaning they kill more than their
intended target - including plants and
insects that are actually beneficial!
To find less toxic or more
targeted pest control, look for Our
Water Our World at participating
stores. You will see special labels in
the garden products shelves that
indicate a product is less toxic to
people and pets.
In addition, each store has a
rack of informative flyers that can
help you deal with specific pests and
garden issues. To find out which
stores are participating in the Our
Water Our World program, go to
www.flowstobay.org and select
Less Toxic Pest Control from the
Community tab.
Did you know a well-maintained
car prevents water pollution? Oil
and fluid leaks get onto the road-
ways and then wash into the
stormdrain which flows directly to
the Bay or ocean. Did you also
know that washing your car at
home can also cause water
pollution?
All the oil and fluids on the road can end up on your car, along with copper
brake dust and other pollutants. Even biodegradable soap flowing in the
gutter causes damage to aquatic life in creeks, lakes, bays and oceans
before it breaks down! Preventing soaps and cleansers from getting into
the street is difficult.
The best practice is to take your car to a commercial car wash. There, the
water used is often recycled a few times before it is discharged to the
sanitary sewer where it will be treated. Car washes also use less water
than you would at home, and they are faster too!
Get a Discount
The San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program has
partnered with 11 car washes for the second year in a row to offer discounts
for car washes. Clip the coupon below and take it to one of the participat-
ing businesses before December 31, 2012, and save time, water, and the
environment!
Car Wash Discount Program continues in 2012
Clip
and
Save !
Hundreds of tires are illegally dumped every year in San Mateo
County. Even more are stockpiled at residences. Millions of dollars
are spent annually to clean up tires and illegal tire dumps statewide.
Your tax dollars and other recycling-based fees pay for city and
county personnel to collect dumped tires and place them into the re-
cycling stream. There are a number of reasons why tires should be
disposed of properly.
Neighborhood Tire Dumps Breed Disease Rats and other disease carriers, including mosquitoes that may carry the West Nile virus, can breed in dumped tires. An
inch of water can produce thousands of mosquitoes as they can complete their lifecycle in a week or less. If you store
tires on your property, you are responsible for making sure they do not produce mosquitoes.
Steps you can take:
Store tires inside a garage or under a tarp, making sure rain water does not accumulate in
tires or on the tarp.
Eliminate standing water in tires if the tires cannot be disposed of immediately.
Drill holes in tires used for swings, barriers, running exercises, etc. so they won’t hold water.
Dumped Tires Attract More Illegal Dumping
Dumping of medical waste, hazardous waste, garbage, and other debris frequently
occurs where tires are dumped.
POLLUTION PREVENTION POST SPRING 2012 PAGE 4 P3
PUBLISHED BY SAN MATEO COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (650) 372-6200 www.smchealth.org
Printed on 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine-free paper with soy based ink.
Old Tires can be Recycled
Old tires placed into the recycling stream can be safely
ground and mixed into asphalt and a spongy material used to
manufacture playground surfaces, rubber mats, landscaping
bark, and many other consumer products.
For a small fee you can take your old tires to Costco, Big O
Tires or Firestone locations. Call ahead to find out their
specific policies.
“Tired” of a Polluted Environment?