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 pollutionprevention@smcgov.org 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?