Talkin - Thurston County

Transcript

talkin‘ TRASH ...and more Visit us at www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm Tips for Keeping Thurston County Healthy, Fall/Winter 2007 Curbside Recycling Skyrockets Under New Program We’re rolling out good news about the new curbside recycling program! More households are recycling, and a greater volume of materials are being placed in the bins. A preliminary comparison between May 2006 and May 2007 shows that LeMay Enterprises is collecting 40 percent more recyclables with the new comingled curbside program. We’ll have more data as the program continues. If your glass was set out on the correct day and was not collected, please contact your hauler promptly. To learn about collection schedules, visit www.lemayinc.com, then select your city, click on “recycling” and choose “recycle and glass pick-up schedule.” You may also call your hauler directly. Phone numbers are on page 7. The process was smoother than anticipated thanks to residents’ dedication and support. Of the 47,379 customers, only 1,501 requested smaller containers and 219 chose not to participate. We appreciate your patience during the transition. Haulers are finding non-recyclables – or “contaminants” – in the new recycle bins. The haulers need to sort out the contaminants and throw them away, which may increase program costs and reduce the commodity credit customers receive on their bills. (The commodity credit is the recycling rebate based on how much material curbside customers recycle as a whole.) Please take time to share your thoughts by completing a customer satisfaction survey that will arrive in your October/November bill. (Rural Refuse customers will get a separate mailing.) About glass... You may have noticed that glass is not always collected along with the other recyclables. That’s because glass is collected every other recycle day. Glass makes up only a small portion of the recycled material, and therefore gets picked up once every four weeks. Recycle right  No trash should go in the bins. Please take care to put garbage in the right bin. The green bin with the beige lid is for recycling only. For more instructions, review the brochure that came with your cart, dig out the Spring 2007 edition of Talkin’ Trash, or call your hauler. A printable version of the “yes and no” list is also available on www.lemayinc. com/Thurston/Thurston_doanddont.html. LeMay will put a reminder notice on bins that contain improper materials, and may choose to discontinue service if the problems persist. The vehicles are fitted with cameras, so drivers can see materials as they are emptied into the trucks. Much of the contamination is simply caused by honest mistakes. A few gentle reminders:  Do not place recyclables in any type of bag – paper or plastic. All materials should be loose when placed in the bin. The exception is shredded paper, which should be put in a paper bag. See “Since You Asked” on page 2.  Plastic dairy tubs, yogurt cups, jugs, jars, and bottles are recyclable; other plastics, such as frozen food trays, are not. See “Those Pesky Plastics” on page 2. trash flash WHERE RECYCLABLES GO: Materials collected from the curbside recycling programs in Thurston County are transported to SP Newsprint, a recycling plant in Tacoma, where the items are sorted and processed for sale. Processing typically includes flattening aluminum cans; perforating plastic bottles; crushing glass bottles; and baling newspaper and other items to be transported. Once processed, the materials are sold directly to specialty recyclers, including huge paper mills, carpet mills, and steel and aluminum smelters. Left to right: Sarah Hendrickson and Emma OckertAxelsson prepare recycle bins. PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID OLYMPIA WA PERMIT NO 167 Produced by: Thurston County Department of Water and Waste Management 929 Lakeridge Dr. S.W. Olympia, WA 98502-6045 Printed on recycled-content paper ECRWSS RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER Since You Asked! Those Pesky Plastics! ...why must they be so complicated? A plastic milk jug and a plastic grocery bag both have the number “2” on the bottom. The milk jug can be recycled in your curbside bin, so the bag can go in the bin too. Right? Wrong. Huh? Where can I recycle a TV? TVs are accepted at Community Recycle Days for $10 each (see “Coming Soon” on the back page). You may also recycle your TV at the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center on Hogum Bay Road; however, you’ll be charged the regular garbage rate (see page 7) plus a $5 handling fee for each TV. Is shredded paper recyclable? Yes, provided the paper is shredded into strips and placed in a paper bag so it doesn’t blow around and cause litter. Confetti and diamond-cut paper cannot be recycled; however, the paper makes a great addition to compost bins. If you’re thinking about purchasing a shredder, please select a model that creates strips. Many banks are also placing secure recycle bins in their lobbies. Here’s a bewildering fact: Although two plastic items may share the same number on the bottom, both aren’t equally recyclable. Contrary to popular belief, the “chasing arrows” marker on the bottom of plastics does not mean the plastic can be recycled, or that the container is made from recycled materials. The number just indicates the type of plastic used in the manufacturing process. Even though a cup, bag, or tray has the same #1 or #2 resin code on the bottom, they may have been manufactured using a different grade of the resin. Also, items molded with different techniques cool and melt at different temperatures. This creates a gloppy mess when recyclers try to make new products out of the recovered plastic. As a result, plastic of mixed resin grades can only be recycled into lower-grade products, like plastic railroad ties and park benches. In order to be recycled back into new plastic bottles and tubs, recycling processors must keep the resin grades separate. As the number of plastic containers in the marketplace multiplied, recycling plants adjusted their processes so they could accept dairy tubs and yogurt cups along with plastic bottles; however, they are still unable to accept additional types of plastic containers such as drink cups, microwave and deli trays, clamshell containers, and ‘blister packs’ that contain toys and electronics. Hopefully, more plastic products will be recyclable in the future. But for now, please recycle plastic dairy tubs, yogurt cups, jugs, jars, and bottles only and toss anything that isn’t allowed (or better yet, find another use for it). Placing non-accepted plastics into the bin increases the cost of the recycling program and lowers the commodity credit curbside customers receive on their bills. Keeping out unwanted materials is equally as important to the success of our recycling program as putting in the good stuff. Thanks for your help! NOT EQUALLY RECYCLABLE I need to dispose of a dishwasher, an oven/stove, a dryer, and a hot water tank. Where should I take them? Everything but the dishwasher can go to Community Recycle Days in September (see “Coming Soon” on the back page for details and costs). Jaco Environmental in Snohomish collects appliances for a fee. Visit www.jacoinc.net or call 800-4145072. Welch’s Bargain Center in Lacey will accept appliances at rates ranging from $5 to $15 each. Call 352-7552 for more information. Your Web site says you take propane tanks at HazoHouse, but does the tank need to be empty? HazoHouse accepts propane tanks from 5 to 10 gallons for free, as well as the smaller style used for camping. The tanks can be full, empty, or leaking, with or without a valve. Propane tanks are also accepted for free as scrap metal at Community Recycle Days; however, the vendor requires the tanks to be de-valved. Can you tell me if pressboard is recyclable? Unpainted pressboard can be taken to the Yard Debris Site at the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center on Hogum Bay Road. Yard waste rates are lower than regular garbage rates, so tell the tollbooth attendant that you are disposing of yard waste. If the pressboard is painted, then you’ll have to dispose of it as garbage. Where can I dispose of drywall? Silver Springs Organics in Rainier accepts drywall. For hours and directions, visit www.silverspringsorganics.com or call 446-SOIL (7645). 2 trash flash PLASTICS INDUSTRY ASKED TO CHANGE CODE: The plastics industry says it never intended the “chasing arrows” symbol to indicate that a container was recyclable or had recycled content, but simply used it as a catchy graphic to highlight the identifying number. The California Resource Recovery Association and other groups have asked plastic container manufacturers to change the graphic since it is misleading. Schools Turn Food to Flowers This fall, three local elementary schools will turn food waste into compost in a new pilot program called “Food to Flowers.” Roosevelt, Boston Harbor and Garfield elementary schools were chosen for the program based on a survey of 41 elementary schools. The process is simple: Students and staff will separate their uneaten food and soiled paper (such as napkins) from their garbage and place the materials in designated bins. The food and paper will then be placed outside in a large “Earth Tub,” which is capable of holding up to 150 pounds of material each day. Over time, the Earth Tub will process the waste into compost. The compost will then be used to grow food in school gardens, closing the recycling loop. By composting food and soiled paper waste, the three schools are expected to reduce the weight of their kitchen and cafeteria waste by about 75 percent. Less garbage weight could mean lower trash bills for the school district. For more information or to volunteer with the project, contact Michelle Andrews at [email protected]. Food to Flowers is paid for in part by a Department of Ecology grant. trash flash DIRTFILL: If you need dirt for a project...sign up on DirtFill.com. The Web site matches residents, businesses and contractors who want dirtfill with contractors who need to dispose of dirt. (Residents get one free listing; contractors pay a fee to subscribe.) In the listing, residents state whether they want free dirtfill or are willing to pay for it. Contractors then contact them to make arrangements. The toll-free number is 888-DIRTFILL (888-347-8345). New Opportunity for Organics Now Thurston County residents have yet another place to take yard debris and other organic wastes: Silver Springs Organics in Rainier. Silver Springs Organics is a new, fully permitted, commercial composting facility that offers low-cost recycling of organic wastes. Among other things, the facility accepts yard waste, wood waste, drywall, pre/post-consumer food waste, agricultural waste, and land clearing debris including stumps of any size. Basic rates are: Yard waste: $26.00-33.50/ton* Wood waste: $19.00-44.00/ton* Farm waste: $25.00-38.00/ton* Food waste: Call to inquire *Fees range by substance and quantity. Residents may drop off organic wastes directly at Silver Springs. Mid- to large-scale waste generators can arrange for dumpster service. Examples include coffee stands, restaurants, and florists. The finished compost meets or exceeds state and federal standards, and is available for purchase in bulk. trash flash Silver Springs Organics in Rainier The opening of Silver Springs is an exciting new development for recycling efforts in Thurston County. South county residents now have an organics recycling facility in their own back yard. Plus, Silver Springs is currently the only location that takes food waste. For more information, contact Silver Springs Organics directly at 446-SOIL (7645) or visit www.silverspringsorganics.com. As always, you may take yard debris to the Waste and Recovery Center near Hawks Prairie and, in most areas, sign up for curbside yard waste service (see page 7). Bill McTurnal Enterprises near Kamilche/ Shelton also accepts sod and grass clippings, call 866-4594. MANURE AND SPOILED FEED: An average 1,000-pound horse produces 9 tons of manure a year (50 pounds per day) containing valuable fertilizer elements. If you need to get rid of horse manure, take a drive to Silver Springs Organics in Rainier. The facility accepts horse stall waste (manure and bedding), and spoiled feed (hay, grain, silage). Silver Springs also accepts cow, chicken, goat and sheep manure (no liquid, cat or dog waste). Your nnneeeeeigh-bors will thank you. Tipping fees apply. Read above for contact and pricing information. More Places Take Computers Staples is now accepting all brands of used computers, monitors, laptops, printers, faxes and all-in-ones for recycling, regardless of whether the items were purchased at Staples. The fee is $10 each. Greengeek is located at 808 Jefferson Street S.E., next to the Olympia Post Office, and is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. for recycling drop-off or purchases. Staples also accepts smaller computer peripherals, such as keyboards and mice, free of charge. Ink and toner cartridges, cell phones, PDAs and rechargeable batteries are also accepted free at Staples. TVs and large floor-model copiers are not accepted. Volunteers are able to respond faster to e-mails than to phone calls. The e-mail address is [email protected]. The phone number is 352-5172. Greengeek, a charitable computer reuse organization in Olympia, accepts all computer equipment, including: monitors, printers, desktop and laptop computers, scanners, keyboards, mice, hard drives, and cards. The equipment does not need to be in working condition. Separate Glass at Blue Boxes Greengeek has an excess of monitors, and is giving away tested 15” and 17” monitors while supplies last. Please e-mail to make arrangements. For a full list of other locations, visit the recycling link of www.co.thurston.wa.us/ wwm and select “Where Should I Recycle My...?” Monetary donations are appreciated for recycling items, and are required for printers ($5) and monitors ($10). Visit greengeek.org for more information. trash flash ANALOG TVs: Starting in 2009, federal law will require all TV stations to start broadcasting only in digital. That means tens of millions of old analog TVs in the U.S. will need to be hooked to a cable or satellite box, or fitted with a special converter, to display the new signals. As a result, many people will end up disposing of these older analog TVs because they won’t be compatible with the new technology. (Hint: Before purchasing a new TV, visit www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvlabels_largeprint.pdf.) Keith Eisner recycles glass at the blue box site off Mottman Road in Tumwater. Glass is now an “outsider” at Thurston County blue boxes. Plastics, tin and aluminum are mixed together in the same box, but glass now belongs in a separate blue box – much like the curbside recycling program. The blue bins have also been freshly painted and new signs added. Please look carefully at the signs for instructions. You’ll find information on how to recycle materials and a phone number to call to report full bins or litter. In most cases, private businesses provide space for recycle boxes as a courtesy to residents. Unfortunately, several businesses have dropped out of the program due to litter and illegal dumping. Please keep the bin areas clean. Good for You! Last May, Thurston County residents delivered a whopping 218 tons of material to Community Recycle Days at the Thurston County Fairgrounds and South Sound Speedway. That’s 436,000 pounds of computers, monitors, tires, scrap metal, appliances and other items that will be recycled or reused instead of ending up in a landfill. The fairgrounds event drew a recordbreaking 1,536 customers; all told, 2,000 customers attended the events. Just one month later, citizens delivered 14.84 tons (29,680 pounds) of household hazardous materials to the WasteMobile in Rochester and Rainier. Items included motor oil, antifreeze, flammable liquids, pesticides, oil-based paints, acids and other chemicals that could harm family members, pets or the environment. Join us again at the next Community Recycle Days and WasteMobile events. See “Coming Soon” on the back page for details. 3 Long, Winding Road of Trash True or false: All garbage in Thurston County is buried at the Hawks Prairie Landfill. The answer is false. Did we take you by surprise? If so, you’re not alone. For decades, Thurston County used to bury garbage at what was then known as the Hawks Prairie Landfill. In 2000, however, Thurston County ended its landfilling operations and capped the last remaining garbage cells. Today, all the garbage in Thurston County still goes to the Hawks Prairie site, renamed the Waste and Recovery Center. The garbage, however, only remains there a few hours before traveling to a regional landfill 250 miles away. 1 Hazardous Waste: Play it Safe Thurston County offers two convenient ways to safely dispose of dangerous household products, such as varnishes, cleaning supplies, pesticides and auto chemicals. Products that say DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION are accepted at HazoHouse and the WasteMobile free of charge. Please play it safe while transporting the products:  Leave children and pets at home. If you must bring them, be sure to keep hazardous materials out of reach, preferably in a trunk.  Keep products in their original containers. If the label is unreadable or missing, label it.  Do not deliver containers larger than 5 gallons. For questions about handling larger containers, call the county Hazardous Waste Assistance Line at 786-5457.  Never mix products together. Dangerous gases can form when products are mixed – especially bleach and ammonia.  Pack fluorescent tubes in their original containers, or wrap the tubes in newspaper or plastic to prevent them from breaking. Broken fluorescent tubes release a small amount of mercury gas. If the tubes break, open the windows and ventilate well. Carefully sweep up the glass (do not vacuum), double-bag the materials, and place them in the trash. See pages 7 and 8 for more information about HazoHouse and the WasteMobile. To order a free copy of the “Healthy Home Companion,” select “free guides” on www. co.thurston.wa.us/wwm.  Make sure items are well sealed, lids are tight, and check for leaks. If a container is leaking, place it inside a secondary container such as a plastic tub or bucket (which can be returned to you). Garbage is taken to Thurston County’s Waste and Recovery Center, where it is compacted and put in containers. More than 1 million pounds of waste come to the center each day! 2 trash flash INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. According to EPA studies, the indoor air in homes is 2 to 5 times more likely than outdoor air to contain about a dozen common organic pollutants, regardless of whether the homes are located in rural or industrial areas. Recycling Saves Energy The containers are then transported by truck to Centralia, and put on a train headed to Roosevelt in south central Washington. 3 Waste-reduction and recycling are easy ways to help save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling helps save the energy it takes to create new products from raw materials; leaves more trees in the forest to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; and reduces the methane gas produced when garbage rots in landfills. (Waste in Thurston County is sent to a landfill that converts methane gas to energy, but many other landfills around the country do not have the technology.) trash flash Remember, recycling is second best to not making waste in the first place (Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle). ENERGY SAVINGS: Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours. Recycling a 1-foot-high stack of newspapers saves enough energy to heat a home for 17 hours (71.3 kilowatt hours). Sources (in order): California Integrated Waste Management Board and Weyerhaeuser. In Roosevelt, the containers are unloaded and transported by truck to the Roosevelt Regional Landfill. “Waste-Free Holidays” Returns 4 The Roosevelt Regional Landfill buries about 250 railcars full of garbage every day from Washington and other states – approximately 15 million pounds! 4 The Washington State Department of Ecology has released encouraging news about how recycling has helped protect our local environment. Washington’s recycling efforts in 2005 reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 3.2 million tons (or 6,400 pounds). This is similar to removing 2.5 million passenger cars from the roadway that year – over half the passenger cars in Washington, according to the department. From Nov. 15 through Dec. 31, local businesses will once again offer discounts on waste-free gifts such as certificates to concerts, sports, plays, restaurants, massages, lessons and more. Details will be posted by Nov. 15 on www. wastefreeholidays.com. If your business offers service or experience gifts and would like to participate, please call Amber Wells at 754-3355 ext. 7669 or e-mail [email protected]. trash flash HOLIDAY TRASH: Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than during any other time of year. The food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons add about 1 million tons a week to the nation’s waste stream. Confessions of a Busy Recycler Those of us in the waste-reduction field tend to “walk the talk” when it comes to reducing, reusing and recycling. If not, we’re consumed by guilt. But wait! Before you think we’re all fanatics, you should know we have a few tricks up our sleeves to streamline the amount of time we spend “saving the earth.” Like everybody else, we have busy days and the stress of jobs, kids, bills, car repairs and the never-ending question: What exactly ARE we having for dinner tonight? Here are some of our shortcuts:  Save money on trash bills by recycling more materials. The easiest option is to sign up for the new curbside recycling program. The program is a snap because all materials except glass are put in a single container. Recycle blue boxes are also located thoughout Thurston County for residents who choose to self-haul materials instead. See page 7 for a list of hauling companies and box locations.  Compost kitchen and yard waste for your garden. Store compostable materials in a small container in your kitchen until you take them to the outside bin. Fruit and veggie peelings, coffee filters and grounds, non-meat leftovers, old produce, stale bread, paper towels, and napkins can be composted easily. (No, it doesn’t get smelly. Just like the trash under the sink, you need to take out the container regularly and keep it clean.) Thurston County residents can get deep discounts on compost bins because the county subsidizes the cost of the bins. Visit www.compostbinsthurstoncounty.com.  Keep a shredder nearby when you open mail and pay bills. Shredded paper is excellent for composting and helps keep the correct ratio of greens and browns in your bin. Shredded paper is also recyclable, as long as it’s in strips; see “Since you Asked” on page 2.  Place metal clothes hangers in a box in the trunk of the car and drop them off next time you visit the dry cleaners.  Get off junk mail lists – besides reducing paper waste, you’d be surprised how much time you save sorting mail. For help, go to www.co.thurston.wa.us/ wwm/recycling/junk_mail.htm. Reader Offers Litter Tub Ideas Our April edition of Talkin’ Trash only scratched the surface of the topic of kitty litter buckets, according to one loyal reader. What people really need, she said, are practical ideas on how to reuse the buckets. The reader offered these suggestions:  Toss plastic bags, dry cleaning bags, bread bags, and other film-type plastics into a container. When it’s full, put the container in the car and drop off the bags on your next grocery store run. Most stores have a plastic recycling bin near the front of the store, and plastic film is very valuable to recyclers. Don’t worry about whether the bags or other materials originally came from the store; a separate recycling company picks it up anyway. Just make sure the plastic is stretchy and you can poke your finger through it.  Styrofoam peanuts can go in a bag in the trunk to get dropped off at a packaging store while running errands. Call 800-828-2214 or go to www. loosefillpackaging.com for locations.  Clear the clutter. Get rid of unwanted items by using one of the many free exchange Web sites listed on page 7. Garage sales and charitable donations are also good clutter-busters.  Properly dispose of all those unnecessary cleaners, paints, stains, varnishes and other dangerous household products. Take them to HazoHouse or the WasteMobile free of charge. See pages 7 and 8 for details.  Keep a reusable coffee mug and reusable shopping bags in your car. That way, you’ll be prepared for an unexpected coffee stop or trip to the grocery store.  Create emergency kits that contain meals, water, flashlights, batteries and other emergency supplies.  Store yard and garden supplies in the buckets, or use them to transport weeds.  Organize hobby items, household cleaning supplies, or small tools.  Store kindling.  Collect used motor oil.  Protect fragile items.  Organize holiday decorations. According to a not-so-rustic member of the Solid Waste staff, kitty litter buckets are also perfect for storing and transporting camping supplies. Of course, you can also post buckets on 2good2toss.com or www.freecycle. org. If you have fun or innovative ideas for reducing waste, tell us so we can share them with the rest of the community. Call Terri Thomas at 754-2896 or e-mail [email protected]. Thanks, “DD,” for calling us with the ideas! Keep in mind that the very best way to prevent waste is to keep it from entering your house in the first place. Recycling is great, but generating less “stuff” is even better for the environment – and it saves you the time and effort of making it go away. Plastics Pop Quiz ...which are recyclable in Thurston County? Yogurt cups Frozen food trays/ clamshell containers Yes No trash flash Shampoo bottles Bottle caps Plastic cups Yes No (bottles are ok) No CLOTHING BANK: Capital Clubhouse is accepting donations for its community clothing bank, The Wardrobe. Donations of clean, gently used men’s and women’s clothing and accessories can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The Wardrobe is located at 618 Seventh Ave. S.E. in Olympia. For more information, call 357-2582 or visit www.capitalclubhouse.org/wardrobe. 5 Health Matters News from Thurston County Environmental Health How Clean is Your Crème Rinse? Free Medicine Disposal Group Health on Lilly Road N.E. in Olympia is now accepting expired or leftover prescription bottles and overthe-counter medications, including pet medicines, vitamins, medicated ointments and inhalers. The medications must be in their original containers. Empty containers are not accepted. A secure bin labeled “medication return” is located near the pharmacy. For more information, visit www.medicinereturn.com or call 1-800RECYCLE (1-800-732-9253). Dry Out Mosquito Homes The mosquito that carries the greatest threat of West Nile Virus in our area likes to breed in small stagnant water bodies, not in wetlands. So walk around your house and turn over all potential containers such as old tires, buckets, and wheelbarrows. Drill holes in tire swings, empty bird baths weekly, and clean out gutters. See www.co.thurston.wa.us/ health/ehwnv. A Bright Idea If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars. (Source: ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy) All fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, so don’t break those bulbs! Recycle fluorescent bulbs free at HazoHouse or the WasteMobile (see “Play it Safe” on page 4). Paint Smart Your daughter wants to change her room color – again! Before you buy all those gallons of pink paint, follow these safety tips:  Choose water-based over oil-based paint whenever possible.  Select the least toxic paints with the lowest VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Ask your paint store for help identifying the best brands.  Avoid spray painting.  Do not use exterior paint indoors.  Turn off the air conditioner and cover it with plastic. Air conditioners do not filter indoor air. 6 There is concern that the chemicals we use in our daily lives don’t stay in us – they are washed down the drain and excreted from our bodies into the wastewater system. Traces of personal care chemicals are being detected at low levels in wastewater systems, streams, rivers, and in Puget Sound. Research shows that these contaminants are damaging aquatic life. What you can do: You wake up, brush your teeth, shower, and apply deodorant, lotion and maybe some makeup. By the time you eat breakfast, you may have already exposed yourself to products containing hundreds of different chemical compounds! Surprisingly, many of these ingredients have not been preapproved for use, and are not monitored for their long-term health effects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not test and approve cosmetic ingredients before the products are marketed, with the exception of color additives (see vm.cfsan.fda.gov and click on “cosmetics”). The chemicals in any single consumer product are unlikely to cause harm; however, there’s reason to be wary of repeated exposure to many different chemicals on a daily basis. These chemicals make their way into our bodies through the skin or from inhalation. Chemicals in cosmetics that pose health risks include those that:  cause cancer or are suspected of causing cancer: acrylamide, formaldehyde, coal tar, diethanolamine (or cocamide DEA), petroleum distillates, and ethylacrylate.  interfere with reproduction and development: phthalates, lead acetate, and toluene. The chemicals in personal care products not only affect us and our children, they also affect the environment.  Look for products made with basic, natural ingredients.  Choose products with the smallest number of listed ingredients.  Avoid products that contain phthalates. These may be listed as DBP, DEP, or DMP or may be labeled as “fragrance.”  Check ingredients in your personal care products on the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database: www. cosmeticdatabase.com.  Look for companies that have signed the “Compact for Safe Cosmetics”: www. safecosmetics.org/companies/signers. cfm.  Read a study of toxic chemicals in Washingtonians - Pollution in People www.pollutioninpeople.org.  Visit the Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition: www.toxicfreelegacy.org/safecosmetics.  Request an educational presentation on “Toxins in My Toothpaste?,” which includes an activity to make your own lip balm. This presentation is especially geared to middle or high school classes but is also available for parents and other interested groups. Call 754-3355 ext. 7244. Pesticides at School Kids are at greater risk for pesticide exposure because of their size, proximity to the ground, and the physical hand-to-mouth ways they play. You may already limit weed and bug killers at home, but what about school or daycare? Washington State passed a Pesticide Rightto-Know Act that went into effect July 2002 (RCW 17.21.415). The law requires public schools and licensed daycare centers to:  notify parents about their pest management policies and methods;  make records of all pesticide applications accessible to all interested people;  provide an annual summary of pesticide use in the district during the previous year;  provide interested parents with 48-hour advance notice of pesticide applications;  post notification in a prominent place at the school 48 hours before pesticides are used; and  after pesticides are used, post signs for at least 24 hours at major entry points and spray sites, informing people about the pesticides and why they were applied. For information about pesticide-free gardening, visit www.co.thurston.wa.us/ health/ehcsg. Garbage and Recycling Resources Contacts Talkin’ Trash is produced by the Thurston County Department of Water and Waste Management. Phone 357-2491 or e-mail wwm-webmaster@ co.thurston.wa.us. TDD: 754-2933. County Department of Water and Waste Management WasteLine: 786-5494 (24-hour recorded information about solid waste and recycling) Alternatives to Burning Hotline: 754-2953 (24-hour recorded message) TDD: 754-2933 Thurston County Solid Waste Administration: 357-2491 Web: www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm Located at 929 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Bldg. 4, Room 100, Olympia, 98502 Another valuable Web site: Washington State Department of Ecology Recycle Assistance: 1800recycle.wa.gov. Curbside Collection (Haulers) Thurston County does not own or operate garbage trucks. Call your service provider for information about collection schedules.  Butler's Cove Refuse.................923-0111 Recycle Blue Boxes Our Facilities Locations Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center Tumwater: 3400 25th Ave. S.W. (off of Mottman Road in Tumwater) Lacey: College Street Safeway, 4700 Yelm Highway S.E. Located at 2418 Hogum Bay Road. From I-5: take the Marvin Road exit (Exit 111) and head north. Turn right onto Hogum Bay Road. The center will be on your right. Lacey: Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center, 2418 Hogum Bay Road N.E. Rates (through 12/31/07) Steamboat Island: William’s Island Market, 3403 Steamboat Island Road N.W. Yelm: City of Yelm Public Works Building, 901 Rhoton Road Rochester: Rochester Garbage Drop Box site, 16500 Sargent Road. Open Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Bucoda: Town of Bucoda, Main Street and E. 5th Rainier: Rainier Garbage Drop Box site, 13010 Rainier Acres Road S.E. Open Fridays and Saturdays only. Summit Lake: Summit Lake Garbage Drop Box site, 12133 Summit Lake Drive. Open Sundays only. Items Accepted at Blue Boxes Thurston County’s blue recycle boxes accept:  Newspaper  Glass bottles and jars  Eastern Grays Harbor (Summit Lake) ................................................923-0111  Tin and aluminum cans  Joe’s Refuse..............................736-4769 ................................. or 1-800-525-4167  Plastic dairy tubs, yogurt cups, jugs, jars, and bottles  Milk cartons and drink boxes  Corrugated cardboard  Pacific Disposal.........................923-0111  Rural Refuse.............................923-0111 The above companies are owned by Harold LeMay Enterprises. Yard waste collection service is also available in many of the service areas. Call for more information or visit www. lemayinc.com.  City of Olympia residents, call 753-8368 or visit www.ci.olympia.wa.us. Olympia provides its own trash, recycling and yard waste collection service.  City of Rainier residents, call 446-2265 for trash service. Call 923-0111 for recycle service.  Town of Bucoda residents, call 278-3525 to arrange for trash service. Use the county blue boxes on Rainier Acres Road for recycling. Open Fridays and Saturdays. County Public Health and Social Services, Environmental Health Phone: 754-4111 or TDD: 754-2933 Web: www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehadm Gardening guides: www.co.thurston.wa.us/ health/ehcsg Healthy home advice: www.co.thurston.wa.us/ health/ehhm Located at 929 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Room 113, Olympia, WA 98502. Send mail to 2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Olympia, WA 98502.  Mixed paper All materials should be placed loose in the boxes – no paper or plastic bags (with the exception of shredded paper strips, which should be placed in a paper bag). Compost Bins Reduced-price compost bins are available through the Thurston County Master Gardener Foundation. Bins include the Earth Machine for $35 each ($86 value) and the Biostack for $55 ($140 value). The bins are subsidized by the Thurston County Solid Waste Program for county residents. The price includes tax and delivery within Thurston County. one ton = 2,000 lbs Loose Garbage.............. $72.46 per ton plus tollhouse fee................ $3.28 per trip plus WA state garbage tax at............3.6% Flat fee for loads less than 200 lbs: $10.88. Garbage in Cans/Bags 1 can/bag........................................ $5.10 2 cans/bags...................................... $6.79 3 cans/bags...................................... $8.49 4 cans/bags.................................... $10.17 More than 4 cans/bags are weighed as loose garbage. Loose Yard Debris............. $35 per ton Flat fee for loads less than 300 lbs: $5 Yard Debris in Cans/Bags...$1.25 each More than 4 cans/bags are weighed as loose yard debris. Hours Weekdays: Nov. 1 to March 31.......... 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 1 to Oct. 31............. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays Year round....................... 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Garbage/Recycling Drop Boxes Rainier: 13010 Rainier Acres Road S.E. Friday and Saturday only, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (until 5 p.m. April 1 to Oct. 31) Rochester: 16500 Sargent Road S.E. Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summit Lake: 12133 Summit Lake Drive Sunday only, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Holidays The Waste and Recovery Center, HazoHouse and all Drop Boxes are closed on the following holidays only: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and July Fourth. Green Cone food digesters are available for $30 each (a $160 value) but need to be picked up from the foundation. Rubbermaid worm bins are $10 each and are sold at workshops only (see “Coming Soon” on page 8). Call 481-4204 or visit: www. compostbinsthurstoncounty.com. Are you storing dangerous and unwanted hazardous products in your home? Exchange Web Sites Open Friday-Monday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The following Web sites provide an excellent way to sell or give away items in good condition that you no longer need or want.  Thurston County’s free online exchange program: www.2good2toss.com  Olympia’s Free Online Classified Ads: groups.yahoo.com/group/olympiaclassifieds  Craig’s List: seattle.craigslist.org/oly  FreeCycle: www.freecycle.org TAKE THEM TO HAZOHOUSE! HazoHouse offers FREE, safe and convenient disposal of most household hazardous products. Located next to the recycling area of the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center, 2418 Hogum Bay Road N.E. in Lacey. 7 Coming Soon... Mark Your Calendar for These Events SEPTEMBER: Community Recycle Days Thurston County’s Community Recycle Days offer an easy way to recycle a variety of household items at reduced rates. Community Recycle Days serves Thurston County residents only, not commercial vendors or businesses. Saturday, Sept. 15 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. South Sound Speedway 3720 183rd Ave. S.W. in Tenino Visitors will be asked to supply the short form below to help us track inventory. To get a head start, please bring the completed form to the events. Saturday, Sept. 22 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thurston County Fairgrounds, Event will be in the lower parking lot 3054 Carpenter Road S.E. near Lacey For more information, visit our Web site at: www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm or call 357-2491 or TDD at 754-2933. PLEASE FILL OUT THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR YOUR ITEMS AND GIVE IT TO THE STAFF WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT THE EVENT ITEM PRICE EACH Tires (passenger vehicle) - no rim $2 Tires (passenger vehicle) - with rim $3 Tires (tractor size). Prices for larger tires will be $10 determined on site by the vendor. Refrigerators, Freezers, Air Conditioners $15 (maximum 4 per vehicle) Stoves, Washers, Dryers, Hot Water Tanks $5 (no dishwashers – most are not metal anymore) Microwaves, Televisions, Computer Monitors, $10 Laptop Computers CPUs, Fax Machines, Printers, Scanners, $5 Copiers (under 50 lbs) CD & DVD Players, VCRs, Stereo Systems, $2 Radios, Speakers Keyboards, Computer Mice, All Types of Phones, FREE Printed Circuit Boards Power Tools, Push or Riding Lawn Mowers, Bicycles, Small Gas Motors (including chain saw, FREE weed trimmer, outboard boat motor) Goodwill Donations (small furniture, clothes, FREE working small kitchen appliances, kitchenware) Scrap Metal (including de-valved propane tanks) FREE Flower Pots (2 gallon or larger, clean and FREE unbroken) QUANTITY ROW TOTAL $ $ $ We WILL NOT accept: garbage, electronics (take electronics to Community Recycle Days), yard waste, appliances, computers, monitors, medical wastes, explosives, ammunition, propane tanks, empty or leaking containers, business wastes, smoke detectors or radioactive materials.  Yard waste composting 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.  Worm bin composting for food waste noon to 12:45 p.m. Locations $ Dirt Works is located on Alta Drive, off Capitol Mall Drive behind Yauger Park in west Olympia. $ FREE FREE Olympia Farmers Market is located at the north end of Capitol Way in downtown Olympia. FREE FREE FREE GRAND TOTAL: $ Learn tips to prolong the life of your septic system at these free workshops. Register online at: www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ ehoss/wkshp_sch.html or call Thurston County Environmental Health at 754-4111. TDD: 754-2933. Participants will get a $10 discount on pumping. We WILL accept: oil and latex paints; glues and adhesives; pesticides and herbicides; car and household batteries; antifreeze; motor oil and filters; cleaners and polishes; pool and hobby chemicals; thinners and solvents; and fluorescent light bulbs and tubes. These items will be accepted free for residents.  Green Cone composting for food waste 10:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. $ Dispose of hazardous household products at the next WasteMobile events: Both events will be held at the Labor & Industries Building parking lot, 7273 Linderson Way S.W. in Tumwater. Sept. 22: Olympia Farmers Market “Leaf Composting Basics” from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. $ SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER: Septic Sense Workshops Sunday, Sept. 30 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discover how to compost at the following free workshops. No registration is required. Compost bins and bin plans will be available at the workshops. Bins are also sold at a discount through www. compostbinsthurstoncounty.com (see page 7 for details). Workshops will be held on the following Saturdays: Oct. 20: Dirt Works $ SEPTEMBER: WasteMobile in Tumwater Saturday, Sept. 29 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER: Compost Workshops Tuesday, Sept. 11 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Building 412 Lilly Road N.E., Olympia DECEMBER: Free Christmas Tree Recycling The Waste and Recovery Center will recycle Christmas trees free of charge from Dec. 26 to Jan. 13. (The center is closed New Year’s Day.) Tree recycling may also be available at the staffed Rainier and Rochester drop box sites, in the City of Yelm, and through your garbage hauler. Visit the recycling link of www.co.thurston.wa.us/wwm for updated information in December. HOLIDAY SCHEDULE: The Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center and the drop boxes at Rainier, Rochester and Summit Lake will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Wednesday, Oct. 10 – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rochester Fire Station 18346 Albany Street S.W., Rochester Tuesday, Oct. 16 – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Grace Community Covenant Church 5501 Wiggins Road S.E., Olympia Cosponsored with the City of Olympia Wednesday, Oct. 24 – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Black Lake Fire Station 5911 Black Lake Blvd. S.W., Olympia Recycle your old telephone book in your comingled recycle bin or at a blue box location. Check out the Brown Pages of the new Dex phone book for information about garbage and recycling services. 8