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A Greener El Cerrito News from the City of El Cerrito Environmental Services Division www.ecenvironment.org • (510) 215-4350 Summer 2011• Volume 8 Recycle Electronics, Appliances, Clothes, Textiles, Mattresses, and more! June 4 & 5 I 9 AM to 3 PM I El Cerrito DMV (6400 Manila Avenue) New Recycling Center Coming Soon! T he City of El Cerrito Recycling Center at 7501 Schmidt Lane is now undergoing re-construction. The new Reycling and Environmental Resource Center, which is set to reopen in early 2012, will include expanded opportunities for the collection and exchange of reusable items, improved cir culation, pedestrian access and safety features, and expanded collection for hard-to-recycle materials. The new recyclables being considered for col lection at the new Center include used building materials, electronics, textiles, pallets, print car tridges, and much more. During contruction, the City of El Cerrito is planning to keep all drop-off recycling functions open at the entrance to the current site. However, because of space constraints, some functions may not be available at all times, and parking will be limited. In order to help keep drop-off operations safe and accessible, El Cerrito residents and all other users of the Recycling Center are encouraged to put all recyclable items accepted via the curbside collection program in their household recycling bins until the new Center opens. Additionally, some limited closures of the Environmental Services Division customer service offices (which will still be located at the Recycling Center) as well as the public recycling drop-off area are possible during construction; notice will be posted onsite and online at www.el- cerrito.org at least 24 hours in advance of closures. The new facility, when completed, will be a LEED platinum, zero-net energy facility incorporating recycled building materials, rain-water catchment, and solar powered public electric vehicle charging stations. For more information on the project, see www.ecenvironment.org or call 215-4350. (Image credit: Pankow Special Projects and Noll & Tam Architects). El Cerrito’s decades old Recycling Center to get reconstructed from May through December temporary drop-off still available at current site T he City of El Cerrito contracts with Universal Waste Man agement, Inc. (UnWaste) a California State approved recy cler, to hold collection events for electronic waste and other hard to recycle items. UnWaste will unload your car for you – it’s fast, easy and the right thing to do. For more information call UnWaste at (888) 832-9839 or visit www.unwaste.com. This weekend-long no-residency restrictions event includes: FREE RECYCLING • All large and small electronics, including: televisions, computer monitors, computer systems and components, copy machines, cell phones, CDs & DVDs (players and discs), cassette tapes, cameras, cable boxes, console video games, fax machines, GPS systems, handheld devices, ink cartridges, wiring, printers, answering machines, PDAs, radios and boom boxes, record players, scanners, shredders, stereo equipment, speakers, telephones, toner cartridges, video games, VHS players and tapes, etc. • All small household appliances, including; blenders, coffee makers, food processors, espresso machines, juicers, rice cookers, toasters, toaster ovens, vacuum cleaners, indoor grills, lamps, curling irons, electric curlers, electric shavers, electric toothbrushes, hair dryers. • All clothing, textiles, shoes and accessories, including: jackets, coats, jeans, knits, leather, sportswear, suits, undergarments, leisure wear, bedding, linens, towels, curtains, drapes, table cloths, pillows, futon covers, sheets tennis shoes, sandals, boots, galoshes, slippers, flip-flops, belts, suspenders, handbags, purses, and tote bags. PAY TO RECYCLE (CASH ONLY & EXACT CHANGE) $40 each for refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters; $20 each for small refrigerators and small wine coolers, and; $5 each for microwave ovens. Mattresses (with or without accompanying box spring) are $50 each for king/California king, $40 each for full/queen, and $30 each for twin/single. Batteries, fluorescent bulbs & tubes, paints & chemicals, and other hazardous wastes CANNOT be accepted during this event. Please take these items to the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility at 101 Pittsburg Avenue in Richmond. For information on hazardous materials and the HHW Facility visit www. recyclemore.com or call (888) 412-9277. Remember: Greenwaste collection is now weekly! 10890 San Pablo Avenue El Cerrito, CA 94530 www.ecenvironment.org [EMAIL REDACTED] (510) 215-4350 June “UnWaste” Recycling Event ---PAGE BREAK--- A Greener El Cerrito Summer 2011 • Volume 8 Page 2 El Cerrito Adopts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Targets A s part of the planning process for developing the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and the City’s commit ment to work with the State in implementing the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32), the City Council unanimously adopted greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets of 15% below 2005 levels by the year 2020 and 30% below 2005 levels by 2035. The CAP quantifies the types of policies, programs, and projects that would help the City reach these goals. For example, at the household level, the 2020 15% target is equivalent to taking the following actions: insulating the attic, using energy star appliances, driving 19 miles less per week per household member, and using the City’s new composting program. At the municipal level, the City has already been able to reduce, through efficiency efforts in its own operations, the equivalent of 9% of its 2005 baseline GHG inventory. Given this trend, the City will more than likely be able to exceed a 15% reduction in emissions from municipal operations by 2020. It will, however, be more challenging to achieve reductions equivalent to these actions across the entire community. Meeting these targets will require steady decreases in emissions over the next 25 years and will be the result of on-going action on the individual and community levels. The City’s Environmental Services Division is currently drafting the Climate Action Plan for release later this summer. For more information about the Climate Action Plan, current programs to help residents save energy and reduce GHGs, www.el-cerrito.org/esd/energyandclimate. html or contact Maria Sanders at 215-4361. MAY 7 9 AM to 3 PM Shop the Spring Citywide Garage Sale: Keep waste out of the landfill while finding great deals and discovering your community. See details below. MAY 10 & JUNE 2 7 PM to 9 PM Draft Climate Action Plan Community Workshops: Postponed - see article above. New date TBD. MAY 12 7 AM to 9 AM Bike to Work Day: Stop by the City of El Cerrito “Energizer Station” at the El Cerrito Plaza BART for free goodies and bicycle and pedestrian information in El Cerrito. MAY 14 10 AM to 2 PM San Pablo Avenue Spring Fling: Celebrate the City’s completion of the multi-year San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Improvement project creating a more vibrant, pedestrian-oriented Avenue. For more information, visit the www.el-cerrito.org MAY 24 7 PM Bike-in-Movie: Come watch a special screening of “Beijing Bicycle” at Rialto Cinemas Cerrito (10070 San Pablo Avenue). Admission only Free bike valet parking. Win great prizes. Presented by the City of El Cerrito Environmental Quality Committee and Human Relations Commission. Co-sponsored by Rialto Cinemas and Richmond Spokes. For more information, visit www.el-cerrito.org MAY 30 All day Memorial Day Holiday: The Recycling Center will be closed all day, but curbside collection of trash, greenwaste and recycling will occur as normally scheduled. JUNE 4 & 5 9 AM to 3 PM Electronics & “UnWaste” Recycling Collection Event at the El Cerrito DMV: See artice on Page 1. JUNE 11 9 AM to 12 PM El Cerrito Green Team Clean-up: Volunteer with the City of El Cerrito Green Teams to Clean-up Cerrito Vista park and surrounding areas. See our website or call for more details. JULY 4 All day Independence Day Holiday: The Recycling Center will be closed all day, but curbside collection of trash, greenwaste and recycling will occur as normally scheduled. SEPT 5 All day Labor Day Holiday: The Recycling Center will be closed all day, but curbside collection of trash, greenwaste and recycling will occur as normally scheduled. Environmental Activities Calendar For more information see www.ecenvironment.org or call (510) 215-4350. Register for the Fall Citywide Garage Sale - October 8, 9 AM to 3 PM HOST A GARAGE SALE! Turn your old stuff into treasure! Register now to host a garage sale at your home during the Fall Citywide Garage Sale. Registration fees help cover the costs of advertising and promotion which includes posting your sale in the garage sale brochure, classified ads in newspapers and online. Spread the word about the Garage Sale! Make your event fun and enjoyable by providing refreshments, treats, prizes or other enticements! Send us your suggestions regarding how to make our advertising strategy more effective— feedback from past sale hosts is especially valuable. Garage Sale Registration Form Fall 2011 El Cerrito Citywide Garage Sale October 8 I 9 AM to 3 PM Registration forms are due (with NONREFUNDABLE $12 registration fee paid to the City of El Cerrito) by September 26 at 4 p.m. to: Environmental Services Division—Garage Sale 10890 San Pablo Avenue El Cerrito CA, 94530 Street Address/Sale Location_ Nearest Cross Phone Email Address (please provide an email address, especially if you would like the opportunity to review the accuracy of your listing prior to publication): Sale Description: Maximum of 20 words describing the items for sale and any other details about the sale (i.e. fundraiser for a specific charity, snacks available, etc.). Descriptions will be repeated verbatim in the listing so please use good grammar. SHOP THE MAY 7 GARAGE SALE Find good bargains! Shop the Spring Garage Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Garage Sale listings will be available online at www.ecenvironment.org and in self-serve literature stands located at the Community Center (7007 Moeser Lane) and the Recycling Center (7501 Schmidt Lane) starting April 29.