Zero Waste Palo Alto

Mark your calendar! FREE for Palo Alto residents; another Document Shredding Event is on the way: Saturday, August 10th from 9am – Noon. This is also a good time to reevaluate how to reduce your printed paper and take action to switch to digital! Review event requirements before attending and find more details here, www.cityofpaloalto.org/shred

Replacing single-use items such as plates, cups, mugs, utensils, and stir sticks, with reusable ones reduces a lot of waste! More than 561 billion plastic disposable utensils are used each year in the U.S. Look in your breakroom and see how you can make a difference. Waste reduction could lead to smaller waste containers and a lower monthly bill. Find more waste reduction tips at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

Join us to learn how easy it can be to turn your food scraps and yard trimmings into compost in your own back yard! Saturday July 27, 10am – Noon at the Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd. Sign up and learn a valuable skill! Learn more at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/compost

When the going gets tough, the tough get coffee? Take a needed break from the grind and reduce waste. Buy bulk breakroom supplies such as coffee grounds and a filter instead of single-use pods and refillable jars of sugar, creamer, salt, and pepper instead of single-use packets. Find more ways to reduce waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

YOU get a can of paint, YOU get a can of paint, and YOU get a can of paint too! Come check out the Reuse Zone at the HHW Station, open during regular HHW hours. Staff screens HHW items that have been dropped off for disposal and if they meet the criteria for reuse, they are made available to you for FREE at the HHW Reuse Zone. You can regularly find common items such as paint, cleaners, automotive supplies, and more. Find more info at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/hazwaste

Having proper waste stations with compost, recycle, and landfill containers at work not only helps reduce waste, it’s a City requirement. Make sure your business is set up for success by having waste stations in common areas. Find more information at,

Recycling and Composting Ordinance Find out how to set up for success

Pour. Scrape. Wipe. That’s all it takes to get your recyclables ready after any 4th of July gathering. A clean Recycle cart is a happy Recycle cart. Find more info about being Recycle Ready at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/recycleready

Heading to work? Don’t forget to bring your reusable mug! Stash one in your car, desk, or work bag so you’re never without one. Every small choice makes a BIG difference because using LESS is doing MORE. Find more waste reduction tips at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

Just hear us out: what if the reason dogs relentlessly bark at the mail carrier is because they bring us junk mail? We hear you, our loyal pets… we hear you. You can totally junk your junk mail, and your dogs will bark for joy instead! Find out how to do it at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/junkmail

Before heading to the grocery store, shop your kitchen first to see what treasures you already have. With a bit of creativity, those miscellaneous ingredients hiding in the back of your shelves and drawers can be transformed into delicious meals that will help the planet and delight your palate! Find more ways to reduce food waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/foodwaste

Test your sorting knowledge. Which container does expanded foam packaging, also known as Styrofoam©, belong in? Put your answer in the comments.
A. Landfill
B. Recycle
C. Compost
Need some help? Take a look at the waste sorting guides at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/wgwtools

No food left behind! Store food in clear containers to see what’s available to eat. In the pantry, fridge, and freezer clear containers can help clear up any confusion within your household about what's ready to be eaten, ensuring that nothing gets left behind and ultimately wasted. Find more ways take control over climate change by reducing food waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/foodwaste

Join us to learn how easy it can be to turn your food scraps and yard trimmings into compost in your own back yard! Saturday June 22, 10am – Noon at the Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd. Sign up and learn a valuable skill! Learn more at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/compost

Shopping with purpose can be a powerful way to minimize food waste and make the most out of your grocery trips. By taking simple steps such as planning your meals, checking your pantry, and creating a mindful shopping list, you can ensure the food you buy ends up in your belly rather than in the waste bin. Find more ways to reduce food waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/foodwaste

Palo Alto has made strides in our efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste generated within our city with the Disposable Foodware Ordinance. Whether you are dining out or ordering in, see if your favorite Palo Alto food establishments check all requirements. Find more info at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/foodware

Food waste is one of the leading causes of climate change, and you can play a crucial role to slow it down! Find tools to help you plan portions, learn how to store fruits and veggies to increase their longevity, explore resources to donate excess food that you cannot freeze, and much more on our NEW Food Waste Reduction webpage: www.cityofpaloalto.org/foodwaste

Greasy, grimy, gooey papers gladly go in the green compost cart. Goodness gracious, that’s great news! Properly sorting these soiled paper items into the compost cart means they are diverted from the landfill and made into compost which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more about soiled paper sorting at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/soiledpaper

Don't miss out on the Citywide Yard Sale happening this Saturday, June 1st from 8am to 2pm! Whether you're eager to declutter, hunt for treasures, or make some extra cash, this is the place to be! Registered sale addresses and merchandise will be included in this week’s Palo Alto Weekly newspaper and available online. Find more info at, www.paloaltoonline.com/yardsale

Reduce waste for a mulch greener garden! The City of Palo Alto typically provides free mulch at Rinconada and Mitchell Park sandbag stations during park hours from late April through October. You will need to bring your own shovel and containers. Mulch is delivered weekly and available on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. There is no limit on quantity, but if you would like seven cubic yards or more of material, please contact Public Works Urban Forestry at (650) 496-5953. Find more ways to reduce waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

Let's shine a light on responsible disposal! Bringing your used fluorescent bulbs and tubes to our Household Hazardous Waste Station means you are keeping toxic chemicals out of the landfill. Dispose responsibly. Find details of other accepted items, location, hours of operation, and more at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/hazwaste

Sow the seeds of sustainability in clay pots instead of plastic. Get that rustic and earthy container garden look with longer-lasting clay pots while decreasing your plastic use. Did you know clay pots also better insulate from hot temperature which can mean using less water? Find more ways to reduce waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

Plug in to proper waste sorting. Did you know you have easy to access to electronics recycling with your curbside blue recycle cart? Microwaves, computer parts with silicon chips, speakers, chargers, and laptops are just a few of the e-waste items that are accepted in the recycle cart. Just make sure to remove any batteries and bundle the cords. Some exceptions include items that have embedded batteries like cell phones and tablets, which can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Station. Televisions and computer monitors are not accepted in your recycle cart or at the HHW Station and must be taken elsewhere for safe disposal. Find more info about what goes where at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/wgwtools

“Yes In My Back Yard” is what everybody is saying! Welcome the idea of creating compost in your own back yard and reducing carbon emissions created from your food scraps and yard trimmings being transported back and forth. With free compost workshops to learn how, it’s easier than you might think to get started. Find info for the next free compost workshop and more ways to reduce waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

Give new life to the lamp that stopped working or that bicycle where the chain fell off by bringing it to the Repair Café on Sunday, May 19th from 11am-3pm! Fix it first, don’t throw it away. It’s remarkable what the folks at the Repair Café can do! From jewelry to appliances, and many different items in between, if they can repair it– they will! Find more info at, www.repaircafe-paloalto.org

Don't miss the registration deadline to sell at the Citywide Yard Sale! Register to sell by Monday, May 13, 2024 and your address and sale merchandise will be included in a printed full-page map in the Palo Alto Weekly and available online. The Citywide Yard Sale is on Saturday June 1! Registration can be done at www.paloaltoonline.com/yardsale or by calling (650) 496-5910.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you are working nutrient rich compost into your garden bed. Bring this scene to life by incorporating Zero Waste Living practices into your garden! Comment below if you’ve picked up from our Compost Giveaway Station at Eleanor Pardee Community Garden before and find more waste reduction tips at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving

Make your parties, picnics, and gatherings sustainable with reusable foodware instead disposable. Borrow a party pack of reusable foodware for your gatherings to reduce waste and elevate the festive vibes. Let's celebrate together while taking care of our planet! Find more waste reduction tips at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwparty

Putting containers that still contain liquid, food, or oil in the recycle cart contaminates the other recyclables in the collection truck and at the sorting facility. But how clean do recyclables need to be? Pour, scrape, or wipe. That’s all it takes to get your recyclables ready to be placed into your recycle cart. There is no need to use soap or water to wash them. Find more info about getting your recyclables ready at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/recycleready

Adios, au revoir, arrivederci, sayonara. Say goodbye in any language to single-use plastic bottles of hand or dish soap, because it feels so good to ditch unnecessary waste. You can simply buy cleaning tablets to refill your existing soap bottles. Just add water! Find more ways to reduce waste at, www.cityofpaloalto.org/zwliving