Sustainable Saturday –
How to Reduce Plastic
- 9:00 AM12:00 PM
- Sausalito Woman’s Club
Learn about the health benefits of reusables and the toxic chemicals in single-use foodware from Eva Holman, the co-founder of Goods Holding Company, a San Francisco based small business that invented a bulk buying system, which includes jars with the tare weight (in ounces, pounds, and grams) printed right on the side of the jar.
Eva works with bay area cities on reusable foodware policies for restaurants and in schools. She worked with the city of San Francisco to pass policies banning PFAS, straws, styrofoam, plastic water bottles, and disposable plastic foodware. She is writing a vegan and low climate impact cookbook of family friendly and plastic free recipes.
RSVP by 10/1 to: Co-Chair Julie Carlson & Laurie Tandy, Sustainability Committee.
We were asked recently
What is Sustainability?
SWC’s Sustainability Committee was formed in an effort to help us
- understand how to reach Marin Counties Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) Zero Waste Goals by 2025
- what to compost and why composting is so important
- what to recycle
This is still our main focus, because while many people have responded to these basic community goals, it can still be confusing and elusive.
Trash – Zero Waste by 2025
Every day 1,000 tons of garbage is deposited at the Redwood Landfill in north Novato. According to Redwood Landfill’s District Manager, the landfill will be filled to its current capacity (26 million cubic yards) by 2025. In 2012, it was filled to 17 million cubic yards and the rate of disposal has skyrocketed. Marin County generates the most garbage per capita of any county in the country.
Compost – Why you should
Trashed food waste goes to landfill where it generates, methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Methane emissions are significantly reduced by composting food waste. Composting yard and food wastes creates a product that can be used to help improve soils, help sink carbon, grow the next generation of crops, and improve water quality.
Recycle – SWC and Bay Cities Refuse Guidelines
See the Club guidelines posted on SWC’s site under the Community tab.
Refer to BCRS guidelines VIEW VIDEO
Sustainability Defined – to supply current needs without compromising future generations.
In Environmental Science, Sustainability is the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance necessary for continued human civilization and existence – capacity for the biosphere and human civilization to coexist. VIEW VIDEO
Why we all need to participate
If we have learned anything from the Pandemic, it is that we are all in this together.
“The answers to the biggest challenges of our time come not from government and business, but from you and me, from communities working together. If we wait for governments, it will be too late. If we act as individuals, it will be too little.
But if we act as communities, it might just be enough, and it might just be in time.”
From What Is To What If, by Bob Hopkins
In tough times we remember, that we each have the capacity to amplify what is useful, good, and beautiful in our world.
From your Sustainability Committee:
Julie Carlson, Sue Currier, Shari Hansen, Jann Johnson, Laurie Tandy, Dana Whitson
10 TOP TIPS FOR A HEALTHY CLIMATE LIFESTYLE
Switch to Clean Energy, Go Deep Green
Sign up for MCE Marin Clean Energy to their 100 % Deep Green option
https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/100-renewable
Move your Money where your Heart is
Stop funding fossil fuels with your money, divest/invest
Move your money into regional community or credit unions banks and invest in green stock
- https://www.ran.org/bankingonclimatechange2019
- https://fossilfreefunds.org
- https://www.GoFossilFree.org
- https://www.fossilfreeca.org
- https://californiapublicbankingalliance.org
- https://350marin.org/divest_invest-350
Invest in climate/environmental/social justice/communal conscious projects
Support local small businesses, donate to environmental causes
Climate Wise Transportation
Buy electric cars/bicycle and walk more, use public transportation, carpool, share a car.
Drive energy efficient: plan smart shopping, reduce speed, energy efficient pressure in tires
Take vacations locally, reduce air travel
Drive an electric car.
Go Zero Waste/Zero Toxins/Stop Plastic Consumption and Pollution
Reject, reduce, reuse, recycle
Consume/Shop Less/ Buy only what you really need
Spend quality time with family, friends, communities, animals, nature instead
Buy and Use Ethnical, Sustainable and Nontoxic Produced Products, Shop Second Hand
Switch to buying high standard sustainable/ethnical produced products (safe for worker, you, your family and the environment, made without toxic chemicals, petroleum or gas) best locally produced!
Become aware products made of fossil fuel.
https://whgbetc.com/petro-products.pdf
Shop second hand, organize or participate close exchange/garage sales etc.
“Sustainability Starts at the Store” Greg Christie, BCRS
Climate Diet
Eat low on the food chain (more veggies/fruits, less or no meat/ dairy/animal protein)
https://350marin.org/climate_diet_team
Buy locally produced food (support our local farmers), go to farmers markets
Support healthy, sustainable farming (buy food organic grown/no GMO/ fair trade)
Reduce food waste
http://www.stopwaste.org/at-home/reducing-wasted-food/wasted-food-facts
Built/Remodel your Home 100% Energy Efficiency and Eco Friendly
Replace gas or propane with clean electric energy, install solar panels
Remodel and built with eco-friendly materials, good insulation; buy energy efficient appliance
Inform, Discuss, Inspire, Engage, Promote Change for the Good of All
Talk about climate crisis/ climate justice and healthy lifestyle options with family, friends, neighbors. Join the climate action/justice movement, become a climate activist join local groups, campaigns, strikes, marches, rallies. Support the rights of nature, youth movement and indigenous people/projects.
- https://theclimatecenter.org
- https://www.facebook.com/SunriseMovementMarin
- https://www.sierraclub.org/san-francisco-bay/marin
- https://www.350Marin.org
- https://www.greenchange.net
- https://www.drawdown.org
- https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/sustainability/climate-andadaptationdrawdown-marin
- https://www.sustainablemarin.org
- https://www.resilientneighborhoods.org
- https://www.marinefm.org
- https://www.wecaninternational.org
MCE Deep Green
MCE Deep Green – we are not solar, but we do have 100% clean renewable electric energy.
Deep Green costs just 1¢ more per kilowatt hour. Contact MCE at 888-732-3674 or on line
https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/100-renewable
Compost
Compost – Our January 2020 Crab Feed was be 100% compostable and reusable!
Thank You Linda Banks and Barb Sutak!
Buy Local
Buy Local – SWC Sustainability purchases compostable products locally. Use what is on our
Compostable Shelf or contact us when you have questions or need products for Club events.
LEDs
LEDs – Barb Sutak switched us several years ago – Thank You!
https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/7-reasons-why-you-should-swap-to-led-lighting
Faucet Aerators
Faucet Aerators – if your water comes out white, you have one, if it is clear, no.
First and foremost, aerators are master water-savers. According to the EPA, installing fauce
aerators is the single most effective water-saving plumbing change you can make!
Lawn and Garden
Lawn and Garden – pesticide free and managed with sustainable practices; saves our
pollinators, protects ground water and prevents cancer.
Resilient Neighborhoods
Resilient Neighborhoods – we sponsor teams and encourage you to join: lower your carbon
footprint while building community https://www.resilientneighborhoods.org
CLIMATE ACTION
Motivate our Leaders — Take Personal Actions — Encourage Others
Climate change is an immediate existential threat of unprecedented magnitude. Support statewide mobilization for a climate-safe future
https://theclimatecenter.org/dec-4-2019
“We can all do one thing.”
Niklas, a College of Marin student
San Rafael student’s Strike for the Climate, November 2019
He said: So just pick one thing — whether it’s eating less meat, converting to LED’s, riding your bike, buying sustainable clothing or supporting legislation — and actually do it. Maybe then you’ll think change is possible, or you’ll think, “That wasn’t so hard,” and then maybe you could do another thing.
Maybe it will reduce your carbon footprint or cause less pollution.
He said: Any first action will guide you to your next steps. Possibly the best first step is simply talking to people. You will be surprised how much easier making impactful change becomes.
COMPOSTABLE SHELF
Purchased by Sustainability Committee
For any club event – CONTACT US WHEN YOU NEED DISPOSABLE TABLEWARE
We can supply a locally purchased compostable product
Sustainability starts in the Cart
WE STOCK
CHINET PAPER PLATES (100% RECYCLED PAPER)
WOODEN UTENSILS
PAPER CUPS – LINED ON ONE SIDE
WE WILL NOT PURCHASE LANDFILL – TRASH:
1. Styrofoam – The World Health Organization (WH0) has declared Styrofoam hazardous
to pregnant women and young children – toxic landfill.
2. Plastic Tableware – can no longer be recycled
3. Biodegradable and 100% Compostable – Many are made of bio(plant)plastic and
DO NOT COMPOST ANY WHERE IN MARIN. What composts? Paper & wood!
Some landfill examples
Click to enlarge image
Click to enlarge image