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Please click here to go to the new location.Green eNewsletter - October 16, 2008
Recycle Your Electronic Waste on Saturday Members of San Carlos Green suggest that you start looking for eWaste in your closets and garages now. They will be holding an event to collect and help you get rid of your old electronic waste on Saturday, October 18 from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at the south end of the San Carlos Caltrain station parking lot on El Camino Real, near the corner of El Camino Real and Holly Street.
You can bring your unusable computers, televisions, printers, cables, diskettes, CDs and other electronics and have them environmentally recycled by ECS Refining for free. With the upcoming Digital TV Conversion, this is a great opportunity to recycle that old television set that you just replaced. The event vendor, ECS, shreds and mechanically separates the e-waste into marketable commodities so absolutely no e-waste is exported or landfilled.
This event benefits local environmental action through San Carlos Green. Tell your friends and neighbors and get everyone involved. For more information, email Pat Potter or visit the San Carlos Green web site at www.sancarlosgreen.org
San Carlos Selects Norcal for Solid Waste, Recycling & Organics – Starting in 2011 At their October 13, 2008 meeting, the City Council approved a resolution that directed the City Staff and the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) to begin Franchise Agreement negotiations with Norcal Waste Systems of San Mateo County to become the new Solid Waste, Recycling and Organics Collection firm in San Carlos starting on January 1, 2011.
With this action by the City Council, the City of San Carlos is now the 6th of the 12 SBWMA agencies to move these services to Norcal Waste Systems in 2011. More significantly, these 6 agencies (San Carlos, San Mateo, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Foster City and Hillsborough) represent almost 70% of the Solid Waste tonnage among the SBWMA agencies. The City Staff will be working with the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) to bring this new provider to the community in the months ahead.
2 LEED Silver Projects Move Ahead in San Carlos The City Council also took another step towards sustainability in the community on Monday night with votes on two projects that intend to be developed to the LEED Silver standard. The first project will be a new 34 unit condominium development at the corner of Cherry Street and Chestnut Avenue in San Carlos. It will feature several below market rate units in the development that are more affordable than seen in past condominium projects in San Carlos. Also noteworthy is the developer’s use of deconstruction and “soft demo” techniques in removing the existing home on this site prior to construction.
The second project is the South Bayside Waste Management Authority (SBWMA) proposal to replace the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) component of the Recycling Center on Shoreway Road in San Carlos with a new building that is also envisioned as a LEED Silver facility. The new building would include over $15 Million in equipment that will enable customers in the 12 SBWMA agencies to finally receive Single Stream recycling services. Other key features will include improved traffic circulation at the site and on Shoreway Road, an educational area for school children and students and a new building to replace the current structure. On Monday night, the City Council approved plans to finance the new facility which will enable its reconstruction in the year ahead.
Creek Clean-Up In San Carlos Is A Success On Saturday September 20, 2008, the City participated in Coastal Cleanup Day through a Creek Clean-up in San Carlos. One month prior to the event, notice was sent to properties adjacent to creeks advising that the City would help with a clean-up. The City of San Carlos invited property owners and neighbors to participate in the clean-up of three creeks: Cordilleras Creek, Pulgas Creek and Brittan Creek encouraging clean up the area of the creeks that run adjacent to the property. Pick-up of trash, yard clippings or any other materials that are not natural or native to the creek area was offered. On Monday, September 22nd, Public Works crews picked up approximately 10 yards of debris at 17 locations for the creek cleanup event.
The City’s Creeks are one of the many qualities that contribute to the charm of San Carlos. By coordinating this clean-up with Coastal Cleanup day, the City can protect its own natural resources as well as the downstream coastal resources. As noted in the attached report, past Coastal Cleanup Day data indicate that most (between 60-80 percent) of the debris on beaches and shorelines comes from inland sources, traveling through storm drains or creeks out to the beaches and ocean. Congratulations to the City residents and volunteers for enhancing "The City of Good Living" and the coastline. The Planning Department Staff is already exploring ways to make the next Creek Clean-Up Event even better than the one held in September.
City Moves to A Green Janitorial Contractor for City Buildings Parks and Recreation Director Barry Weiss reports that Green practices and products were part of the City’s interview and evaluation process when selecting a new janitorial firm to take care of City Hall and City Buildings. The new contractor, Platinum Facility Services, was selected as the new janitorial contractor through a competitive process.
Platinum follows green cleaning practices and uses Surtec Certified Green Products as well as chemical products that meet or exceed all current criteria as environmentally safe products. Their approach is not limited to chemicals and incorporates a variety of programs, procedures, equipment and supply items to form a complete green cleaning program. All the products they use are non-corrosive to the skin, non-combustible, biodegradable, and do not contain “butyl” (2-butoxyethanol). They meet strict California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) V.O.C. requirements, contain no carcinogens, reproductive or developmental toxins and contain no hazardous air pollutants or petroleum distillates. Barry also notes that Surtec is a California based 100% recycling manufacturer.
Composting Workshops Continue in San CarlosMonthly Composting Workshops continue to inform interested people from the community on how to turn their garbage into gardens. The monthly workshops are held at the San Carlos Adult Community Center at 601 Chestnut Street in San Carlos . They are jointly offered and sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department and RecycleWorks.Org of San Mateo County.
Credits
Editor: Brian Moura, Assistant City Manager & Green Programs Coordinator
email: bmoura@cityofsancarlos.orgTo receive the Green eNewsletter, the City's eNewsletter on Green Programs and Climate Protection, you can subscribe to it by eMail using the eNotify feature of the City Web Site. Issues of the Green eNewsletter are also available in the Residents and In The Spotlight sections of the City Web Site if you prefer to read them on-line instead of having them emailed to you directly.  | |
