Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts

Cascadia College and UW Bothell host Salmon Watch to showcase the salmon-bearing creek and wetland research on campus

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Native kokanee salmon at Cascadia College
Photo courtesy Cascadia
BOTHELL, Wash - On October 15, 2024 at 4:00pm, Sustainability Offices of UW Bothell and Cascadia College invite the community for an evening of salmon education, wetland exploration, and discussions with ecology experts. 

Salmon Watch is free to attend and is happening at the Activities & Recreation Center (ARC) on the UW Bothell and Cascadia College campus. 

Aligning with the campus’s sustainability values, this event will educate the community on salmon biology and ecology, highlight local conservation work, and raise awareness about the salmon population on campus.

Faculty members Dr. Jeff Jensen and Midori Sakura will speak about salmon ecology, physiology, and conservation with emphasis on current research. 

There will be tours of the campus wetland and other family-friendly activities. Attendees can connect with local wildlife and conservation groups and learn about ways to support local salmon.

“We hope to be able to welcome the community to our sustainable campus right here in both, by hosting more wildlife focused events,” said Stephan Classen, Assistant Director of Sustainability at Cascadia College, 
“Salmon are so important, we are also working to feature local tribes and conservation groups, connecting in a variety of ways!”

Doors open at 3:30pm, and the event begins at 4:00pm. Register here

Cascadia College and UW Bothell’s joint campus hosts one of the largest wetland restoration projects on the west coast and is managed entirely pesticide free to support wildlife and climate action. 

The joint institutions have various commitments to sustainability and work with the Bothell community on sustainability efforts. Learn more about the sustainability programs:

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King County Council passes motion expressing opposition to passage of State Initiative 2117

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

At its September 10, 2024 meeting, the King County Council passed Proposed Motion 2024-0272 (Motion 16662), a motion expressing the Council's opposition to the passage of state Initiative 2117.

The initiative, if approved by voters, would repeal sections of the Climate Commitment Act and prohibit state agencies from implementing any kind of carbon tax credit trading.

The text of Motion 16662 can be found here.


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Help clean up Washington ocean beaches at the Coastal Cleanup on September 21, 2024

Friday, September 13, 2024

One more event in 2024 will add to the total
Graphic courtesy Washington State Parks Commission

OLYMPIA –As a proud member of the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks) will co-host the annual International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

This year’s event will take place at six state parks: Cape Disappointment, Fort Worden, Grayland Beach, Ocean City, Pacific Beach and Twin Harbors.

In partnership with Washington CoastSavers, Parks puts on three beach cleanup events a year. So far, 145,719 pounds of marine and firework debris have been cleaned off our beaches in 2024. That’s over 12,000 pounds more than last year – with one more cleanup still to be held.

The City of Long Beach, Grassroots Garbage Gang, Lions Clubs International, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Olympic Peninsula Chief Petty Officer Association of the US Coast Guard, Port Townsend Marine Science Center and Surfrider Foundation Olympia Chapter all help with this event by hosting a registration site with dedicated volunteers and recruiting volunteers to support marine debris removal efforts.

“If not collected, much of the garbage ends up in the ocean where birds, fish and marine mammals get entangled or ingest this marine debris, and microplastics end up in the food chain,” says Parks’ Volunteer Program Specialist Paul Ruppert. 
“Part of the Washington State Parks mission and core values is to care for Washington’s most treasured lands and waters, and a commitment to stewardship that safeguards high-quality park assets to future generations.”

Volunteers can be a part of that mission by signing up for the International Coastal Cleanup. Visit CoastSavers.org to learn more about the International Coastal Cleanup, view a list of all participating beaches and pre-register for the event.  

On arrival, participants volunteering at a Washington state park will check in at one of these locations:
  • Long Beach: Bolstad Ocean Beach Approach (OBA), Ocean Park OBA
  • Central Coast: Ocean City OBA, Chance A La Mer OBA, Bonge Ave OBA
  • Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca: Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Volunteers should dress for variable weather conditions, wear sturdy footwear and pack a lunch with plenty of water. Upon check-in, participants will receive supplies to help them pick up debris. 

However, volunteers are encouraged to bring reusable gloves. The check-in station also serves as the dumpster location for marine debris after collection. A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access on state-managed lands on September 21.


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"For the Birds" Concert September 22, 2024 (but not OUR For the Birds)

Monday, August 26, 2024


"For the Birds" Concert, for members of the general public, will be held at Edmonds United Methodist Church Sanctuary on Sunday, September 22, 2024 from 4:00 to 5:30pm. 828 Caspers St, Edmonds WA 

This concert is hosted by Interfaith Climate Action and it is more than just a concert. The performance engages the power of artistic expression -- live music, spoken words, images, and poetry - to connect audiences deeply and emotionally to the scientific realities of climate change.

Ultimately a story of hope, individuals leave the performance feeling empowered to take meaningful action. 

Why Birds? Birds are a part of our daily life experience, and an inspiring connection to the natural world. But climate change is having a significant and alarming impact on many bird species, and this should be a wake-up call for all of us.

Tickets are $10 and $20, children under 12 are free as are students in environmental clubs and climate committees in area middle and high schools. We are in the process of securing child care for children too young to enjoy the performance.

Purchase tickets here  

Various individuals and organizations are being approached for donations in order to keep the prices low so everyone can attend. The performers are the Nelda Swiggett Band, well known in Seattle. Nelda is the composer and her quintet will be performing this debut concert.


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Shoreline and Lake Forest Park oppose initiative to repeal Climate Commitment Act

Sunday, August 11, 2024

A rendering from Shoreline’s website shows the planned 148th Street Non-Motorized bridge that is partially funded by funds from the Climate Commitment Act


At the Monday, August 5, 2024 meeting, the Shoreline city council unanimously voted to oppose Initiative 2117 that would repeal Washington state’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). 

And at the Thursday, August 08 meeting, the Lake Forest Park city council also voted to oppose the initiative. In doing so, the cities joined the Kenmore city council who also unanimously opposed the initiative.

Passed by the legislature in 2021, the CCA established a market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by auctioning credits to polluters. The revenue from the sales are invested in programs to transition the state away from dependence on fossil fuels.

In 2023, the state collected $1.8 billion of which Shoreline received $10 million to partially fund for the 148th Street Non-Motorized Bridge project. 

Kenmore, like other cities in the state, expects to receive millions of dollars in CCA funds - including money for new sidewalks by Moorlands elementary school as well as funds for EV charging infrastructure and urban forestry.


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Workshop on heat pumps August 20, 2024 in Shoreline


Heat pumps heat AND cool your home. 

Learn more about these 2-in-1 appliances and how you can save up to $1,000 installing one at your home by signing up for Shoreline's FREE online workshop on August 20, 2024 from 7-8 pm. 

Heat pumps don’t just give you year-round heating and cooling for your home. They also filter indoor air.

Register today at ShorelineWA.gov/GoElectric.
 

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Puget Sound Energy to transfer Colstrip Unit 3 and 4 ownership

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Colstrip Generating Station in Eastern Montana
Photo by Patrick Webb
BELLEVUE, Wash. (July 30, 2024) – As part of its pathway to complying with Washington State’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), Puget Sound Energy has signed an agreement to transfer its ownership in Units 3 and 4 of the Colstrip Generating Station in Eastern Montana to NorthWestern Energy effective December 31, 2025.

Under CETA, the state’s electric utilities must remove coal-fired generation serving Washington state customers by the end of 2025. PSE is one of six owners in Unit 3 and 4, holding a 25% interest in each unit. 

There are no changes to PSE’s ownership rights in the Colstrip transmission system as part of this agreement.

“PSE customers want clean energy and we are committed to providing it as we plan for our future in accordance with Washington state law,” said Ron Roberts, senior vice president of Energy Resources for PSE. “We are happy to find a partner in NorthWestern and for the future of the Colstrip plant to be in Montana’s control.”

PSE continues to invest in the diverse energy resources of Montana, announcing last week a power purchase agreement for a 315 MW wind farm under development in Wheatland and Meagher County. 

PSE is currently developing the Beaver Creek Wind Farm, a 248 MW project located in Stillwater County. 

Other recent examples include power purchase agreements with Energy Keepers, Inc., the tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for hydroelectric power, and an agreement with NextEra for power from Montana’s largest wind farm, Clearwater Wind, based in Rosebud, Custer and Garfield Counties. 

In 2017, PSE contributed $10 million to the Colstrip Impacts Foundation to support the community’s transition planning efforts.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to invest in, and be a part of, the Colstrip community, and appreciate the decades of dedication by the facility’s workforce,” said Roberts.

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Climate Resistant Garden coming to Kruckeberg

Drought-tolerant plants in new garden
at Kruckeberg
Volunteers at Kruckeberg Botanic Garden spearheaded a successful application for an Environmental Mini-Grant from the City of Shoreline

They have received $5,000 to proceed with the installation of a Climate Resilience Garden filled with drought-tolerant plants suited to our region's shifting climate.

Plants and interpretive signs will be installed this fall and prep work is underway.

This project is an inspiring collective effort from Board Members Julia Cox and Heidi Loewen, Vicki Demetre and members of the Garden Committee, volunteer grant writers Kathryn Walsh-Clark and Kim Turner, and others.

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden 20312 15th Ave NW, Shoreline WA 98177


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Washington State Standard: Voters to decide on pace of Washington’s transition off natural gas

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Greg Lane, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Washington, holds a petition for a proposed ballot measure to block local and state efforts to transition away from use of natural gas. Anthony Anton, president of the Washington Hospitality Association, and Ryann Blake, owner of Chimney Techniques in Aberdeen, joined a news conference May 15, 2024 in Olympia, Wash. to kick off signature gathering. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)


By Jerry Cornfield

Let the battle over the future of natural gas in Washington begin.

State election officials have certified an initiative for the November ballot that seeks to reverse Washington’s controversial tactics to phase out natural gas use in homes and other buildings.

Supporters of Initiative 2066 began gathering signatures in mid-May and turned in 533,005 signatures earlier this month. State law required at least 324,516 be from registered voters.

“We knew the people of Washington opposed the idea of banning natural gas, but the support for this initiative shows just how strongly they feel about protecting natural gas for heating and cooking in their homes and businesses,” said Greg Lane, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Washington, which is the measure’s sponsor.

The measure targets the state’s combination of regulations and laws to move swiftly away from natural gas toward technology like electric heat pumps.

It will appear first on ballots in Washington, followed by three other citizen initiatives that seek to repeal the state’s cap-and-trade system and capital gains tax and make the state’s new long-term care services program voluntary.

If passed, Initiative 2066 would repeal provisions of a new state law meant to hasten Puget Sound Energy’s transition away from natural gas

It also bars cities and counties from prohibiting, penalizing or discouraging “the use of gas for any form of heating, or for uses related to any appliance or equipment, in any building.”

And it would roll back recent changes to energy requirements in Washington’s building codes that are designed to get more electric heat pumps – instead of gas furnaces – installed in newly built houses, apartments and commercial buildings.

BIAW, the state’s leading voice for the homebuilding industry, is the force behind the measure. The Washington Hospitality Association, Washington Realtors and Associated General Contractors are also in the coalition of supporters.

Let’s Go Washington, which qualified the three other initiatives for the fall ballot, conducted the signature-gathering effort for the gas measure.

Critics of the measure say it would take a wrecking ball to state efforts to fight climate change and shift to clean and more more efficient energy sources.

“This is a massive overreach by those who want to undo clean energy progress in our state,” Caitlin Krenn, climate and clean energy director at Washington Conservation Action, said in a statement.


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Puget Sound Energy signs long-term contract for more wind energy

Friday, July 26, 2024

Windfarm photo courtesy Clearway Energy

BELLEVUE, Wash. (July 23, 2024) – As part of its continued efforts to procure clean energy, Puget Sound Energy has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Clearway Energy Group (“Clearway”) for a 315 MW wind farm under development in Wheatland and Meagher County in Montana.

Once operational, the Haymaker Wind Farm will contribute approximately 15% toward PSE’s remaining need to meet its 2030 clean energy targets. 315 MW translates into enough energy to power about 116,000 average homes in PSE’s service territory.

“This agreement with Clearway helps us meet some of the most ambitious clean energy laws in the nation while delivering on our customer’s expectations for energy that is safe, reliable and affordable,” said Ron Roberts, PSE’s senior vice president of Energy Resources. 
“We are proud to be a partner in developing Montana’s wind resources—this project is another milestone in our continued investment in the state’s energy economy.”

The Haymaker Wind facility is being developed by Clearway, one of the largest clean energy developers and owners in the country with over 11.5 GW of wind, solar, storage, and natural gas assets in operation. 

Clearway has committed to ensuring that Haymaker will be constructed using community workforce or project labor agreements and to using local and diverse suppliers (including small businesses, minority owned businesses, and women owned businesses) when available. Construction is expected to start in June of 2026 with completion and commercial operation targeted for 2028.

Wind energy from Haymaker will be delivered to PSE’s customers using existing PSE transmission.

PSE is currently in the process of developing the Beaver Creek Wind Farm, a utility-scale wind project located in Stillwater County, Montana. 

Other recent examples include power purchase agreements with Energy Keepers, Inc., the tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for hydroelectric power, and an agreement with NextEra for power from Montana’s largest wind farm, Clearwater Wind, based in Rosebud, Custer and Garfield Counties. 

PSE has been part of Montana’s energy economy since the 1970s; more about PSE’s work in Montana can be found at www.psemontana.com.


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Shoreline recertified as a Salmon-Safe City

Sunday, July 21, 2024

On June 21, 2024, Shoreline achieved recertification as a Salmon-Safe city. 

Shoreline is Washington’s first Salmon-Safe municipality, and only the second certified city in the nation after Portland, Oregon. The recertification process began in late 2023.

Salmon-Safe, the Oregon-based environmental certification nonprofit dedicated to restoring water quality in West Coast salmon watersheds, closely aligns with Shoreline’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

"Being recertified as a salmon-safe city is a big accomplishment for Shoreline,” stated Shoreline Mayor Chris Roberts. 
“It is a testament to our community’s commitment to preserving Puget Sound and being good stewards of our natural environment. Salmon are representatives of the larger ecosystem. Without a healthy salmon population, we don’t have a healthy Puget Sound, and that impacts every one of us.”

For the citywide certification, staff worked with the Salmon-Safe Science Team for over eight months to develop the conditions for certification. This included the Salmon-Safe team evaluating City plans, programs, and procedures; interviewing city staff; and visiting city operations and sites across the city. 

The Science Team identified nine conditions the City must meet as part of the recertification.

“The third-party audit by our independent science team shows that the City of Shoreline is on the cutting edge of cities–of any size–in taking a holistic approach to its watershed,” said Ella Sandquist, Salmon-Safe Puget Sound Director. 
“Taken together, the city’s ongoing Salmon-Safe actions represent an integrated approach and meaningful commitment to the health of Puget Sound.”

The City will have five years to fulfill the nine conditions, which include developing specific GIS analysis for stormwater treatment; implementing a stream monitoring program; enhancing salmon-friendly habitat restoration efforts; and implementing bioretention projects along Aurora.

This is another example of Shoreline demonstrating regional leadership by contributing to the health of Puget Sound waterways and the salmon and orca that depend on them. It is the hope of the City and Salmon-Safe that other jurisdictions will soon follow suit.


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Learn about heat pumps at Energize Shoreline workshop July 25, 2024

Saturday, July 20, 2024


Stay cool. Get a heat pump.

Heat pumps are 2-in-1 appliances that heat AND cool your home. 

Learn more about heat pumps and how to save up to $1,000 on one at our Energize Shoreline workshop and vendor fair on July 24, 2024 from 6-8 pm.

Join us online via Zoom or in person at City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133

Register today at ShorelineWA.gov/GoElectric


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Put your vintage clothing to work for a good cause

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Photo courtesy LFP Rotary

LFP Rotary Environmental Sustainability Committee tip of the week

Put your vintage clothing and accessories to work for a good cause. 

Donate those twentieth century clothes and other items to the Historic Clothing Group of Seattle Children's Hospital for their vintage fashion shows. Proceeds benefit uncompensated care at the hospital.

More information here


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Making the switch to battery powered lawn tools

Sunday, July 7, 2024

Battery powered lawn tool
By Sarah Phillips

Why make the switch from fossil fueled lawn products? There are three big reasons: noise, pollution and messy filling with fuels and oil. And one more benefit, the tools start right up.

The noise from gas powered gas tools can be a danger to the hearing of both to the operator and those nearby. Even with good ear protection leaf blowers and pressure washers can be dangerous. 

The emissions from a leaf blower being used one hour is the same as leaving a car idling in the driveway for 10 hours. And third, many of the gas-powered tools like lawn mowers and pressure washers require mixing of gas and oil creating potential waste and pollution.

Consumer Reports looked at leaf blowers, comparing them, and found:

That’s a pretty strong case for electrics. What’s more, they’re also better for the planet, better for your ears, and over time, they’re probably better for your wallet, too, when you factor in a gas model’s lifetime cost of gas and (in some cases) oil. 

How to take the first step. Decide what tool you use the most. Start with that tool.

Research where to purchase the tool. Locally, Ace and Home Depot have specific brands.

The batteries for a brand of tool are often interchangeable, but not with other brands. So when you purchase your first electric battery tool think about your next tool as well.

The batteries have a long life. Usually, several years depending on use, storage, temperature. Home Depot recycles lithium batteries for free. The Rotary holds an annual collection event in the spring

You can try out some of the battery-operated tools at the Shoreline Tool Library.

For more information about electrifying your home click here.


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Measure to prevent phasing out of natural gas in WA is on track for November ballot

Anthony Anton, president of the Washington Hospitality Association,
loads a box of signed Initiative 2066 petitions into a cart for delivery
to the Secretary of State’s Office on July 2, 2024. The proposed measure
would halt the state’s push to end natural gas use in homes and buildings.
(Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)
By Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard

It’s now all but assured voters will get to weigh in this November on Washington’s polarizing efforts to phase out natural gas use in homes and other buildings.

Backers of an initiative aimed at reversing the state’s climate-oriented policies turned in more than 400,000 signatures in support of the measure on Tuesday. 

They delivered boxes of petitions for Initiative 2066 to the secretary of state’s office in Tumwater just 49 days after the first ones were signed.

Sponsors said they turned in 431,063 signatures, nearly 110,000 more than required to qualify for this fall’s general election.

“It is very simple. If you have natural gas, this protects you to be able to keep natural gas in your home or in your business. And it protects the freedom of every single Washingtonian to have the clean energy of their choice,” said Greg Lane, executive vice president of the Building Industry Association of Washington, the measure’s main sponsor.

Initiative 2066 repeals provisions of a new state law meant to hasten Puget Sound Energy’s transition away from natural gas. It also bars cities and counties from prohibiting, penalizing or discouraging “the use of gas for any form of heating, or for uses related to any appliance or equipment, in any building.”

And the measure would effectively nullify recent changes to Washington’s energy code designed to get more electric heat pumps – instead of gas furnaces – installed in newly built houses, apartments and commercial buildings.

Critics of the measure say it would force the state to retreat from many fronts in its fight against climate change and pursuit of clean energy.

“I-2066 would take away communities’ choice, jeopardize rebate programs that help families and small business owners afford building upgrades, repeal common-sense measures that make homes and workplaces more energy efficient and healthy, and erode clean air protections,” said Caitlin Krenn, climate and clean energy director for Washington Conservation Action.

“Over time this measure will raise energy costs for hardworking Washingtonians,” she noted.

In a statement, Puget Sound Energy said it is “deeply concerned about the misinformation that continues to be spread about natural gas.”

“There is no ban on natural gas,” reads the utility’s statement. “PSE has an obligation to serve any customer who wants natural gas.”

House Bill 1589, the law targeted by the ballot measure, did not change that so those provisions in I-2066 would not affect PSE or its customers, according to the statement. PSE has posted information on HB 1589 on its website.

Lane disagreed. He insisted the intent of one section of the law “will be the electrification of the state. They can say what they want. I think they’re wrong.”

Gregg Small, executive director of the environmental group Climate Solutions, said the measure “would be a major misstep in our path toward a clean energy future that keeps costs lower.”

Planning is critical to keeping utility bills of existing gas customers as low as possible as the state transitions to other sources of energy to heat homes, he said. By repealing some requirements, the initiative “will cost ratepayers more and negatively impact our health by prolonging our reliance on burning polluting gas in our homes and buildings,” he said.

BIAW, the state’s leading voice for the home building industry, drew up the measure and assembled a coalition of backers including the Washington Hospitality Association, Washington Realtors and Associated General Contractors. BIAW formed a political committee, Main Street Matters to Washington, to help get the measure on the ballot and pass it.


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Educational resources available to help reduce the loss of crab pots

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

12,000 crab pots are lost in Puget Sound each year.
They continue to trap crabs,who simply die in the traps
Photo by Cas Holmes on unsplash.com

July 1 was opening day for recreational crabbing in Puget Sound. 

Each year an estimated 12,000 crab pots are lost in Puget Sound, resulting in the capture of an estimated 180,000 Dungeness crab a year with no one to harvest them. 

The Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) and the Northwest Straits Foundation continue to partner to educate crabbers about the problem.

Luckily there are several ways crabbers can prevent losing their pots:
  • Avoid marine transit and ferry lanes.
  • Check tides and currents. Avoid crabbing during strong tidal changes and currents.
  • Make buoys more visible. Add a second buoy or stick and flag.
  • Use a weighted line to sink below the surface and avoid being cut by passing boats.
  • Weight your pot so they do not move in high currents or tidal changes.
  • Use longer line. Use one-third more line than the water depth to allow for tide changes.
  • Secure lid and escape panels with biodegradable cotton escape cord. This allows crabs to escape from lost pots after the cord degrades.
  • Stay with your pot. A watched pot will bring home more crab.

This handy checklist and additional information can be found here. You will find instructional videos, helpful apps and other resources to help catch more crab and avoid having your crab pots become one of the 12,000 lost each year.

MRC members will be at the 10th Street Boat Launch in Everett, at 607 10th St, Everett WA 98201 on the mornings of July 6 and 7, 2024 from 6:00 to 10:00am providing educational materials including free rot cord, bait hooks, and gauges for measuring your catch. 

Come with any questions you may have on how to correctly set up your crab pot so you can catch more crab. The goal is more crab for you, less lost pots for Puget Sound.


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Recycle leftover paint

Monday, July 1, 2024

Photo courtesy LFP Rotary
Environmental Sustainability Committee recycling tip of the week from Rotary Club of Lake Forest Park.

Recycle your leftover paint.

Paintcare.org has a list of places to recycle paint, including Ace Hardware at LFP Town Center



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New labeling standards will make it easier to determine what packaging is compostable

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Photo courtesy Dept of Ecology

In March 2024, the Washington State Legislature passed Organics Management Law 2.0 (OML 2.0), including changes to the compostable product labeling standards (“Plastic Product Degradability,” chapter 70A.455 RCW). 

Below is a summary of key updates that go into effect June 6, 2024.

This bill changes the original Organics Management Law (OML 1.0) passed in 2022, and both will help reach our statewide climate and waste reduction goals. OML 1.0 included labeling standards for compostable products in an effort to support facilities that accept these materials and ease consumer confusion. Consumer confusion adds to contamination, which makes composting more difficult and expensive.
 
Expanding definition and standards for product compostability 
  • Exempt: Products made from wood are considered compostable and do not need to be labeled in accordance with the labeling rules. Products made from more than 98% fiber with no plastic or wax additives or coatings are also considered compostable and do not require specific labeling.
  • These products do not need to be listed on a producer’s declaration of compliance.
  • Film bags, other film products, and food service products: These still must be tested and certified to ASTM standards D6400 or D6868 by a third-party.
  • Other products (compostable packing peanuts, cellulose tape, PLA insulated mailers, etc.): These can be certified to a similar scientific standard for composting in industrial settings (ex. ASTM D8410, ISO 17088, and EN 13432).
What about home compostable? 
  • All compostable products in Washington must be certified by a third-party that the product meets the scientific standards for composting in industrial settings. Starting in June 2024, a product may include the claim “home compostable” if the producer has scientific evidence to support their claim, and the product has still been certified for composting in an industrial setting. A product cannot be labeled as “Home Compostable only.”
Dept of Ecology


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Most EPS foam containers banned from sale and distribution in Washington starting June 1

Friday, May 31, 2024

2021 state law ends era of clamshell containers, plates, bowls, cups, trays, and coolers made of expanded polystyrene. Photo courtesy Dept of Ecology
Your to-go box and other food service items will be changing starting this summer. Beginning June 1, restaurants, businesses, organizations, or other institutions will no longer be able to provide expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam coolers, cups, trays, bowls, or clamshell containers to customers.

Alternatives are available and already in wide use as most restaurants have already made the switch, however Washingtonians may still come across these items when they take food home from them.

The restrictions are the latest phase in a 2021 law that seeks to reduce the use of plastic products that frequently end up as trash and litter. The EPS food service product restrictions apply to anyone who sells or distributes EPS foam products. This includes retail, restaurants, coffee shops and drive-throughs, health care and correctional facilities, institutions, government entities, organizations, and schools.

“Single-use plastic foam products are cheap to buy, but their environmental cost is high,” said Peter Lyon, Solid Waste Management program manager for the Washington Department of Ecology, which is responsible for implementing the plastics law. 
“Expanded polystyrene is difficult to recycle and often ends up becoming litter. There are many alternatives available, so switching away from these materials should be an easy step for businesses and consumers.”

Items not included in the EPS foam ban are egg cartons, packaging for raw, uncooked, or butchered meat fish, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and fruit. Visit Ecology’s EPS ban website for a full list of banned and exempted EPS products.

Most EPS products do not get recycled because they are often not accepted in curbside recycling bins or at local recycling facilities in Washington. Ecology’s 2022 litter study estimated that 1 million pieces of EPS foam cups, bowls and clamshells, and 191 million pieces of other EPS foam products accumulate across state each year.

Restrictions start with education, but penalties are possible

Ecology intends to initially focus its efforts on educating businesses about the law and alternatives to EPS products, but the law includes penalties of $250 for the first offense, and $1,000 for additional incidents where businesses don’t comply with the restrictions.

Ecology has been working to inform businesses about the new restrictions for more than a year.

The public can submit reports of businesses not following the law through Ecology’s EPS Ban website.

Other ways Ecology works on the plastic problem

Washington is making aggressive efforts to improve recycling and waste reduction, thanks to a number of laws passed in recent years. 

In 2021, the Legislature passed a plastics law requiring manufacturers to use a minimum percentage of recycled content in their products. The law also restricted the use of single-use serviceware like plastic utensils, and restricted the use of EPS foam in products like takeout containers. 

Other recent laws have banned single-use plastic bags and exposed EPS foam blocks in docks. EPS packing peanuts were banned for sale and distribution in or into Washington stating June 2023.


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Highland Terrace PTA recycling plastic film with Ridwell

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Highland Terrace Elementary in Shoreline is a King County Green School.

Recently, the PTA worked with Ridwell and collected plastic film from families to be recycled.

Ridwell has said if we get 10 families to sign up they will give Highland Terrace FREE plastic film recycling for the full ‘24-‘25 school year. 

We have 3 families signed up and need 7 more to meet the goal!


Sign up here to support Highland Terrace PTA


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