2nd Quarter (April) 2022 Enewsletter

Legislative recap, Innovation Summit (May 23), Furniture Repair events, ....and more

Zero Waste Washington drives policy change for a healthy and waste-free world. We envision a just, equitable, and sustainable future where we all produce, consume, and reuse responsibly.

Governor Inslee, Representative Joe Fitzgibbon and partners at signing of HB 1799 on March 25, 2022

This year’s short session was a sprint! In just 60 days, some bills make it but many don’t. We have great news, though. Representative Joe Fitzgibbon’s compost and food waste bill (HB1799) – one of the most comprehensive organics management policies in the nation – was signed into law on March 25. Disappointingly, the RENEW Recycling Act, championed by Senator Mona Das didn’t make it this year.

It was an intense session resulting in many strong bills, including four zero waste-related bills, thanks to help from numerous partners, wonderful environmental legislative champions and all of you.

HB 1799 moves the needle on compost and food waste

HB 1799 sets a target to reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2030 and increase the volume of edible food recovery 20% by 2025 — both relative to a 2015 baseline. It also requires businesses to do on-site management or have their organic material picked up for composting or other uses. Farmers will be reimbursed for buying compost and equipment and cities will need to plan for procurement of compost.

Another feature of the bill is a first-in-the-nation requirement that compostable foodware (think plates, bowls, and cutlery) must be green, brown or beige tinted or striped. This will help make it easier for you to distinguish a plastic fork from a compostable fork!

Importantly, the new law requires local jurisdictions, as part of their upcoming Growth Management Act plans, to allow for the siting of organics processing facilities.

Finally, increased food donations from groceries, restaurants, farms, and food manufacturers will be facilitated through updated liability standards and a new Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management.

A recap

Other zero waste-related bills that made it over the finish line:

• Reducing methane emissions from landfills (HB 1663). This bill championed by Representative Davina Duerr, will reduce methane emissions in Washington by requiring owners or operators of certain landfills to install methane gas capture systems and to collect gas at an extraction rate that complies with surface methane emission limits (set in statute).
• Eliminating PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ (HB 1694). Representative Liz Berry led the effort to speed up the process to ban these harmful chemicals from firefighting gear and other products.
• Updating energy facility site evaluation council activities (HB 1812). Championed by Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, this bill updates the work of the the energy facility site evaluation council to meet the state’s clean energy goals.

What’s next

Much progress was made this session on bills addressing Right to Repair and Battery Recycling. And, the imperative for our priority bill – The RENEW Recycling Act – has not diminished. People are fed up with plastic pollution and recycling challenges. Stay tuned for next year!

Thank you all for your help in moving important zero waste bills forward. If you have any questions, please contact Heather at heather@zerowastewashington.org.

By Xenia Dolovova, Waste Reduction Programs Director

The Furniture Fix-It project has taken off. Donated damaged or imperfect furniture is being repaired and refurbished to almost new condition and then provided to refugee and low-income families. On April 18, in partnership with the City of Tacoma, we held the first furniture Fix-It event. And the next day, recently arrived Afghan and Ukrainian families received 25 beautifully refurbished and cleaned furniture items. Big thank yous to fixers, volunteers and furniture donors.

We are planning many more collection and also repair events in King, Pierce and Kitsap counties.  If you would like to be a volunteer or a fixer, we would love your help.  No experience necessary! To learn about these, email xenia@zerowastewashington.org and specify your location.

Diverting furniture

Furniture Fix-It was initiated to divert distressed furniture from the landfill. Already, we have met many great individuals who have contributed their time, skills, and furniture. Cities, resettlement agencies, woodworking and upholstery shops, retail stores, and others have stepped forward. On April 9^th, in collaboration with the City of Tacoma Environmental Services Department, we collected over 80 items at a drop-off event.

Repair Event

April 18^th was a busy day for the project team, which included staff from the City of Tacoma (Big thank you!). Tacoma Dome offered their Annex space. Items were organized and prioritized, and the fixers and volunteers got to work cleaning, staining, fixing and reupholstering.

Lauren and Sam, City of Tacoma, signing people in!

In the same room, fixers and volunteers were working on steam cleaning the furniture, painting, drilling, creatively attempting some challenging fixes. Some said it made them nostalgic to work on similar pieces they had in their family. All of them said they would come again.

Furniture drop off

Furniture, including tables and chairs, lamps, side tables, and more, was delivered later that week to newly arrived refugee families from Afghanistan and Ukraine, located from Lakewood to Lynnwood.

To help out

• To volunteer with the project, fill out this form (No experience necessary!  Lots of easy tasks available..): https://www.cognitoforms.com/ZeroWasteWashington1/volunteerinterestformfurniturefixit
• To learn a new skill or volunteer your repair skill, fill out this form: https://www.cognitoforms.com/ZeroWasteWashington1/furniturefixerinterestformfurniturefixit
• To read more about the project, visit https://www.repaireconomywa.org/furniture_fix_it/
• To follow our news, follow: https://www.facebook.com/furniturefixitwa

If you have ideas and suggestions, want to volunteer, or have any other questions, email Xenia at xenia@zerowastewashington.org

Climate Pledge Arena is the first arena and NHL Team to announce an intention to eliminate single-use plastics, which they are committed to being 100% free of by 2024

In partnership with the Seattle Good Business Network, we invite you to the PreCycle Innovation Summit on May 23, 11-3 (virtual). You will learn about exciting new businesses in Washington advancing Washington’s circular economy. Hear the details about the new sustainability features at the Climate Pledge Arena. Worried about how we are going to get enough batteries for EVs and other energy storage, find out about Graphite One/Lab 4’s proposed battery recycling facility in Washington.

The Pacific NW is full of entrepreneurs, researchers, and agencies who are helping lead the nation with their innovative ideas to reduce waste and create a circular economy.

Presenters include:

• Brianna Treat, Manager of Transportation and Sustainability, Climate Pledge Arena: Cutting edge sustainability features supporting Kraken, Storm, musicians and fans.
• Ian Flint, Co-Founder, Zero Energy Water: Graphite One and Lab 4 Inc. new Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant
• Toby Levey, Forterra VP of Real Estate Transactions: Darrington Wood Innovation Center which will demonstrate use of low-value biomass for cross laminated timber manufacturing and bioenergy feedstock.
• Industrial Symbiosis Panel (moderated by Rob Duff, Dept. of Commerce)
  • Manuel Garcia-Perez, Professor of Biomass Conversion and Bio-products, Washington State University: Testing biochar as a filtration medium to reduce odors from compost at commercial scale facilities
  • Steve Worley, Pasco Public Works Director:  Testing algae as a nitrogen removal method would work for the City’s Process Water Reuse Facility.
• Lux Gypsum and Shabazz Abdulkadir, The Giving Room Project: A new mutual aid initiative that helps neighbors easily give and receive gently-used clothing and household staples
• Evan Maynard, Founder, Gearhouse: A new model for access to outdoor gear
• A panel of agency leaders talking about their vision and challenges
• And more…

Innovation Summit registration

The innovation summit is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link. If you are unable to attend on the 23^rd, please register so you can receive the recordings of the individual presentations afterward in a follow-up email. Register here: https://precycle2022.bpt.me

Innovation Challenge finals

The summit coincides with the 2022 PreCycle Innovation Challenge finals. The challenge is a competition for business start-up and student teams which developed business plans and pitches. Two-minute videos from the 5 finalist teams (in both tracks) will be presented during the Summit. The teams will briefly answer questions from a live panel of judges and the final event of the day will be the awarding of honors by the judge team. These top team presentations (videos) are the inspiring culmination of the effort of 27 teams that participated in a six week program which included mentoring and technical workshops. Winning teams will receive cash prizes.

Team are also invited to apply to a partner NextCycle Washington program, which starts in June. NextCycle Washington supports businesses, community-based organizations, and individuals with circular businesses or projects impacting Washington State by providing mentoring, networking, and access to funding pathways. To find ways to get involved and support NextCycle Washington fill out this form.

Thank you to the sponsors!

Looking forward to seeing you on May 23!

For any questions and suggestions, please contact Xenia Dolovova at Xenia@zerowastewashington.org.

COVID-19 changed our world, but it hasn’t changed Zero Waste Washington’s commitment to tackle the tough waste, recycling, plastics, and consumption issues here in Washington, together with all of our members and partners.

GiveBIG is our region’s largest 48 hour online giving event celebrating community and our collective generosity. Donate now and double your impact. Donations to Zero Waste Washington are being matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000 thanks to a gift from a generous donor.

Zero Waste Washington’s work to drive policy to protect the health of our planet and all of its communities is more important than ever, and we ask that you show your support by scheduling a donation now! You can now schedule your GiveBIG gift ahead of time by clicking this link.

Thank you so much for your GiveBIG gift for Zero Waste Washington and other nonprofits working to help the earth and all of humanity.

By Kami Bruner, Waste Reduction Program Manager

Over the years, have you managed to accumulate a bunch of stuff? Maybe you’ve acquired new items, or, like me, you’re a huge fan of free tables and stuff swaps! If you’ve found yourself with too many inanimate houseguests who don’t seem to realize that the welcome mat was rolled up many moons ago.

The Rush of Conquest

Some years back, I read a piece in Adbusters magazine about the bottomless pit of acquisition. Its message, in short:

As long as your happiness is predicated on consumption, that happiness will be intrinsically

short-lived – the high inevitably wearing off almost as soon as your transaction is complete.

Rush. Crash. Rush. Crash…in endless cycle – no amount of acquisition ever filling the hole! Ouch! But also, a revelation, perhaps even a sense of liberation?

It dawned on me that it was often the beautifully curated shopping environment that really lured me in, rather than the specific item itself. Turns out, I was (and still am) a sucker for a good display – especially if there’s good lighting and glitter involved. I decided maybe I’d attempt to practice a stance of “appreciation, not acquisition.” Instead of bringing all the pretty things home with me, I’d try to admire them where they were – more like an art museum experience.

The easy-out of “I’ll just donate it!” has long been a guilt-salving panacea for our consciences, but is actually something of a slow-moving disaster, especially in the wave of pandemic-inspired minimalism (just do a quick search for “donation overload”). De Castro explains the problem in the context of the glut of textile donations which are frequently shipped abroad “often to Africa or Haiti or eastern Europe, where textile skills have been lost because of too much of our rubbish … We’re not donating, we’re dumping.”

Many of our well-intentioned donations are redirected to the landfill due to sheer volume and inability to process.

It’s so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, and yet, sometimes we must

That said, circumstances (and bodies) change. In many cases, items can absolutely be put to better use by someone else. So, if you’ve done a thorough retrospective, we offer targeted ways to maximize success of genuine reuse:

Sell or give away through a “marketplace”

 Clothes and Home Decor

• Poshmark – https://poshmark.com/
• Depop – https://www.depop.com/
• ThredUp – https://www.thredup.com/
• Still White (for Wedding Dresses) – stillwhite.com

 Literally Anything and Everything…going to a person who affirmatively wants your item

• Craigslist – craigslist.org
• FB Marketplace – https://www.facebook.com/
• Let Go – https://we.letgo.com/
• OfferUp – https://offerup.com/
• Ebay – https://www.ebay.com/
• Buy Nothing – http://buynothingproject.org/
• Freecycle – https://www.freecycle.org/
• Trash Nothing – https://trashnothing.com/beta/
• NextDoor – https://nextdoor.com/

Electronics

• InterConnection – https://interconnection.org/
• Decluttr: will give you cash – https://www.decluttr.com/
• Amazon’s trade-in program: will compensate you in Amazon gift cards – https://www.amazon.com/l/9187220011
• SellCell: compares more than forty buyback companies so that you can get the most cash for your cell phone – https://www.sellcell.com/
• Computers with Causes – computerswithcauses.org
• World Computer Exchange – worldcomputerexchange.org

 Building Materials and More

• Habitat ReStores – https://www.habitat.org/restores
• Bellingham ReStore – https://re-store.org/
• Ballard ReUse – https://ballardreuse.com/
• Second Use (with locations in Seattle and Tacoma) – ​​https://www.seconduse.com/
• EarthWise Architectural Salvage – https://ewsalvage.com/
• Skagit Building Salvage – https://www.usedbuildingmaterials.com/
• Overstock Builders’ Surplus – https://sites.google.com/view/obdepot/
• Ugly Duck – https://www.theuglyduckwarehouse.com/
• Waste Not Want Not, Port Townsend (no website but accepts, and thus has, a little bit of everything)

Baby Gear

So many local options for consignment, like Small Threads for Kids, Childish Things, My Three Little Birds, or online:

• RebelStork – https://rebelstork.com/
• WeePea – https://weepea.com/
• Good Buy Gear – https://goodbuygear.com/

Local Take It or Leave Its

• 

  Credit: www.lopezsolidwaste.org/post/take-it-or-leave-it-to-reopen-soon

  Methow Recycles – http://methowrecycles.org/index.php/reuse-it/

• Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District – https://www.lopezsolidwaste.org/take-it-or-leave-it

Creative-reuse centers – bits and bobs for kids, crafters, and the artistically inclined:

• Seattle ReCreative – http://www.seattlerecreative.org/
• Tinkertopia, Tacoma – https://tinkertopia.com/
• Art Salvage, Spokane – https://www.artsalvagespokane.com/

 Niche Donations

 Old blankets, towels, sheets, bed pillows, and rugs: check with your local animal shelter as these items can become comforting bedding for shelter animals

Corks: find a dropbox for one of these orgs. at a market near you

• Recork https://recork.com/us/locations
• Cork Forest Conservation Alliance – corkforest.org

Mascara wands: the nonprofit Wands for Wildlife uses them to clean the wings and fur of rescued animals www.wandsforwildlife.org

Fur coats:

• Coats for Cubs works with wildlife rehabilitators across the US to repurpose fur items into bedding and more for injured and orphaned animals. https://coatsforcubs.org/wildlife-rehabilitator-info
• PETA will donate your old furs to agencies working with unhoused persons and to refugees sheltering in cold climates https://www.peta.org/donate/ways-to-support-peta/gifts-of-property/donate-fur/

Greetings Cards: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children https://stjudesranch.org/recycled-card-program

Pianos: Piano Adoption www.pianoadoption.com/free-pianos

Bras: Bra Recyclers https://www.brarecycling.com/

Problem Items

 Mattresses: The bad news is – most organizations do not accept mattresses for reuse due to health and safety concerns. The good news is that, on average, 90% of a mattress is recyclable. If you don’t want to deconstruct your own mattress and turn it into pet beds, throw pillows, or packing material for a move, there are organizations who will recycle it for a fee.

• Locally, Northwest Furniture Bank is an option https://www.nwfurniturebank.org/mattress-recycling

Bulky Items

• Junkluggers – promises “donate first, recycle second” – hauling away your heavy items, doing their utmost to find a charity in need of specific items before recycling what remains. junkluggers.com
• Donation Town – enables you to search for charities nationwide that pick up in your area Donationtown.org

Curb Score!

Finally, there’s always the curb. From Nashville to New Orleans, to Los Angeles, and now Seattle, I’ve found some of my favorite items on city curbs – and let a few things go too. Just be mindful of your neighbors, rain, and your item’s tenure on said curb.

Do you have other ideas?

Please email and let us know, so we can add them to the list.

Credits:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/02/28/a-guide-to-getting-rid-of-almost-everything-decluttering

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/feb/24/feed-your-moths-and-hide-your-trousers-the-expert-guide-to-making-clothes-last-for-ever

Kami, originally from Tennessee, enjoys exploring our local zero waste options. For local zero waste efforts, check out Zero Waste Washington’s list of zero waste and bulk stores around the state.

You are invited to the Washington Litter Summit, which will be virtual, on the afternoon of July 19 and morning of July 20. This educational event is designed for government employees, non-profit staff, community leaders and public officials working on solutions to address litter-related problems in Washington State. The goal is to share technical, solution-oriented strategies, resources, policies, success stories and innovation to turn the tide on litter. The summit seeks to highlight and discuss policy, funding, behavior change, communications, innovative programs and other strategies to address this growing issue. This event will also be an opportunity to develop partnerships and future actions.

The agenda is under development. The plan is to include four sessions around the general themes of: Homeless encampments, Prevention/Messaging, Policy/Programs/Best Practices and Cleanup/New Technologies. The keynote presenters are: Jeff Kirschner (Founder & CEO of Litterati) talking about their data-driven approach in communities across the US to address the problem and Nancy Lee (Founder and President of Social Marketing Services) talking about her research work with Ecology related to social marketing to address litter reduction.

What:         Washington Litter Summit

When:        July 19, 2022 (12-3:30 pm) – July 20 (9-12 am)

Register:    Sign up for this free event here: https://bpt.me/5363529

On April 1st, our outreach and education coordinator Ashley Whitley was recognized as a Starbucks Community Star at the Kraken’s game at Climate Pledge Arena. Ashley was recognized for her work in the South Park community with the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps in collaboration with the Duwamish River Community Coalition. She was joined by Zero Waste Washington staff and board members, her family, and the youth corps.

A video highlighting litter cleanups and activities with the youth played on the big screen to the sold out stadium before Ashley received her Starbucks Kraken jersey. It was an amazing night celebrating Ashley and the youth

Join our team!  We have fun!

We are seeking our Development Coordinator. Part time or full time. Click here.