As a direct result of our efforts in developing the world's first zero waste golf course. we are seeing positive change in our local community.
When I first pitched zero waste to our golf superintendent, Josh Heptig, I pointed out that there were no recycle containers on the entire golf course property. Josh explained to me how the maintenance staff sorted the waste stream behind the scenes. Seemed reasonable, and we went on to other topics of zero waste discussion.
One of our first major zero waste partners, Bill Worrell of San Luis Obispo County's Integrated Waste Management Authority, who donated our two vessel composters, looked around the county and realized that NONE of the other golf courses had adequate recycle containers. So, Bill Worrell applied for a $220,000 grant from CalRecycle, got the money and is purchasing all new containers for every course in the county. That's 200,000 examples of how simple actions inspire change.
When my two friends and I started our environmental club, our first project was to host the waste management at Morro Bay's 2008 Harbor Festival. We promoted zero waste by sorting out compostables, reusables and recyclables from the festival waste stream. We constructed ZerO Waste Stations constructing plywood panels into three sided towers which gave us signage opportunities around which to place the various containers. We hosted the stations to offer information and assistance with the festival crowds. Today, almost every major event in the county utilizes similar hosted zero waste stations. A local Eco-Rotary club has adopted zero waste event management as a pillar of their club constitution, and do dozens of events every year since they chartered their club.
Simple actions inspire change.
Every step along the way of developing the ZerO Waste Park at Dairy Creek has been a very easy one. We never really did much, except a little politicing, a little carpentry, a little digging, etc....but the results or our efforts are beginning to show themselves as greater than that which inspired them. It's very satisfying to see that ones simple local actions can really inspire greater change in our global community.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Zero waste is all about sorting.
In today's increasing environmental awareness, sorting our waste streams into recyclables, reusables, compostables (and some trash) is a skill we all strive to perfect in our quest for zero waste. It's the same at Dairy Creek Zero Waste Park, where we all work together to reduce the amount of contamination in the sorted catagories.
We have organized our clubhouse compost, recycle and trash recepticles and placed signage instructing golfers and course staff where to place the various items we expect to generate on site. Sometimes unspecified items come in from offsite or confused depositors put the wrong items in the wrong can. That's OK, When we empty the cans, we sort again to fish recyclables out of the trash can, and trash or compost out of the recyclables.
The food waste is often contaminated as well. What we encounter in the food wastes we get from the kitchen is plastic wraps, straws, rubber gloves, aluminum foil and little plastic dipping sauce cups. We fish the plastic out of the food wastes as we load it into the compost vessel. Sometimes we miss some plastic and we just keep picking it out of the composter or finally, out of the finished compost before it's used on the course.
Sorting and processing is what we're all tasked to do, whether at work or at home. No longer can we leave it all up to someone else to unwrap the stinking sandwich from the plastic wrap before we throw it in the trash. Take a minute and unwrap it and throw the plastic in the reclycler and the sandwich in the compost, OK? If we really care about the local or global environment, we should all take a minute more to sort or process any waste products with which we come into contact.
In our municipality, we have special material recovery facilities at the landfill site that have expert workers and automated sorting technologies to recover all recyclables. I always tell visitors to the zero waste park that when there's a question as to whether something is recyclable or not, put it in the recycle bin because the experts and machines have the last look.
Please sort responsibly.
We have organized our clubhouse compost, recycle and trash recepticles and placed signage instructing golfers and course staff where to place the various items we expect to generate on site. Sometimes unspecified items come in from offsite or confused depositors put the wrong items in the wrong can. That's OK, When we empty the cans, we sort again to fish recyclables out of the trash can, and trash or compost out of the recyclables.
The food waste is often contaminated as well. What we encounter in the food wastes we get from the kitchen is plastic wraps, straws, rubber gloves, aluminum foil and little plastic dipping sauce cups. We fish the plastic out of the food wastes as we load it into the compost vessel. Sometimes we miss some plastic and we just keep picking it out of the composter or finally, out of the finished compost before it's used on the course.
Sorting and processing is what we're all tasked to do, whether at work or at home. No longer can we leave it all up to someone else to unwrap the stinking sandwich from the plastic wrap before we throw it in the trash. Take a minute and unwrap it and throw the plastic in the reclycler and the sandwich in the compost, OK? If we really care about the local or global environment, we should all take a minute more to sort or process any waste products with which we come into contact.
In our municipality, we have special material recovery facilities at the landfill site that have expert workers and automated sorting technologies to recover all recyclables. I always tell visitors to the zero waste park that when there's a question as to whether something is recyclable or not, put it in the recycle bin because the experts and machines have the last look.
Please sort responsibly.
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