You are here: Home
Adelanto | Apple Valley | Barstow | Big Bear Lake | Colton | Fontana | Grand Terrace | Hesperia | Highland | Loma Linda | Rialto | San Bernardino County | Twentynine Palms | Victorville | Yucaipa | Yucca Valley

Zero Waste Communities of San Bernadino County

Pare Down The Packaging

REDUCE

 

Pare Down the Packaging

Did you know that up to one out of every $11 you spend at the store pays for packaging? Also, when all packaging is accounted for, it adds up to about one-third of all the trash that's thrown away in the United States.

1) When practical, buy in bulk

Large families or high product consumption levels support buying in bulk when practical. Products packaged in bulk produce less packaging waste. For example, purchase 48 ounces of applesauce in a large glass jar instead of buying individual four-ounce containers packaged in plastic cups with foil lids that come in packages of six.

2) Choose reusable or recyclable packages

Be familiar with your community's recycling program, and pick products with containers that can be recycled.

3) Avoid excessive packaging

You can pay up to 45 percent more when you buy a product, like fruit or vegetables that has already been cut up, packaged on a plastic tray, and then shrink-wrapped. Buying the whole fruit or vegetable is cheaper, and you come home with less packaging to throw away.

Consider buying produce from your local farmer's market and you can cut down on packaging, transportation costs and grocery price markups. Check out Local Harvest for a market times and locations close to you.

Look for items you can buy as concentrates or "refills." Fabric softener is a prime example, especially if you already have a plastic container for liquid fabric softener, buy a refill container at the store and reuse your original container. Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings will quickly decompose, returning valuable nutrients to the soil.

Paper Problems

REDUCE

 

Paper Problems

Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12-foot high wall stretching from New York to San Francisco that's 10,000 or so sheets per person!

Re-Subscribe

The computer can be your one-stop source for all catalogs and bills! Most stores, companies and banks provide completely paper-free options (and why wouldn't they its saves them money, too!). Visit their sites, setup a personal account and put an end to the paper pileup.

Read All About it Online

National and local magazines and newspapers have also gone virtual to both cut down on costs and create a constant flow on updated information. Visit the San Bernardino Sun for all local updates and archives.

Cut the Junk (Mail)

The best way to reduce junk mail is to stop it at the source. Imagine a day when you go to your mailbox and it is no longer filled with unsolicited mail, catalogs, credit card applications, and advertisements for things you don't need! Taking some time now to make a few telephone calls or write a note will save you a lot of time sorting through your daily mail, along with reducing the amount of paper arriving at your doorstep.

Click Here to find out how to reduce your junk mail

Remove Names From Databases

The businesses listed below sell your name and address to junk mailers. Write or call the following to request that your name and address be removed from their lists. When writing your request, be sure to include your name (and any variations), address and signature; it may take a few weeks to see the reduction, but it is certainly worth the time.

TransUnion LLC�s
TransUnion LLC's Name Removal Option
P. O. Box 97328
Jackson, MS 39288-7328
1-888-5-OPTOUT
1-888-567-8688

Direct Marketing Assoc.
Mail Preference Service
P. O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 15012-0643

Experian
Attn: Consumer Services Department
901 West Bond
Lincoln, NB 68521

Haines & Co.
Criss-Cross Directory
2382 E. Walnut Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92631
1-800-843-8452

 

Other Resources

The following groups are organized specifically to reduce junk mail.

Stop Junk Mail Association
3020 Bridgeway, Suite 150
Sausalito, CA 95965
1-800-827-5549

Junkbusters Corp
PO Box 7034
Green Brook, NJ 08812
908-753-7861

Stop The Junk Mail
Consumer Research Institute
103 Dryden Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850

The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide
Obviously.com

*This list is provided as public service and is not an endorsement of these companies or their services. Zero Waste Communities is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this listing.

Special thanks to Riverside County Waste Management Department for providing information for this page.


Tips For The Office

TIPS FOR THE OFFICE

 
  • Turn equipment and lights off after hours or when not in use. Replace old fluorescent lighting with more efficient lighting.
  • Choose Energy Star products whenever possible.
  • Set energy-saving features on all your office equipment to put them into sleep mode when not in use.
  • Set the printer or copier to double-sided printing; reuse the blank side of drafts to print in-house materials.
  • Conduct an energy audit. The results will provide suggestions on ways to save energy and reduce costs at your business.
  • Use laptop computers and inkjet printers, since they use 90% less energy than a standard computer and laser printer.
  • Keep windows and doors closed to prevent loss of cooled air.
  • Encourage communications by email and read emails onscreen to determine whether it's necessary to print them. If it's not, don't.
  • Fix leaky faucets.
  • Find a supply of paper with maximum recycled content.
  • Provide recycle receptacles at your work for employees to use.
  • Before deciding whether you need to purchase new office furniture, see if your existing furniture can be refurbished. If not, consider purchasing office furniture from companies that make furniture from recycled materials.
  • Encourage and reward alternative commuting (carpooling, biking, walking, mass transit, and telecommuting).
  • Keep thermostats at 78 degrees during work hours and at 85 degrees after hours.
  • Minimize travel distance for attendees by holding meetings via teleconference and videoconference.
  • Donate old or obsolete electronics to www.greenerchoices.org/electronicsrecycling.
  • Educate employees about recycling and encourage recycling participation through incentives.
  • Encourage employees to use a mug or glass cup. This saves disposable cups from being thrown away.

Build Green

Visit our Rethink section for information reducing solid waste through green building and construction.


Small Business Waste

SMALL BUSINESS WASTE

 



Businesses that generate no more than 27 gallons or 220 pounds or 2.2 pounds of extremely hazardous waste per month can participate in San Bernardino County's "Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators" (CESQGs) program.

For a small fee, trained San Bernardino County Fire Department staff will assist small businesses with proper labeling and disposal of hazardous waste. Painters, auto shops, builders, and banks engaging in cleaning out foreclosed homes are just a few of the businesses that use this service.

Small generators of hazardous waste often find it difficult to dispose of their limited amounts of hazardous. One reason is that many hazardous waste companies set a minimum amount of waste they'll pick up or charge a minimum fee for their services. This becomes an economic burden for businesses and can prompt some to improperly store hazardous waste, or worse, dispose of it illegally.

The CESQG program helps protect the environment by providing these small hazardous waste producers with a low-cost disposal service.

 

For more information, please visit San Bernardino County's Small Business Hazardous Waste or contact County Fire at 1-800-OILY-CAT(645-9228).

What Can I Recycle?

Visit our Recycle section to see which everyday items you can recycle here in San Bernardino County.

Rethink

RETHINK


 

 
 

Zero waste isn't just about recycling, it's about being conscious of your lifestyle and how it affects your health, your community and your environment. This full-circle approach to smarter consumption means that every step along the way makes a difference.

Go Beyond the 3 "R's"

The California Integrated Waste Management Board's (CIWMB) has excellent resources for taking your reducing, reusing and recycling approach a step further.

Visit the Waste Prevention Information Exchange to get inspiration from fellow Californians and contribute your own eco-thoughts.


Recycle

RECYCLE

 

 

When we recycle, used materials are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources. If used materials are not recycled, new products are made by extracting fresh, raw material from the Earth, through mining and forestry. Recycling helps conserve important raw materials and protects natural habitats for the future.


Why Recycle

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable, which goes well beyond what you toss in your recycling bin at home, at the office or at school.

  1. Recycling keeps valuable material such as aluminum and paper out of landfills, so this material can be reused in other forms and not wasted.
  2. Recycling prevents hazardous materials and chemicals such as lead and mercury from ending up in landfills, which can contaminate soil and leach into our drinking water.

 

A LOOK INTO THE PAST:
The EPA reports that 20 years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the entire country.


Reuse

REUSE

 

 

While recycling is an excellent way to reduce how much waste ends up in a landfill, it can be an energy-intensive process that produces lower-quality or "downcycled" goods, especially plastics. Reusing items is an essential step because it is often what makes reduction possible, while eliminating unnecessary recycling. Making a commitment to reuse will not only save you time, but also money and the planet's resources.

Hold Your Own

Beverage containers

My Sigg has unique designs to show off your eco-individuality anywhere you go. Made from a single piece of aluminum, the bottles are rugged, crack-resistant and completely reusable and recyclable for water, juice or any liquids.

 

 

 

Coffee mugs

Next time you crave a convenient coffee, remember to bring a reusable mug to your corner café. Think of the amount materials used for one coffee cup: one paper cup with plastic lining, a plastic top, a cardboard sleeve and a stirrer---it can really add up! You can purchase a traveler's mug at most coffee shops including Starbucks. Some shops even give a small discount for being eco-responsible.

Shopping bags

For any type of shopping, opt to carry the items without a bag (which will also cut down on the amount you buy). For grocery and drugstore visits, bring backpacks, canvas bags or anything reusable with you to avoid the plastic and paper pile-up.Visit plasticdebris.org and find out more information about how plastic bags are choking our oceans.


Reduce

REDUCE

 

 

One of the easiest ways to be a good environmental citizen is to reduce, or cut back, in key areas of your life. Communities as well as individuals are always looking for new ways to address reduction in areas such as solid waste, energy and water. The most common form is found in household waste and recycling.

Paper Problems

Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12-foot high wall stretching from New York to San Francisco-that's 10,000 or so sheets per person!

Re-Subscribe

The computer can be your one-stop source for all catalogs and bills! Most stores, companies and banks provide completely paper-free options (and why wouldn't they-its saves them money, too!). Visit their sites, setup a personal account and put an end to the paper pileup.

Read All About it.Online

National and local magazines and newspapers have also gone virtual to both cut down on costs and create a constant flow on updated information. Visit the San Bernardino Sun for all local updates and archives.

Cut the Junk (Mail)

The best way to reduce junk mail is to stop it at the source. Imagine a day when you go to your mailbox and it is no longer filled with unsolicited mail, catalogs, credit card applications, and advertisements for things you don't need! Taking some time now to make a few telephone calls or write a note will save you a lot of time sorting through your daily mail, along with reducing the amount of paper arriving at your doorstep.

Click Here to find out how to reduce your junk mail

Remove Names From Databases

The businesses listed below sell your name and address to junk mailers. Write or call the following to request that your name and address be removed from their lists. When writing your request, be sure to include your name (and any variations), address and signature; it may take a few weeks to see the reduction, but it is certainly worth the time.

TransUnion LLC's
TransUnion LLC's Name Removal Option
P. O. Box 97328
Jackson, MS 39288-7328
1-888-5-OPTOUT
1-888-567-8688
 Direct Marketing Assoc.
Mail Preference Service
P. O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 15012-0643
 
Experian
Attn: Consumer Services Department
901 West Bond
Lincoln, NB 68521
 Haines & Co.
Criss-Cross Directory
2382 E. Walnut Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92631
1-800-843-8452

Other Resources

The following groups are organized specifically to reduce junk mail.

Stop Junk Mail Association
3020 Bridgeway, Suite 150
Sausalito, CA 95965
1-800-827-5549
 Junkbusters Corp
PO Box 7034
Green Brook, NJ 08812
908-753-7861
Stop The Junk Mail
Consumer Research Institute
103 Dryden Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide
Obviously.com

*This list is provided as public service and is not an endorsement of these companies or their services. Zero Waste Communities is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this listing.

Special thanks to Riverside County Waste Management Department for providing information for this page.


Page 9 of 11