Judging by the response to the Department of Public Works recycling survey, there is a great deal of interest in recycling and waste reduction in Mariposa County. About 250 surveys have been returned so far, many with helpful comments and suggestions. If you haven’t had the opportunity to complete one yet, please pick one up the next time you go to the recycling center, the landfill or a transfer station. They are also available at the Mariposa Library, the agricultural commission office and the public works office. The survey is attached to a small flier that lists the materials that are recyclable in Mariposa County.
 

A few of you noted that it would be helpful if the cardboard recycling area was moved up to the asphalt at the main recycling area. This is in the works. I can’t give you an exact date when it will happen, but it will be soon.

We have also been getting a lot of questions about dates for the next tire amnesty and household hazardous waste (HHW) collections. As you may, or may not, know, Merced is no longer assisting us with the HHW events and we are currently seeking a new sponsor. However, we are planning to hold both a HHW collection and a tire collection later in the year. I’ll keep you updated.
 

A number of people have also suggested that the County provide free recycling bins for individuals. I have been researching bins and discovered that they are quite expensive ($8 for a 15”x12”x8” is typical). Prices are not much better for cardboard bins. Businesses, schools and government offices can order a free container from the California Department of Conservation online at www.bottlesandcans.com. Click on “starter kit” at the bottom of the page and you will be sent to a simple application form.
 

     Other options include cardboard boxes, trash cans and paper or plastic bags. I have been recycling for 25 years and never used a recycling bin except when I lived in Massachusetts and had curbside recycling. As it turned out, the bins weren’t big enough to hold everything, so I ended up putting my recyclables in bags and boxes, anyway.
 

     Plastic bags—shopping bags and trash bags—continue to be a big problem in the composting facility. Reusable fabric or plastic fiber shopping bags are a better choice and are available for about $1.00 at many stores, including locally at 49er Supermarket and Pioneer Market. If you do use plastic shopping bags, please be sure to recycle them in the bins that are provided for customers at larger stores.  According to state law, supermarkets that have more than $2 million in annual sales and retail establishments that have licensed pharmacies and are larger than 10,000 square feet and that provide plastic bags for their customers must also provide recycling bins, as well as keep track of the number of plastic bags bought and recycled. Locally, both Pioneer Market and RiteAid provide recycling bins for plastic shopping bags.
 

    When you leave any kind of plastic bag in the composting facility with your trash, it ends up in the landfill. Plastic trash bags are ripped open and the contents removed. The bags, themselves, cannot be recycled because they are considered to be contaminated. One solution is to empty your trash loose into a trash can, which can then be dumped on the tipping floor, and then hose out the can when you get home. This not only reduces the amount of plastic going into the landfill, but also saves wear and tear on equipment. If you don’t compost your kitchen waste, put it into a small plastic bag or, better yet, biodegradable bag, or, if you have room in your freezer, put it into a freezable, reusable container, freeze it and throw it (minus the container) directly into your trash can on trash day.

     This might sound like a lot of work but, like anything else, once you do it a few times, it becomes a habit. Unlike some habits, however, this is one you won’t have to feel guilty about.

Karen Dusek

The Waste Line

209-966-5165
kdusek@mariposacounty.org

Lorna Pollock’s tin can sculptures were a big hit among those attending the Earth Day Open House at the Mariposa County Composting Facility on April 26.