Below are questions and answers that were posed in our Getting Real About Plastics and Recycling Webinar. CEC staff and webinar panelists have endeavored to answer these questions to the best of our ability and have provided additional resources for you to dig deeper into topics discussed. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact Kathi King, Director of Outreach and Education at CEC or Penny Owens, Education and Community Outreach Director at Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. Did you miss this webinar? Watch it here.  

Recycling

  Question: How do we know what is and is not recyclable in Santa Barbara? Answer: Every city and county has different guidelines for what can and cannot be recycled. We recommend visiting your region’s city and county waste sites for more information. Here are a few resources for our region:

• Review MarBorg Industries’ website for information on how to dispose of anything – and stay tuned for details on how to handle mattresses and bulky items. If you have questions, contact Customer Service at (805) 963-1852 or Sarah Stark at sstark@marborg.com.
• Visit the City of Santa Barbara’s Trash & Recycling website for information on trash and recycling services and waste reduction ordinances. If you have questions, contact Hillary Allen at HAllen@santabarbaraca.gov.
• Check out the County of Santa Barbara’s Less Is More website for waste reduction resources and to learn more about hazardous waste, electronics recycling, home composting, and much more.

  Q: Do I need to pay attention to the numbers on plastic items? A: Ignore the numbers on your plastic items – those were never meant for public consumption and are used by plastic manufacturers to identify the type of plastic used. See the resources listed above for what can and cannot be recycled in our region.   Q: How do I identify which types of plastics can be recycled? A: Visit MarBorg Industries’ website and click on “plastics” for information on what types of plastics can and cannot be recycled, including bottle caps, plastics used to store food, laundry detergent bottles, styrofoam and other common items.   Q: How do I recycle odd items, like water filters, ballpoint pens, etc? A: Reach out to the company that made or sold the item to you to find out if there is a recycle program for that item. Oftentimes, there is. TerraCycle also offers a Zero Waste Box which allows you to recycle almost any type of waste, from your coffee capsules to complex laboratory waste (there might be a charge for this).   Q: Are single use bags and other film plastics that cannot be placed in my blue bin recyclable? A: Film plastic is any type of plastic that can fold easily in your hands: plastic bags, bubble wrap, cling wrap, etc. Ablitt’s is no longer accepting film plastic drop-offs in their lobby, but you can make an appointment when they have a designated drop-off day. Email sales@ablitts.com to request to receive information about upcoming dates. Learn more about plastic film recycling on CEC’s website or Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s website.   Q: Are consumers doing a good job of sorting their recyclables? I heard that if we do not sort our blue bins correctly, those mixed recyclables usually end up in the landfill. A: About 60% of what goes into the landfill currently should not go there at all. From that 60%, half is recyclable and half is compostable. The Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division is actively trying to tackle this issue and reduce the amount of recyclables and compostables that go into the landfill.   Q: Why don’t we partner with companies like Terracycle to recycle hard to use plastics? A: There are some programs like that, but it does require having a bin to collect it and then to send it to them – and there is a charge for their collection bin and the mailing. There is also a lot of energy used to transport the materials to them.   Q: Can I tour the Tajiguas Landfill? A: The County of Santa Barbara does give great tours of the landfill, but not at the moment due to COVID-19. Check out www.lessimore.org for more information.   Q: Do the local agencies work cooperatively to accept the same thing? A: They do if they are contracted with the same landfill or transfer station.  

Plastic Use Reduction

Q: How can you reduce your plastic use at the grocery store while also keeping your produce clean and protected from the germs on the check out conveyor belt? A: Bring your own reusable bags, produce cartons or containers for loose items – and wash them when you get home.   Q: I read that reusable bags are actually ultimately worse for the environment (resources and energy used to produce, etc). What guidelines should we follow for building our reusable product inventories? A: Well let’s be careful with that statement! Organic cotton bags need to be used 100+ times before they become better for the planet than plastic. Continue to use your reusable bags but make sure to be mindful about purchasing more bags. I know a lot of companies give out bags as gifts.   Q: What happens to all the dog poop picked up with plastic bags – are they recyclable? A: A plastic bag that contains dog poop is not recyclable and must be put in the trash. Unfortunately, using compostable dog poop bags is actually worse for the environment than plastic bags since the compostable bags emit methane in the landfill. Here’s a tip: Reuse a plastic bag you already have (bread bags, etc) a second time for dog poop collection.   Q: Why not work towards replacing plastic film packaging with old fashioned cellophane or waxed paper? A: Cellophane is also petroleum based and non-recyclable. Wax paper (especially the cloth-based reusable kind) is definitely better but not as user-friendly which is likely why it has lost its popularity. We are open to lots of reusable options, but one that we like is Stasher – a reusable zip lock style bag made of food grade silicone.   Q: How do we get more people in our community interested in upcycling and pre-cycling? A: We welcome ideas but we are most interested in source reduction – not using these items in the first place will reduce pollution, especially for the underserved communities who bear the burden of living near extraction and manufacturing.   Q: In our Homeowner’s Association, the board cannot get residents to pay close attention to what they put in the recycle bins. I make signs and put them on the bins, but I don’t think everyone is reading the signs or paying attention to what they can and cannot put in the bins. What can I do? A: Getting everyone on the same page can be tough. We suggest scheduling a presentation by one of our speakers at an upcoming meeting – virtually on zoom or in person once those meetings are possible again. Recycling is less expensive than trash so it behooves everyone to recycle as much as possible to keep costs down. Framing it economically might help encourage people to recycle more thoughtfully.  

Policy

  Q: Is there a reason a more uniform plastic is not used for everything? A: Plastic is used for so many different types of items that uniformity would be very difficult.  Some items need to be flexible (i.e. water bottles) while others need to be rigid to hold heavy items (like food trays). The manufacturers don’t have any incentive to move toward uniformity since they are currently not responsible for disposal.   Q: Why is there a disconnect with regulation and downstream waste management? Why are restaurants required to use biodegradable material if we have no proper way to dispose of them? A: Pressure should be applied to companies to accept responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products. We’re not aware that restaurants are required to use biodegradable/compostable products unless in a jurisdiction (i.e. Berkeley) with residential food scrap collection.   Q: There are restaurants in Carpinteria stating they will lose their license if we use our own containers or bags. What can the consumer do about this? A: You can let them know that there are no such regulations. As of January 1, 2020, new law AB619 makes it easier for people to bring their own containers to restaurants. However, during COVID-19, it is understandable that restaurants are being cautious. One suggestion is to ask them to plate your food (on a real plate) and transfer it to your reusable container yourself. You can also ask the cashier at the grocery store to put your items back in the cart for you to bag outside the store.  When I see that restaurants that I like or stores where I shop are returning to reusable food ware and allowing reusable bags again, I make sure to give them positive feedback.   Q: Why don’t we make it illegal to produce packaging that is not recyclable? A: That is the goal of the bills we outlined in the webinar – it will take a lot of political will for that to happen, but your action can help:

• Support the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 – sign here.
• Help ensure the groundbreaking California Recycling and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act has enough signatures to qualify for the statewide ballot – sign here.
• Demand that Amazon stop polluting our planet with single use plastic pollution – sign here – and opt to bundle all your purchases to arrive together to reduce the footprint of your transactions.

  Q: Why do we not have a national recycling law in the United States? A: The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 addresses that issue at the federal level. Trash collection has historically been up to local jurisdictions since geographical regions (desert/forest) influence waste management decisions.   Q: Do you know of any national referendum to reduce the types of plastics used by U.S. companies and require recyclable plastic? A: Yes, it’s the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 that we talked about briefly in the webinar. It will take a lot of political will for it to pass.   Q: Changing utensils to biodegradables makes no sense if we don’t have a proper way to dispose of them. The lack of recycling due to a lack of secondary market isn’t an excuse to not recycle. Companies like Terracyle have proven this. Why don’t we partner with them to recycle all our plastics? How do we address that problem at the small local level? A: Action that we take locally can translate into greater action. We saw that with 200 bag regulations that led to statewide action on bags. We are using so much plastic that it’s too much for one company to manage. Companies like Terracycle are providing a niche service that requires people to mail them their items so there is added energy needed to transport our recyclables to them. As it is, we do not reclaim the energy used to create these items in the recycling process, even if it’s local. And, as we mentioned in the webinar, extracting the oil and manufacturing it into plastic also takes a lot of energy and often takes place in underserved communities where the pollution is making people sick.   Q: News reports say overseas (China, SE Asia) are no longer taking our recyclables. Now what? A: We need to rely more on reusable items. China’s acceptance of our plastic waste was mostly a mirage, since they either burned, landfilled or allowed a great deal of it to get into the environment.   Q: Does CEC foresee that one day we might eliminate the need for landfills? A: Landfills are unlikely to be eliminated but they can certainly be improved. The new ReSource Center scheduled to open at our landfill early next year is supposed to pull recyclables and organics from trash, increasing our recycling rate and turning the organic material into energy that will power several thousand homes.  

COVID-19 and Plastic

  Q: Has COVID-19 led to people using more single use plastics? Is there any way around this now, and in the future? A: COVID has led to increased use of single use plastics. You can read more about this issue in our blog. We encourage you to ask your local grocery store to start accepting reusable bags again if they are not already – and request reusables whenever you can.   Q: Are grocery stores allowing customers to bring in reusable bags during COVID-19? A: Some are and some are not. Tri-County Produce has allowed reusable bags during the pandemic and others are starting to allow them again. Ask your local grocer and encourage them to consider allowing reusable bags again. If your store still does not allow them, ask the cashier to place your items back in your cart and bag them outside of the store in your own bags.   Q: What is the best practice (amount of use, cleaning, disinfecting, etc) for using reusables with COVID? A: There is very little evidence of any surface transmission of COVID-19 – read more about why reusables are considered safe in this article.   Q: It would be helpful if county Public Health would issue a statement regarding reusable bags and regular plates/utensils at restaurants. Many local businesses are following their guidelines. A: That’s a great suggestion. We will pass that on to our contacts at county health. You are welcome to reach out as well – the more they hear from the public, the greater likelihood that they will take action. Read more about the letter signed by over 100 public health professionals about the safety of reusables.   Q: We typically eat in at restaurants to avoid to go containers. During COVID-19, everything is now served in to go containers whether you eat in or take out. Is this a city mandate – or can we put pressure on restaurants to switch back to reusable plates, cups and utensils? A: Using to go containers is not a city mandate and providing feedback to places that you patronize is really important. You can also read or reference this letter signed by over 100 county health professionals emphasizing that reusables are as safe as disposables.   Q: How is CEC working with local and national government officials to help us reduce plastic consumption? How do you maintain a positive attitude? What about greater polluting countries around the world?  A: We are pushing for state bills to reduce plastic production and consumption – and you can too by contacting Assemblymember Limón and Senator Jackson. We have advocated for seven regional bills to limit distribution of single use plastic items. These successes help keep us going even when it seems like an unsolvable problem. Sharing the burden helps too, as does connecting with so many concerned people like we did during the webinar. You can read more about CEC’s #ditchplastic work – and how you can get involved – on our website. Thanks for your support!  

Composting

  Q: Can compostable plastics be recycled? A: Every jurisdiction that has a compost program has different rules. The city and county of Santa Barbara does not accept compostable plastic in their compost; if it looks and feels like plastic, Santa Barbara treats it like plastic and it must go in the trash.   Q: What about biodegradable packing peanuts? A: Great question! They are water soluble and made from natural, nontoxic sources, such as wheat and corn starch. Toss them in your kitchen sink and run water over them until they dissolve. You can also add them to your compost where they will break down quickly.   Q: Is Santa Barbara developing a food scrap program? A: The food scraps “or composting” program is currently only available to commercial customers. The ReSource Center will have an anaerobic digester to help process excess organics and keep them from entering the landfill. Both MarBorg and the County do sell backyard compost bins if you are interested in having one for your personal use.

What’s for lunch? Can I have a snack? Two things every parent will hear and have to plan for all summer long. And with back-to-school only two months away, planning for school lunches is just around the corner. Don’t despair, you’ve got this! With the right tools and some dedicated time to kid-friendly meal prepping, you can make the best kids lunches ever – all year round! When it comes to planning for kids snacks and lunches, food and meal prep is your friend. Taking a few hours once or twice weekly to prepare for the rest of the days of the week will help make lunches stress-free.

With planes grounded, roads clear, emissions slashedand less noise and light pollution, at first it seemed the coronavirus pandemic might have an environmental benefit. But now the temporary respite is over and, as we venture back outside, it is clear that in other ways, things have got worse. Online shopping (with its excess packaging), disposable masks and gloves, the manufacture of visors and screens and an increase in takeaway food and drink have meant a boom in plastic just as people were starting to wake up to its environmental impact. The International Solid Waste Association estimates that single-use plastic has grown by up to 300% in the US. Some of it is necessary for now – the disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) that health and care workers use, for instance – but for the rest of us, if we are to live with this pandemic for the foreseeable future, it’s probably time to get into better habits. Here is some advice from experts.

TRENTON, New Jersey – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has proven indispensable in the wake of COVID-19 but this surge has led to littered PPE flooding streets and marine habitats. To address this unintended public health crisis of potentially hazardous litter, TerraCycle Regulated Waste has launched an easy-to-use recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks through their line of EasyPak Containers. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turn-key solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPack Containers allow property managers to easily recycle used gloves and masks on-site, thereby allowing staff to responsibly dispose of their protective gear instead of tossing items on the ground.

When I first started trying to reduce my waste in 2014, there weren’t many organic, zero waste skin care brands on the market. While the organic skin care market was doing pretty well, I wasn’t enticed by a lot of their packaging. It’s not that they didn’t care about their packaging, but there wasn’t a collective conscious around the dangers of single-use plastics. Consumers weren’t asking for plastic-free and zero waste products so brands weren’t providing them. Thankfully, that has changed! A LOT. In fact, there are so many awesome clean, low-waste, plastic free, sustainable, all-natural, organic skin care brands on the market that I had a really hard time trying to narrow it down to just 20.

If you’re hoping to donate your child’s car seat or crib this year, many thrift stores and retailers likely won’t take it. But throwing it away may not be the best option, either. Some Chicago-area parents say they’ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children’s items because of COVID-19. Most resale shops have for years limited what children’s items they’ll take, but even after reopening in recent weeks, many also have limited donations because of staff shortages. Trashing children’s gear can harm the environment, but to limit face-to-face contact, corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs, which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit, discount or upgraded product. “It stinks (the programs) are closed,” said Tory Andrews, 34, a parent from the Northwest Side who has been trying to give away her child’s car seat. “I don’t understand why they are closed, but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.”

My pup, Polly, became part of the family before I started on my  low waste, eco friendly journey nearly five years ago! And even though I’ve been working to reduce our household waste for years now, I still continue to struggle with zero waste dog care. There are some aspects of low waste pet care that I’m doing an excellent job at (*ahem* zero waste dog treats!) while others I’m on the hunt for the right solution for our family pup even now. I’m hoping this post will maybe help some other dog parents find solutions for sustainable pet care, but also in hunkering down and doing the research, I’d like to find some answers of my own for my sustainable pup. If you have any advice/suggestions, please do share them in the comments section of this post!  

Low Waste Dog Food Ideas

  I’ve been purchasing dog kibble in large bags from the grocery store since I very first adopted my dog Polly! Unfortunately, those bags of dog food tend to be lined with plastic and must be sent to the landfill when empty. So I usually just try to buy the largest bag I can at the store. However, I did a little crowd sourcing in the Tiny Yellow Bungalow Facebook group a few weeks back to hear what other low waste dog food ideas are out there. I have a few friends that make their own dog food from scratch. How cool! I didn’t even consider making homemade dog food as an option. If you do plan to make your own dog food at home, be sure to research before preparing it. You’ll want to make sure your dog has a well balanced diet! Check out this post The Do’s and Don’ts of Homemade Dog Food.   This post contains Amazon affiliate links.   Now, if you are like me, and don’t want to take the time to make dog food in your own kitchen, the next best option I learned about from our Facebook group is a brand called Open Farm. Apparently, this brand of pet food is super transparent about the sourcing of their non-GMO ingredients. Also, you can recycle the dog food bag through Terracycle when empty. It’s not a completely waste free option but I think it’s a great solution.   If you have any low waste dog food recommendations to share, I would love to hear about them in the comments section!  

Zero Waste Dog Poop Disposal

  Ok, what to do with the poo?! There are a few different options for pet waste disposal.  

1. Use plastic bags you already have. For example, if you purchase a loaf of bread or bag of bagels from the grocery store, they tend to come in a plastic bag. You could reuse these bags as dog poo bags.
2. Use compostable dog poop bags. There are tons of compostable dog poop bags on the market these days. Many of them are made from bioplastics. My only concern about compostable dog poop bags is that nothing composts in the landfill. The process of composting requires air (hence, turning your compost heap with a shovel or spinning your compost tumbler). Landfills tightly compact garbage together so there isn’t any circulation, meaning you are basically preserving the dog poo in the landfill. I know… pretty gross, haha!
3. Backyard Dog Poop Composter. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the Doggie Dooley poo composter but maybe you could come up with a similar system of composting dog waste in your backyard. Unfortunately, you can’t compost dog poop with your regular household compost, so you’d definitely need a separate system.

 

Zero Waste Dog Treats

My dog Polly adores homemade dog treats! They’re super simple to prepare. We love to make fresh juice at our house, and I usually toss the leftover juice pulp in the compost. However, a fellow zero waster mentioned that you can use the pulp to make dog treats so I decided to try it out! Not only are they completely waste free but also vegan. Here’s the recipe I used:   3 cups leftover juice pulp (I keep leftover pulp in the freezer until I have 3 cups worth) 1 cup oats 1/2 cup peanut butter   Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together all ingredients. Roll out dough into cookie sized balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake treats until hard, about 15 minutes. Cool and then they are ready for your pup to enjoy!   These zero waste dog treats were so simple to make and such a fun way to use leftover juice pulp rather than just tossing it in the compost bin. I’m excited to experiment more with the recipe.   Do you have a favorite homemade dog treat recipe?   Another zero waste dog treat option is purchasing dog treats in bulk! Our local pet store has a bulk section for pet treats. We love to go there and fill up on plastic free dog treats. I take a reusable bulk bag with me to fill up, and then empty them into my own glass jar when I get home! I know this isn’t an option for everyone. On the flip side, I’ve noticed that a lot of dog treats at the grocery store come packaged in a paper box. If you purchase dog treats in a paper box, you could at the very least compost or recycle the box. This might be a good option for your pup if you don’t have bulk treats available or the time to make homemade treats from scratch.

Zero Waste Dog Toys

  To be completely honest, I don’t buy Polly a lot of dog toys. She’s a heavy chewer and will destroy just about every single toy I give her in a matter of minutes. Seriously, stuffed animals will be shredded in to tiny pieces in thirty seconds flat haha. We usually stick to large marrow filled bones because they last a long time. Yes, they do often come wrapped in plastic, but they just last so much longer in comparison to other pet toys. If you don’t have a heavy chewer, consider purchasing pet toys secondhand if you can, purchasing pet toys made of hemp. or even making your own DIY pet toys. You can take an old t-shirt and knot/braid it into the perfect tug of war toy for your dog!   My dog Polly does have a lot of energy. I feel like more important than giving her toys to play with at home, she needs plenty of exercise. We always make sure she gets a good run in with Sebastian daily. She’s less likely to get into mischief if she’s tired. Be sure to exercise your pups!  

You've made the sweaty, possibly smelly, aluminum-expelling switch from an antiperspirant to natural deodorant. The hard part is over! However, if you made the switch to benefit the Earth as well as your 'pits, you should know: not all-natural deodorants are eco-friendly.  

If you’re hoping to donate your child’s car seat or crib this year, many thrift stores and retailers likely won’t take it. But throwing it away may not be the best option, either. Some Chicago-area parents say they’ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children’s items because of COVID-19. Most resale shops have for years limited what children’s items they’ll take, but even after reopening in recent weeks, many also have limited donations because of staff shortages. Trashing children’s gear can harm the environment, but to limit face-to-face contact, corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs, which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit, discount or upgraded product. “It stinks (the programs) are closed,” said Tory Andrews, 34, a parent from the Northwest Side who has been trying to give away her child’s car seat. “I don’t understand why they are closed, but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.”

Whether you’re packing a school lunch, work lunch, or a quick snack at home, we all appreciate a bit of convenience to make the job easier. We’ll admit that many convenient snack foods have way too much packaging, but at least we don’t have to sacrifice nutrition with all of the options out there. Here are a few that we tried.