Buzzword- Sustainability

Buzz Word- Sustainability

By Kristin Cushman

I read an article recently that got me thinking about sustainable communities.  In the article “Obama’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities” a new government partnership formed that is focusing on sustainable communities that offer more “walkable” downtowns and “cleaner” commuting options. The partnership calls for a distribution of power that “encourages different regions to connect their residents in ways that make sense locally”. This spoke to me. Finally, the government is thinking logically and realizing that one-size does not always fit all.

Sustainability is a buzz word around the country but does it mean the same thing to everyone? Look at how this organization uses the word, http://www.bluegrass.com/blog/. They started with small steps and a focus on recycling. I agree, even small changes make a great difference. Do we stop and think where that plastic bag blowing in the street will end up? Do we think about the purchases that we are making and how much energy was expended to get that product to the shelf? For me, sustainability is about keeping in touch, putting things in perspective.  If we are mindful of how we are affecting the planet in our every day actions, then perhaps we will make changes.

My sustainable community would include educating ourselves on polluting and wasteful practices and turning ourselves towards solutions. I believe fighting for the environment and restoring it where we can, to be critical for the success of the community. A sustainable community also means involving the members who live in the area and providing economic opportunities. Here at The Offset Project, the staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to be part of the solution. We are busy educating the community about carbon offsets, restoring the environment by planting trees and joining together a network of businesses and organizations to use resources more efficiently.

I am hopeful for our future as more communities start working together locally to make a difference. What does your sustainable community include?

Check out this article to find out how you can start a sustainable framework in your community  http://www.transitionus.org/

Check out Monterey Bay Offset Fund to see solutions they are developing for Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties.

Waste Prevention

By Jennipher Murphy, Novice Explorer

Here at The Offset Project, we work diligently to provide local venues with zero waste management. This includes recycling and composting efforts at many of the premiere special events on the Monterey Peninsula and is done by working closely with event organizers and promoters in the planning of their events. We help reduce their carbon footprint by making the most sustainable choices possible. A lot goes into zero waste management and there are pros and cons to the way we choose to recycle and compost at these events. We are constantly struggling with the choices we need to make while balancing the rewards and successes. As we reflect on our efforts, there are always ways to improve and the secret is to identify our challenges and barriers and to find ways to continually advance our process.

One of our biggest challenges is making sure that the materials that are placed in the recycling and composting bins are items that are correct and not contaminated. The bane of our recycling efforts is “contamination” which are items that are mixed in with the correct items; for example food left over on the recyclable or grease deposits on cardboard etc…. This makes processing more difficult and expensive and can actually decrease the value of the recyclables. Some businesses are turning towards “3-Dimensional Recycling Signs” as a great tool to inform individuals of the proper way to recycle and they place them right at the source. This could be quite helpful but we have gone a step further by having our Zero Waste volunteers manning these bins, answering questions guests have or quickly correcting mistakes in the bins. We also feel that because are bins are very specific, it allows individuals to place items correctly which decreases our time spent on sorting. Another way we are meeting this challenge is to involve a larger participating group, the Zero Waste team, which cuts down on the incorrectly placed items and at the same time, increases our education efforts.

The Offset Project practices these initiatives at every event but we are still falling short. We feel we are still spending too much time correcting guest’s practices so we have begun looking at waste prevention as a way to improve. Waste prevention is simply creating less waste by consuming and disposing less which can decrease the amount of incorrectly placed items and save businesses and events a ton of money. Waste prevention is synonymous with reuse and reduce. We are discovering that planning ahead is one of the most important steps to a zero waste event. Events can be so hectic that event coordinators end up running around putting fires out and spend less time overseeing proper composting and recycling efforts. The planning process is not only about using compostable flatware, plates and napkins but we have come up with a list of other items in our pre-planning checklist:

• Identifying the biggest % of waste produced and setting goals. Is it bottled water or food?
• Communicating waste reduction goals to all stakeholders and getting everyone on-board.
• Defining materials needed for the event and looking at alternatives such as serving bite-sized foods that require no utensils.
• Choosing green vendors.
• Reducing paper usage.
• Educating guests about zero waste efforts beforehand.

The event promoters need to champion their green messaging by ensuring that their internal culture is on board and TOP needs to support them. As we continue expanding our outreach and efforts there will inevitably be more challenges and even more improvements. Please take a moment to share with us other ways we can improve the planning phase by commenting on this blog! Thank you for sharing.

For more information on recycling at events: http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/ and

 http://earth911.com/how-to/how-to-recycle-at-your-earth-day-event/