In 2015, Zero Waste Humboldt helped launch Zero Waste Day which happens every year on November 15 to celebrate and encourage the various ways our community is making efforts towards reducing our waste. This year we celebrated a few days early on Saturday, November 12th with an open house at the Recology Sorting Facility on Samoa to help demystify our local recycling processes right here on the North Coast.
Chuck Schager, Recology Operations Support Specialist, and Frank Nelson, Recology Operations Manager, led detailed educational tours of the facility for over 100 participants. They shared a behind the scenes look at the recycling facility and some insight on the struggles and success of our recycling process. Did you know that a recycling load can be contaminated with trash that can ruin the recyclable materials? That's right! Chuck shared the importance of ensuring you are disposing recyclable materials properly so that they can actually be recycled.
In addition to informational tours, we also had zero waste crafts! Participants were able to make their own wrapping paper or card using potato stamps and reused paper and as well as their own beeswax wraps which can replace plastic bags and plastic wrap! Eureka Fabrics donated 100% cotton fat quarters which are perfect for DIY beeswax wraps. The Eureka Youth Council also has a display of projects they made out of repurposed materials.
Last but not least was great food! Recology made fresh corn dogs from hot dogs and from smoked tofu provided by the Tofu Specialty Shop in Arcata. Corn dog sticks and the paper they are sitting on can all be composted in a backyard composting pile. Not pictured were chili cones- chili served in an ice cream cone! The whole thing can be eaten leaving no waste. And they are quite delicious!
Thank you to everyone who came out to learn about our local recycling and waste management infrastructure!