Zero Waste
Recycling is not enough. Rethinking Plastics Forum January 2008 presented by Novato Live Well Network and Green Sangha. Ed Mainland, was a featured speaker as Sustainabel Novato's representative to the Green Coalition for Responsible Waste/Management.
www.greensangha.org
Sustainable Novato helped assure passage of the Novato City Council Zero Waste Ordinance of 2007.
Key excerpts:
...efforts to achieve Zero Waste should include:
- a compost facility
- banning of green waste in landfills
- construction and demolition waste recycling
- increased residential and commercial recycling
- environmentally sound city purchasing
- landfill bans of easily recyclable materials; and,
WHEREAS, Zero Waste is a philosophy and visionary goal that emulates natural cycles, where all outputs are simply an input for another process. It means designing and managing materials and products to conserve and recover all resources and not destroy or burn them, and eliminate discharges to land, water or air that do not contribute productively to natural systems or the economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the CITY OF NOVATO, County of Marin hereby adopts Zero Waste as a long-term goal in order to eliminate waste and pollution in the manufacture, use, storage, and recycling of materials. This goal can be achieved through action plans and measures that significantly reduce waste and pollution. These measures will include encouraging residents, businesses and agencies to use, reuse, and recycle materials judiciously, in addition to encouraging manufacturers to produce and market less toxic and more durable, repairable, reusable, recycled, and recyclable products
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the CITY OF NOVATO, County of Marin hereby establishes a milestone of 80% landfill diversion by the year 2012 towards the goal of Zero Waste by 2020; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the CITY OF NOVATO, County of Marin hereby resolves to revisit the aforementioned milestone in the year 2010.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Novato City Council, on this 23rd day of April, 2007 by the following vote: 5-0
April 25, 2007 Sustainable Novato Community Forum Alternatives to Redwood Landfill
No Wetlands Landfill’s Chair Christopher Gilkerson, David Haskell, and Bruce Baum participated in a conversation with a panel of leading experts about how proposed expansion of Redwood Landfill could impact Novato and Marin; dialogue about promising safer and healthier alternatives, including Marin County’s goals for Zero Waste, prolonging the Landfill’s useful life by shrinking the volume of our waste stream, returning composted greenwaste to the land not the dump.
This full event is repeat broadcast Comcast Cable on Novato’s and Central/Southern Marin Public Access TV (channel 26) check your listings for time and dates.
Redwood Landfill
Waste Management, Inc. wants to turn Redwood Landfill on the Petaluma Marsh in our northeastern wetlands into a massive regional dump (including Sonoma County). This could be a health and environmental disaster just waiting to happen. Local regulation is a one page land use permit from 1958. Sustainable Novato has joined the The Green Coalition for Responsible Waste / Resource Management Individuals can sign Green Coalition petitions circulating urging Marin County to take actions consistent with the “Four Principles for a Greener, Safer Way to Manage Waste at the Redwood Landfill.” View
Coalition members include: Sierra Club, Sustainable Novato, Sustainable Marin, Sustainable San Rafael, Friends of the Petaluma River, Novato Democratic Club, DFA, Marin, Grey Panthers, No Wetlands Landfill Expansion, Baykeeper, Madrone Audubon, The Bay Institute, Petaluma Tomorrow, and the list is growing.
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