Recycling event And Rain Barrel/Composter Sale

Another sure sign that spring is here: The Normandy Park/Burien Spring Recycling Collection Event and Bin Sale is scheduled for this Saturday, May 15th, between 9am – 3pm at the Washington State Criminal Justice Center, 19010 First Ave South.

This event will be open to recycling computers, monitors and TVs for FREE, and will also include the sale of Rain Barrel, Compost, and Worm Bins for $20 each, cash only.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Normandy Park/Burien Spring Recycling Collection Event & Bin Sale.

WHEN: Saturday, May 15th from 9am – 3pm.

WHERE: Washington State Criminal Justice Center, located at 19010 First Ave South.

INFO: This is a FREE recycling program that will include computers, monitors and TVs through the E-Cycle Washington program. This program allows residents to take their old electronic devices to be recycled without having to pay a fee.

Why recycle electronics?
Many electronics, especially TVs and computers, contain toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and mercury. Reusing and recycling electronics keeps these toxic materials out of our landfills and incinerators and also recovers valuable resources. The electronic equipment this program collects will be taken apart and separated into materials such as glass, plastic, metal and toxic chemicals. All recycling will follow performance standards set up by the Department of Ecology.

What if my electronic equipment still works? Many groups and businesses focus on making used electronics available for reuse. Click here for more information on donating your electronics for reuse.

Look for the full list of all collection locations here: www.ecyclewashington.org, or call 1-800-recycle.

Please note that computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in this program.

Here’s a partial list what you can recycle at this event – to see the full list, download a PDF flier here:

• TIRES: Bias ply, steel belted, and studded tires accepted. Limit 6 passenger Y o u C a n tires per household (18 inches and below) free of charge. $1.50 charge for Bringing each tire on a rim. $5 charged for each large truck tire and $15 charged for each truck tire on rim (cash only). No oversized tires accepted.
• MOTOR OIL, FILTERS, & ANTIFREEZE: Motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid, 2-cycle oil, steering fluid, crankcase oil, kerosene, and home heating fuel. Do not mix with antifreeze, solvents, gasoline, or other substances.
• LEAD ACID BATTERIES: Car, truck, marine, and motorcycle batteries accepted.
• ALKALINE BATTERIES: AAAA, AAA, AA, A, B, C, and D cell batteries only.
• CARDBOARD: Please flatten. No wax coated cardboard.
• REUSEABLE HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND CLOTHING: Clothing and miscellaneous household items in good condition will be collected by Seattle Goodwill. Mattresses and furniture will not be accepted. Items in need of repair will not be accepted.
• PORCELAIN TOILETS AND SINKS: $5 charge (cash only). Toilet seats, hardware, and base wax rings must be removed.
• PROPANE TANKS: Residential tanks only. $5 charge (cash only).
• CLEAN SCRAP WOOD: Includes milled wood, plywood, pallets, and other untreated and unpainted wood. No pegboard, particle or press board.
• BULKY WOOD: Includes large tree branches (minimum 6 inches in diameter), logs, and stumps.No leaves,
  grass, small branches, sod, or brush. Please lay a tarp under material for ease of removal.
• ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: DVD players, VCRs, stereo equipment, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, cellular phones and computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice. Computer monitors and televisions will not be accepted. You can recycle these items for free at other locations – see the E-Cycle box for more information.

Are "Compostable Utensils" Really Compostable?

I put that question to google, and of course Beth at Fake Plastic Fish was the #1 return. But there are others... World Centric.org whom manufacters biodegradeable utensils, came up with the same conclusion as Beth. In fact they write in their website:

"In the past we manufactured non-heat resistant utensils
made from non-GMO PLA, and heat resistant utensils made from 80% non-GMO corn starch and 20% other fillers. Through recent testing, we discovered that the corn starch resin used in the production of our heat resistant utensils (a resin certified by BPI and ASTM standards) is not fully
compostable. Therefore, we have discontinued the use of the corn starch resin and have begun using an alternative resin that will meet the standards of compostability. The new resin is a mixture of 70% non-GMO PLA and 30% talc. They are also heat resistant upto 200 degrees F, and the resin is
under testing for certification under ASTM-6400 standards.
Our current non-heat resistant utensils do not have any
issues with compostability. We have also taken the opportunity to redesign our cutlery to offer a more
aesthetically pleasing option.
We will continue to offer our current utensils at a discounted
price, until they are no longer in inventory.These utensils will
take 180 days to compost in a commercial composting facility.
Home composting is not recommended as they do require a higher heat to break down, which may not occur in most
home composting systems."

I for one can say my home composter does not get hot enough to break these down. I do have and use commercial composting, but after reading some articles about it on the internet, I have come to the decision that it is better to bring my own, use bamboo chopsticks or my fingers.

Soap dish made from recycled chopsticks

Bamboo chopsticks? Well they have been around for a long time, come from a renewable resource, biodegrade- plus they can be reused over and over and for other things. I have one of those pasta pots that has a colander that slides right into the pot. But the downside of it is... Nothing to lock the colander up in place when draining the pasta (or potatoes) so my answer is a simple bamboo chopstick. When I raise the colander to drain, I simply stick a chopstick through a hole in the colander and it stays in position. Another thing I use chopsticks for is two of them together to beat eggs for omelets (I learned that watching Julia Child as a kid), Somefolks make soapdishes out of them, If you’re handy with the arts, or just like to build things, then the chopstick can be very useful to you. Chopsticks can be the medium of baskets, jewelry, frames, mobiles, or abstract centerpieces. There is no limit to the imaginative creations that can be made from them. Anyways... my point is, I am adding this as my compostable only for the one small change challenge... no "compostable" utensils as I am not sure of their compostability.

What's the poop?

Ever wonder what happens to all that poop at the zoo??? Well, here's what happens to it at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo:

Some interesting facts about "Zoo Doo":
1- Zoo Doo is made from the manures of 26 different non-primate herbivores

2- Number of pounds an elephant poops each day: 80

3- Zoo Doo produced annual: 409,100 pounds (900 cubic yards)

Still finishing up after the Holidays

Just doing some last minute crap, getting rid of any sign of the holidays. I took the wreaths down, removed them from the frames, saved the frames, composted the needles by spreading them around the aciditic loving huckleberries. I will use the frames next year, just clip some green, and new wreaths!

What to do about Jack?

Wondering what to do about that pumpkin your little angels (or you) just carved? Well according to Jeff Yeager, who writes the green cheapskate blog on Daily Green - Use it All- he claims you can use it to make pie (puree) or make a casserole out of the parts you cut out of the pumpkin for the eyes nose and mouth, pickled pumpkin rinds and of course seeds. Recipes on his blog If you still aren’t convinced and want to find a more sustainable way to dispose of your Jack O’ Lantern , and you live in the Seattle Area, you can take it to the Night of 1,000- pumpkins Celebration at the Burien Interim Art Space (B/IAS) across from the Town Square Park in Downtown Burien. Remember to bring a candle to light your pumpkin and become a willing participant in an outdoor art project. They will gladly compost it for you, too.
The community Garden members will also be there to say goodbye to the garden. We don’t know if there will be a spot for the garden elsewhere in the city, the parks department is working hard on it. I am hoping for it. It has been a fun year. More about that in another post soon!

Burien and Normandy Park Compost Bin and Rain Barrel Sale:

The cities of Normandy Park and Burien Spring Recycling Event and Rain Barrel Sale is scheduled for this Saturday, May 16th from 9am - 3pm at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center, which is located at 19010 First Avenue South.

Compost Bin and Rain Barrel sale:
A good oppurtunity to get a rain Barrel or cool compost bin for $20!
Rain Barrel & Compost Bin Sale:To encourage the use of recycled content material and more efficient use of water, the cities of Burien and Normandy Park are offering recycled plastic rain barrels at a huge discount. In addition, start backyard composting with a compost bin to save resources and money. Composting is a natural process that turns yard waste into rich soil. Yard waste—grass, leaves, old flowers—contain mostly water. Once the material decomposes, rich soil is all that’s left.$20 each. Cash only. While supplies last. No pre or post event sales.


At this event you can safely dispose of numerous unwanted materials, some for free, others for a small fee.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Normandy Park & Burien Recycling Collection Event
WHEN: Saturday, May 16th from 9 am to 3 pm
WHERE: Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center
INFO: Recycle these household wastes:
TIRES: Bias ply, steel belted, and studded tires accepted. Limit 6 passenger tires per household (18 inches and below) free of charge. $1.50 charge for each tire on a rim. $5 charged for each large truck tire and $15 charged for each truck tire on rim (cash only). No oversized tires accepted.
MOTOR OIL, FILTERS, & ANTIFREEZE: Motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, brake fluid, transmission fluid, 2-cycle oil, steering fluid, crankcase oil, kerosene, and home heating fuel. Do not mix with antifreeze, solvents, gasoline, or other substances.
Items Must Meet the Following Guidelines:
LEAD ACID BATTERIES: Car, truck, marine, and motorcycle batteries accepted.
ALKALINE BATTERIES: AAAA, AAA, AA, A, B, C, and D cell batteries only.
CARDBOARD: Please flatten. No wax coated cardboard.
REUSEABLE HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND CLOTHING: Clothing and miscellaneous household items in good condition will be collected by Seattle Goodwill. Mattresses and furniture will not be accepted. Items in need of repair will not be accepted.
PORCELAIN TOILETS AND SINKS: $5 charge (cash only). Toilet seats, hardware, and base wax rings must be removed.
PROPANE TANKS: Residential tanks only. $5 charge (cash only).
CLEAN SCRAP WOOD: Includes milled wood, plywood, pallets, and other untreated and unpainted wood. No peg board, particle or press board.
BULKY WOOD: Includes large tree branches (minimum 6 inches in diameter), logs, and stumps. No leaves, grass, small branches, sod, or brush. Please lay a tarp under material for ease of removal.
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: DVD players, VCRs, stereo equipment, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, cellular phones and computer peripherals such as keyboards and mice. Computer monitors and televisions will not be accepted. You can recycle these items for free at other locations - see the E-Cycle box for more information.
Household Hazardous Wastes can be taken to the Household Hazardous Wastemobile or one of three household hazardous waste collection sites. Normandy Park and Burien residents may use the South Seattle Household Hazardous Waste Facility – 8105 5th Avenue South, Seattle. Open 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (except holidays). Volume restrictions apply.
Latex paint is no longer considered hazardous waste and the household hazardous waste facilities in King County (the Wastemobile, Factoria, and two Seattle sites) no longer accept it. Residents who cannot use up latex paint, please dry it out and put it in the garbage with the lid off. Visit the King County website www.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/swd for more information on how to dry out latex paint.
DON’T BRING:
No Scrap Metal
No construction/demolition debris
No plastic toys, hoses, etc.
No window glass
These hazardous wastes:
No oil based paint
No pesticides/herbicides
No household chemicals
No cleaning products
No fluorescent lights
For event information, call 206-248-7603 or visit www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/ or call the Household Hazards Line Monday to Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm except holidays at 206-296-4692.
Appliances and scrap metals will not be collected at this event. Appliances and scrap metals will be collected at a similar event this fall. Washington now has a FREE recycling program called “E-Cycle Washington” for computers, computers monitors, laptops, and televisions. Call 1-800-RECYCLE or visit 1800recycle.wa.gov to find authorized E-Cycle Washington collection locations. In the Burien/Normandy Park area you may drop off computers, computers monitors, laptops, and televisions at no charge at the following E-Cycle Washington locations: Burien Goodwill Store (1031 SW 128th Street, Burien, WA 98146) and Salvation Army Burien Store (16033 1st Ave S, Burien, WA 98148). Please note - drop off locations may change. Quantities accepted are limited. Please also note that computer peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers are not included in this program but will be accepted at City Recycling Collection Events.

Speaking of composting...

My worm guru- Worm-mama now has her worm business up and running, She sells worms and bins, night crawlers and red wigglers, and worm castings. At $35 for a pound of red wigglers may seem a bit steep, but that is with shipping included! Check her site out at http://worm-mama.com/ I love new local businesses! And I can attest to her worm bins and worms, as my bin is full of new worm babies!

I Gots Worms!

I went to the Burien Farmers' Market today- and this gal who called herself "Worm-Mama" was there selling redworms and worm bins and castings- so I got a worm bin!I haven't ventured in vermicomposting yet, and haven't messed with raising worms since i was a kid and we tried to start a worm bin for fishing worms, (no one told me you don't need to water them with a hose and set the bin out in the hot sun to dry them off) but I thought Hey! I already compost- why not take it to the next level? More on my worm bin- The bins obtained from"Worm-mama" (or rather Worm-Mama's kids- she pays them to make the bins and collect worm castings from her big bins)- the worm bins are constructed from recycled plastic and have a tea tray and all the good stuff. She has easy instructions on keeping worms, where to put your bin etc. etc. I do so admire folks who take an idea, run with it and make a living at it! More posts on the bin later. You can contact her at sharon@worm-mama.com. But right now, I am going to enjoy some fresh asparagus I bought at the farmers market.