Winter 2003 - Tacomacms.cityoftacoma.org/enviro/EnviroTalk/ETWinter2003_REV.pdf · want to risk a...

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Winter 2003

C i t y o f T a c o m a E P u b l i c W o r k s E E n v i r o n m e n t a l S e r v i c e s

S o l i d W a s t e E W a s t e w a t e r E S u r f a c e W a t e rE n h a n c i n g y o u r q u a l i t y o f l i f e

Give your old phone a new chance—recycle it!Have you abandoned your old cell phone for an updated model? Getting a new cell with all the bells and whistles this holiday season? Give your old phone a new chance—recycle it!

The City of Tacoma and Goodwill Industries are giving unwanted cell phones new chances by keeping them out of landfills and putting them into the hands of domestic violence victims. Cell phones, even without paid service, can still reach 911.

Bring your old cell phone (with battery and charger) to:

F Tacoma Goodwill donation stations

For addresses and hours, call 573-1333 or visit www.tacomagoodwill.org

F City of Tacoma Recycling Center

3510 S. Mullen St. (Tacoma Landfill), 8 a.m.-6 p.m., daily

F Tacoma Public Utilities lobby 3628 S. 35th St.,

8 a.m.-5 p.m., M-F

F Tacoma Municipal Building (2nd floor lobby)

747 Market St., 8 a.m.-5 p.m., M-F

The cell phone recycling program is sponsored by Tacoma Solid Waste Management, the Tacoma Human Rights & Human Services Department and Tacoma Goodwill Industries.

For more information, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/recycle or call 591-5151.

BaseballTacoma RainiersMuseumsChildren’s Museum of TacomaMuseum of GlassTacoma Art MuseumMusic & Theater Broadway Center for the

Performing ArtsNorthwest SinfoniettaTacoma Actors GuildTacoma Concert BandTacoma Little TheatreTacoma PhilharmonicTacoma Symphony OrchestraTacoma DomeArena Cross Dragon Tales LiveHarlem Globetrotters Monster JamZooNorthwest TrekPoint Defiance Zoo &

Aquarium

Wrapping paper, gift bags, bows, ribbon, packing peanuts, plastic wrap. Are you giving more packaging than presents this holiday season? Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

How can you help reduce holiday waste and still give cool gifts? Tacoma’s new Waste Free Holidays program offers discounted tickets to many of Tacoma’s premier attractions such as museums, the theater, the zoo, Tacoma Dome events and more. From bison and baseball to glass and the Globetrotters, there’s an experience for everyone.

Enjoy discounts up to 40 percent on select tickets at participating organizations. Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 31, but event dates extend into 2004. Event dates and discounted offers vary. See our Web site, www.cityoftacoma.org/wastefree, for a complete listing.

Worried about how to wrap your experience gift? Receive a free, elegant and festive envelope with Waste Free Holidays tickets purchased at participating box offices. The envelopes are made from 100% recycled/50% post-consumer waste paper.

Visit www.cityoftacoma.org/wastefree for details, or call 593-7719.

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Wanted: reusable building materials

How will you prepare Tom Turkey this holiday season? Deep-frying turkeys is an increasingly popular way families in the Northwest enjoy this classic main dish. But what should you do with the leftover cooking oil?

You may be one of the thousands of people in Tacoma who don’t think twice before pouring cooking oil and other grease down the sink drain or flushing them down the toilet.

Now is the time to think twice. Grease causes 42 percent of sewer backups in Tacoma. Don’t let grease anywhere near your sewer pipes unless you want to risk a sewer backup and a large repair bill sometime in the future.

Instead, take your leftover cooking oils to Tacoma’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility. It’s free! And while it may not be as easy as pouring grease down the drain, it will keep your pipes clog-free and save you from a repair bill.

Tacoma’s HHW Facility only accepts oils from residential use and the oil must be strained to remove large food particles. Cooking oil contaminated with toxic or hazardous material and/or stored in a container that held hazardous material will not be accepted.

The City of Tacoma Household Hazardous Waste Facility, located at the Tacoma Landfill (3510 S. Mullen St.), is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily. For more information, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/solidwaste/hazwaste or call 591-5418.

Have you just completed or are you thinking about a home remodel or building project? Save disposal fees and landfill space by donating your reusable building

materials such as lumber, bricks, cabinets, doors, windows, plumbing fixtures and more.

The ReHarvest Center, a non-profit reusable building materials outlet, has an attended donation station at the City’s Recycling Center, located at the Tacoma Landfill (3510

S. Mullen St.). Some items not accepted include sheetrock/

drywall, concrete, used carpet, furniture, paint or anything containing

mold or dry-rot. Donations are tax deductible.

As a cost-conscious and environmentally-friendly consumer, you can also purchase reusable building materials through the

ReHarvest Center’s retail warehouse at 1113 St. Paul Ave. in Tacoma. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call the ReHarvest Center at 531-5845.



Creek monitors neededThe City of Tacoma and the Pierce Conservation District Stream Team are looking for volunteers to monitor water quality in several Tacoma creeks—Mason, Puget, Garfield, Hylebos, Wapato and Swan. Volunteers will collect water samples on a regular basis. Training and equipment will be provided. For more information, call Jayme Gordon, Stream Team, 845-2973.

Your account, your way—only a click away.No more stamps, phone calls or last minute drives to the customer service office. Log on to our new self-service Web site day or night and manage your Tacoma utility account.

Go to www.tacomaservices.org today and:

G Pay your utility bill onlineG Set up automatic bill paymentsG Change, repair or order garbage and recycling containersG Start and stop solid waste serviceG Request Call-2-Haul pickupG Send a compliment, complaint or service request

Convenience, choices—a click away. Call Customer Service at 502-8600 for more information.

Tacoma’s environment depends on you—volunteer todayHere’s your chance to help protect Tacoma’s environment and inspire others to do the same. This spring, the City of Tacoma’s Resource Conservation Stewardship Program is offering free training to volunteers who will teach others about resource conservation and waste reduction.

In exchange for 40 hours of free training in such topics as natural lawn care, home composting, waste reduction, water quality, recycling and household hazardous wastes, graduates promise to spend 40 hours of their time teaching others those earth-friendly practices.

Funded by Tacoma Environmental Services, the program accepts

enthusiastic volunteers 18 years or older. Volunteers must complete their 40 hours of volunteer work within the City of Tacoma limits.

“Fun, informative, interactive, hands-on” are how

current stewards describe their training and teaching experience. Apply today! The next Resource Conservation Stewardship class

begins March 2, 2004. The eight-

week training includes evening classroom

lectures and some Saturday field trips. To apply,

visit www.cityoftacoma.org/envirosteward or call 573-2415. Application deadline is Feb. 13. For more volunteer opportunities, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/environmentalservices/volunteer.

’Tis the seasonfor flooding

It rains a lot here in the winter. Tacoma’s stormwater system is designed to handle only so much rain at a time, so some streets and low areas might flood during extremely heavy rain storms.

Follow these tips if your house is flooding:Y Get valuables to high

groundY Plug floor drainsY Use sandbagsY Divert water from your

house by digging ditches or constructing berms

Y Divert downspouts away from the house

Y If water has reached your outlets or appliance

connections and you can safely reach the electrical panel, turn off power to flooded areas

For more information on handling flooding, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/flood or call 591-5588.

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The City of Tacoma, during the next three years, plans to dredge 525,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments from the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood waterways. That’s enough pollution to fill 38-1/2 Museum of Glass cones.

Most of the dredging will begin next year, but this year we’re preparing the disposal site in the St. Paul Waterway, where the dredged sediments will be confined. Contractors also are dismantling part of the Foss Landing Marina (the old Pick’s Cove) in the Thea Foss Waterway to get ready for dredging.

Construction work may occur in the water only from August to February to allow for the fish migration season required by the federal Endangered Species Act. If you visit the Thea Foss waterfront before the season ends Feb. 15,

you might see us building a new marina in front of the Museum of Glass to hold boats moved temporarily during dredging.

For more information about the cleanup, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/fosscleanup or call the 24-hour Foss Cleanup Hotline at 233-1995.

Your garbage disposal shouldn’t have to smell like, well, garbage. Cooking large meals this holiday season may leave your garbage disposal smelling less than appetizing. A clean and fresh disposal doesn’t have to be a pipe dream—it’s a reality with this simple earth-friendly recipe:

1. Drop three or more ice cubes in your disposal2. Add a few fresh citrus peels to your disposal3. Turn on the water and grind

It may be noisy, but the ice cubes help cool any grease in your drain and grind it out. The peels add a refreshing scent and have a natural acid cleaning power.

Remember—don’t dispose of grease or oil down the garbage disposal or your other sink drain. Over time, grease buildup causes not only an unpleasant smell, but it may result in clogged pipes and a sewage backup into your home.

For more earth-friendly recipes, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/greenercleaners or call 573-2559.

Does your sink stink?

the good, badand enviro-ugly

We think you’re enviro-cool for reading EnviroTalk. This is the 8th issue we’ve

produced over the last two years. How are we doing? We want the good,

the bad and the enviro-ugly. Whether it’s story ideas or suggestions for

improvement, we would love to hear your feedback. E-mail your thoughts to

[email protected] or call 573-2559.

FEEDBACKWANTEDFEEDBACKWANTED



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When is my recycling day?

Solid Waste Management3510 S. Mullen St. Tacoma, WA 98409www.cityoftacoma.org/solidwaste

Administration8 a.m-5 p.m., Monday-Friday (closed all major City holidays)

General Information ................................591-5543Call-2-Haul............................................. 573-2468Recycling Updates(24-hour recorded message only) ...........565-5955

Landfill Services8 a.m.-6 p.m., daily(closed: New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day)

Household Hazardous Waste Facility ..........591-5418Scalehouse........................................... 593-7724


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FridayResidents living in this areahave various garbage days.All have recycling pickup onthe unshaded weeks.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xRecycling and yard waste collection occurs every other week on your garbage day. Look at the maps to find your garbage day. If you live in a shaded area, your recycling will be picked up during the shaded weeks. If you live in an unshaded area, your recycling will be picked up during the unshaded weeks of the calendar. Please have all garbage, recycling and yard waste containers ready for pickup by 7 a.m.

My recycling week is: shaded unshadedPlease check (✓ ) one. (Refer to maps to determine which weeks you recycle.)

Holiday collection scheduleIf your regular collection day falls on these holidays or the days following the

holiday, your collection will be one day late during that week only.

2004 Recycling and Yard Waste Calendar

HOLIDAY IF YOUR REGULAR PICKUP DAY IS... YOUR PICKUP DAY WILL BE...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SDecember 2003

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SJanuary 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

S M T W T F SFebruary 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SMay 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

S M T W T F SApril 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SMarch 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SAugust 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SJuly 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

S M T W T F SJune 2004

Offices closed, Landfill closed, no collection services.Offices closed, Landfill open normal hours, collection day for customers normally picked up on Thursdays.Offices closed, Landfill open normal hours, collection day for customers normally picked up on Fridays.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

S M T W T F SDecember 2004

S M T W T F SOctober 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

S M T W T F SNovember 2004

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

S M T W T F SSeptember 2004

Christmas Day 2003 Thursday, Dec. 25 Friday, Dec. 26 Friday, Dec. 26 Saturday, Dec. 27New Year’s Day 2004 Thursday, Jan. 1 Friday, Jan. 2 Friday, Jan. 2 Saturday, Jan. 3Fourth of July 2004 Since the holiday is on a Sunday, all garbage and recycling service is on its normal schedule.Thanksgiving 2004 Thursday, Nov. 25 Friday, Nov. 26 Friday, Nov. 26 Saturday, Nov. 27Christmas Day 2004 Since the holiday is on a Saturday, all garbage and recycling service is on its normal schedule.


Way to go Vicky Reed, Apple C., Paul Kheriaty, Holly Graven and Mike Hutchison, all winners of the last EnviroChallenge question. They correctly identified latex paint as a non-hazardous material. Before latex paint can go in the garbage, it must be solidified with cat litter or cement mix and allowed to harden.

This issue’s challenge: The City’s wastewater utility debuted two new TAGRO products this fall—potting soil and mulch. Name the ingredients in each new product.

E-mail your answer to [email protected]. (Sorry, we can’t take answers by phone.) The first five Tacoma residents to correctly answer this question will win an Environmental Services backpack/cooler.* Visit www.cityoftacoma.org/environmentalservices to search for the answer.* Limit one winner per household, per calendar year.

7


Recycle your old phone bookCongratulations! Last year, Tacoma residents recycled 88 tons of old phone books. Keep up the good work because later this month QwestDex will begin delivering Tacoma’s new 2004 phone books. Please remember to recycle old phone books in your big blue recycling container or at the City’s Recycling Center at the Tacoma Landfill. For more information, call 591-5543.

Recycle while you’re out and about in TacomaNext time you’re in Tacoma’s neighborhood business districts—recycle! You’ll

find brightly-marked blue and green recycling containers for

aluminum cans and plastic bottles in five of Tacoma’s 12 business districts—Fern Hill, McKinley, Old Town, Proctor and Stadium.

The City of Tacoma’s new, convenient way for pedestrians to recycle street-side is a first in Washington state. The yearlong pilot program, a joint effort between Solid Waste Management and the Tacoma Economic Development Department, aims to reduce business district garbage volumes by 20 percent, thus reducing air and water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/recycle, or call 593-7719.

The holidays mean gift giving and food sharing. From planning gift purchases to deciding what to do with leftover food, produce less waste this holiday season by following these simple tips:

E Shop smart. Avoid getting a new bag at each store on your shopping rounds. Carpool with friends to the mall.

E Buy right. Purchase items that require less wrapping and are easy to mail. Don’t buy items with excessive packaging—you’re paying for that garbage.

E Leftovers. Don’t throw the food away. Give it to guests to take home (in reusable containers). Donate non-perishable food to local food banks.

E The end. Save your old cards, wrapping paper and packaging materials for next year. Old cards, cut into strips, make great package tags or can be used for kids to make gifts.

Your diligence will help ensure that the holidays aren’t haul-i-days for Solid Waste Management. For more waste reduction tips, visit www.cityoftacoma.org/recycle or call 593-7719.


issueissuein this


HHHHHHHWondering what to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays? Solid Waste Management (SWM) will take it away—free.

If you’re a residential garbage customer, SWM will pick up your unflocked tree, along with your recycling and yard waste. All you need to do is:

q Remove all decorationsq Take the tree out of the standq Cut into lengths no longer than three feet and bundle with heavy twineq Place on the curb next to your yard waste container

If you want to dispose of an unflocked tree from an apartment or business, you can bring your tree to the City of Tacoma Landfill from Dec. 27 to Jan. 18. Drop trees off at the education turnout area, just before the Recycling Center. Apartment managers or owners who collect residents’ trees may drop them off all at once,

free of charge. Please call 591-5543 in advance. Tree lot operators and non-profit groups must pay for tree disposal.

We don’t accept flocked trees or trees with decorations or stands. Flocked trees can’t be recycled, so they must go in

the garbage.

The Tacoma Landfill, located at 3510 S. Mullen St., is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily. The landfill is closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

G “Experience” waste freeholidays................................. page 1

G Recycle your cooking oil ......page 2G Pay your utility bill online ....page 3G Freshen your

garbage disposal ..................page 4G New street-side recycling ....page 7

City of TacomaPublic WorksEnvironmental Services747 Market Street, Room 420Tacoma, Washington 98402-3769

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

TACOMA, WAPERMIT NO. 2

We welcome your feedback about EnviroTalk. Contact us by e-mail at [email protected].

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Winter 2003 - Tacomacms.cityoftacoma.org/enviro/EnviroTalk/ETWinter2003_REV.pdf · want to risk a...

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