Feature Articles

Many OTC drugs and prescriptions have child-proof caps. But are they really child-proof? Or are they really just child resistant? There are many dangers associated with keeping unneeded pharmaceuticals around. Children and animals may get into them. You may get them confused with currently used medication. So you decide to clean out your medicine cabinet and throw away or flush the unused medication. But is this really a safe or environmentally friendly way to get rid of unneeded pharmaceuticals?

If the medication is thrown away, it is collected, compressed and sent to the landfill where over time it decomposes and rain and moisture leach from the landfill into groundwater or local streams polluting local water sources. Unwanted medicine disposed in the trash can also be stolen and used, potentially resulting in illness or death. Pharmaceuticals primarily enter wastewater treatment plants from two sources: 1) excretion by the human body; and 2) disposal of unused or expired medications down the drain or toilet. Water treatment plants are designed to decompose organic matter in sewage and disinfect the treated wastewater. However, many pharmaceuticals pass through the treatment process unchanged. So when the treated water is released to local sources, we have released the medications into a water source and natural habitat for marine life.

In March 2002, the United States Geological Society conducted a nationwide study of surface waters. Of the 139 streams sampled, 80% of the water samples had small but measurable concentrations of prescription and nonprescription drugs, steroids, and reproductive hormones. These medications can have adverse impacts on our water supply and marine life.

So, you ask, how can I dispose of my unneeded or unwanted medications in a safe manner? On Saturday, January 26, 2008, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the City of Vacaville Recycling Program, in cooperation with the Vacaville Police Department and the City of Vacaville Utilities Division, Water Quality, will be hosting a one-day event to collect unneeded and expired pharmaceuticals. Residents can bring their unneeded medications for safe and secure disposal to the Vacaville Police Department located at 660 Merchant Street. Residents will be required to remove the medications from bottles or blister packs. Please note that this event DOES NOT collect illegal substances.

If for some reason you are unable to attend this event, here are a few helpful hints for medication disposal:

Put in a sturdy and securely sealed container (duct tape the lid to the container) and then in a trash can where children and pets can’t reach them.

When possible, mix the medications with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter.

Wrap several layers of masking tape or duct tape to cover and hide blister packs.

It is a good idea to use a plastic container when disposing of liquid in a glass bottle to contain the spill if the glass container breaks.

Hide all medications in an outer container such as a paper bag and wrap in several layers of newspaper to prevent discovery and removal from the trash.

To secure identification, remove the patient’s name, drug name, prescription number and other personal information from the container before disposal.

These steps will help to ensure a healthier and safer environment for you and your family. If you have additional questions please call Lisa Avrit, Recycling Coordinator at (707) 469-6509.

Plastic carryout bags have always been a nuisance littering our streets and our landfills. California consumers generate 600 plastic carryout bags every second, which translates to 19 billion plastic carryout bags per year. Unfortunately, less than 5 percent of plastic carryout bags are recycled. However, if this waste can be cut in half it will defer 73,000 tons of plastic carryout bags from our landfills and reduce our oil consumption by 2,000 barrels per day.

Recycled carryout plastic bags can be remanufactured into many new products, such as new plastic carryout bags, or they can be melted with wood shaving to make weather-resistant lumber products.

California is leading the way with this new legislation, in the hopes that it will become a standard nationwide. So do your part to help keep California clean and green. Things You Can Do:

Use reusable bags

Only take a bag if it is necessary, not all items require a bag.

Recycle plastic bags

Spread the word, educate your friends

As soon as the weather clears up be sure to take a trip to Vacaville’s contribution to providing an earth friendly place for kids to play. Hawkins Park located on Summerfield Dr. recently installed two new play structures. One of these play areas was made especially for children ages 2-5 and has a special surface material made out of used tires from our very own state of California. The play area for 2-5 year olds is scheduled to be open this month.

According to Rollie Simons, Parks Superintendent, many of the new park structures are made of recycled content plastic and steel. However, this is one of the first tire foundations that have been used under a play area in Vacaville. This poured in place tire surfacing is very desirable in that it maintains a consistent level of cushioning surface under the play equipment, it won’t blow away, it’s durable, hygienic, and it promotes the reuse of waste tires. 1185 waste tires to be exact! That’s right, 1185 California waste tires were recycled and used to create this play area surface. That’s 1185 tires that won’t be abandoned in the rural areas of our state nor will they find their way illegally into our state’s landfills.

It’s a two step process to create a tire surfacing. The first step is to pour the main base that is composed of shredded tires referred to as “buffings” and a liquid binding material similar to a glue. The process of pouring the main base is similar to that of pouring concrete ensuring that it is smooth and level. The second step is a thinner coating that comes in different colors to provide an attractive finish. This coat is also poured in and smoothed out similar to concrete. The end result is an attractive playground that is safe for children.

The poured in place tire surfacing was made possible by a grant received from the California Integrated Waste Management Board. This is the second grant the City has received to promote the reuse of California waste tires. A recycled tire running track was recently installed as part of the new Al Patch Park scheduled to open toward the end of summer this year. For more information please feel free to contact me at (707) 469-6509. Be sure to visit Vacaville’s recycling and environmental education booth at the Middle Earth Festival on Earth Day, April 22nd.

The City of Vacaville’s recycling program, in cooperation with Vacaville Sanitary Service, has been collecting recyclables curbside since 1999 and we’ve come a long way. Since July 1999, Vacaville Sanitary Service has collected 39,955 tons of recyclables. That’s 39,955 tons of cans, bottles, and paper products that were kept out of our local landfill! In April of 2007 we kicked off the single-stream program with the introduction of the blue toter.

Vacaville is known for its “clean” recyclable loads. “Clean” means that only recyclable items are put into the blue toters and the loads are not contaminated with items that can not be recycled. Here is a refresher course on what can and can not go in the blue toter.

The items that can go into your blue toter can be put into four categories: metal, paper, plastic, and glass. For starters, we only accept three types of metal in the blue toters: aluminum, tin, and bimetal. This means that all soda cans and all food containers made out of tin such as soup cans and vegetable cans are recyclable. Bimetal cans such as pet food cans can also be recycled. Sharp can lids should not be placed in the blue toters as these can pose as a hazard to those individuals who sort the recyclables.

The City of Vacaville’s Recycling Program will accept many types of paper products such as junk mail, office paper, cardboard, newspaper & chipboard. Here are a few things to remember with regard to paper products. We do not accept paper products that have a food substance on them so put those cheese covered pizza boxes in your gray toter. Also, the waxy-coated half-gallon cartons that juice and milk sometimes come in are not recyclable. Additionally, all frozen food cartons are not recyclable due to the coating on these boxes. We do, however, accept all junk mail including magazines, envelopes (even those with the clear window), and newspaper. Cardboard and chipboard are also recyclable including flattened boxes that cereal and crackers come in. Just make sure to pull out the plastic liner.

The third category is plastics. Currently, our program accepts all #1 through #7 narrow-necked plastic bottles. Most of you have probably seen a number surrounded by chasing arrows on just about all plastic items. These numbers indicate what type of plastic resin the item is made from. Even though there are thousands of different types of resins, they are categorized into only seven classes. The City’s recycling program now accepts all plastic narrow-necked bottles such as soda bottles, water bottles, milk jugs, and even some lotion and shampoo bottles. The following items are currently not accepted: toys, plastic storage containers such as those made by Rubbermaid or Sterlite, plastic tubs similar to those that margarine comes in, and most importantly, plastic shopping bags. The number one contaminant in the blue toter is the plastic shopping bag. Many people think that because it is plastic it is accepted as part of the curbside recycling program. Unfortunately, these plastic bags can get tangled up in equipment at the sorting facility. To recycle your plastic bags, take them to a recycling bin located at a local grocery store.

All glass bottles and jars can be recycled in your blue toter. Please remove the lid, rinse them out and toss them in. Once again, for the safety of our drivers and sorters, please do not put broken glass pieces or flat glass sheets such as window panels in your bin. Dishes and ceramics are also not acceptable in our program.

For all of those do-it-yourselfers, Vacaville Sanitary Service will collect your used oil and filters curbside. To have your used oil and filters collected curbside, please call 448-2945 for a free oil jug and filter bag. When you are finished changing your oil, put your used oil in the jug and your drained filter in the bag. Place the jug and bag next to your blue toter or green yardwaste toter on your regular garbage collection day. The driver will leave you an empty filter bag and oil jug for your next oil change. Motor oil contains toxic chemicals that can be harmful to people and the environment so it is important to recycle it so that it does not end up in our water supply.

Provided as a service to the residents of Vacaville, Dixon and unincorporated Solano County, Vacaville Sanitary Service has a Household Hazardous Waste Facility located at 855 ½ Davis Street in Vacaville. It is open every Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Residentially-generated products such as paints, pesticides, herbicides, bleach, cleaners, fertilizers and automotive fluids may be dropped off for free disposal. Please note that under California state law, residents can only transport up to 15 gallons or 125 lbs. of material at a time to the HHW facility. The HHW facility is also a certified collection center for used oil and filters.

Also located at 855 ½ Davis Street is an electronic waste collection area where residents may drop off electronic waste such as TV’s, monitors, computers, radios, phones and other electronics for disposal. Americans have amassed an enormous amount of electronic devices—an estimated three billion in total. Given the large amount of potential products involved, e-waste includes a broad range of electronic devices. Unfortunately, improper disposal of e-waste creates a significant burden on landfills because toxic substances can leach into the soil and groundwater. E-waste should not be considered waste. It is a resource. Useful materials such as glass, copper, aluminum, plastic and other components can often be extracted and reused. The electronic waste drop off facility is open every Saturday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. This is a self-serve drop-off so please bring along assistance should you need help lifting up to two electronic items per Saturday.

Here is hat can and cannot go in the toter.

What's Blue, has four wheels, and likes to eat cans, bottles, and paper? It's the new blue recycling toter and it'll be arriving at the homes of approximately 2000 local residents. These lucky residents will have an opportunity to try out a new blue recycling toter in place of their current blue toter. This program is coming in response to local interest in having a more user friendly recycling container that is both roomier and easier to move. The two areas of town that will receive one are a portion of the Foxboro area and the Twin Creeks subdivision in the North Alamo area. Residents living in these areas will receive their new blue toter the week of October 24th and will be able to use the toter starting the week of October 31st.

If you live in one of the above areas and you receive one of the blue toters, you will be receiving additional information, but here are some helpful tips:

Please do not use your yellow recycle toter during the pilot program.

You may keep your yellow recycle toter, if you choose. If you do not want to keep your blue toter place it out empty on the day after your regular collection day the week of October 24th. If your pick-up is on Monday, place your empty blue toter out on Oct. 25th. If your pick-up is on Thursday, place your empty blue toter out on Oct. 28th.

Fill your blue toter up with the same recyclables as before (mixed paper, cardboard, aluminum and tin cans, glass jars and bottles, #1 & #2 plastic narrow neck bottles) For a complete list of what can and cannot be recycled go to www.vacavillerecycling.com

Since your new toter is larger than your blue toter, it is not necessary to place your blue toter at the curb each week. Feel free to place it out only when it is full.

We welcome feedback from those participating in the upcoming pilot recycling program. Feel free to call the City's recycling coordinator at 469-6509. Additionally, at the end of the program an opportunity will be given to those participating to fill out a survey to help us assess the pilot program.

Thank you to all households participating in this pilot program. Let's all get together and start thinking green…or in this case THINK BLUE!

The City of Vacaville's storm drain awareness campaign.

While driving through town you may notice some new eye catching storm drain markers on the fronts of curbs. These round green and blue curb markers are part of The City of Vacaville's storm drain awareness campaign. The markers feature the message "Drains to Waterways." This message serves to remind residents that everything that is swept or poured into a storm drain inlet will eventually end up in our local water supply. Water that enters a storm drain goes directly into our creeks with no treatment. Storms drains are different than sewers. They are not connected to a treatment plant. The affects of disposing of hazardous waste in a storm drain can be extremely harmful.

Did you know?

Used oil is the single largest source (over 40%) of water pollution in the U.S. harbor and water ways.

Ethylene glycol, the major component of antifreeze is poisonous in concentrated form to people, fish, birds and pets. In addition to ethylene glycol, used antifreeze contains heavy metal contaminants it picks up from the engine during use.

If you have a vehicle that is leaking antifreeze or oil, please put a drip tray under your car to catch the leaks.
Clean up driveway stains with kitty litter and a broom. Hosing off the driveway will wash the chemicals into the storm drain.

Soap suds from washing your car, rinse water from painting, pet waste, pesticides, plastics and yard waste can all cause environmental problems when disposed of in a storm drains.

Wash vehicles at a commercial car wash that treats it's waste water
Make sure contractors clean up responsibly and avoid washing paint brushes and other tools in the gutter.

The purchase of these curb markers was made possible by the receipt of a used oil recycling grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board. The state hopes that the funding of these markers will assist in educating residents that the storm drain is no place for dumping chemicals such as used automotive oil. If you have household hazardous waste that needs to be disposed of responsibly, please drop it off at 855 ½ Davis Street every Saturday of every month from 9 AM - 2 PM. Additionally, every Saturday this facility will take batteries, oil, latex paint, & antifreeze. For more information call: 469-6509

Local designer helps to promote recycling.

Local resident and designer Dan Fowler of design company ThinkingChair! has been designing eye catching ads for Vacaville's recycling program for six years. Dan first began designing for the program in 1999 when the City started curbside recycling. He designed the main logo for the recycling program that is now seen on all marketing materials. The logo features the City of Vacaville's logo encircled by chasing arrows that represent the importance of recycling in Vacaville.

One of Dan's most recognized ads features a tree made of recyclables that is planted, of course, in a yellow Vacaville recycling toter. It reminds residents to recycle and "Think Globally." Dan's recycling ads have been seen on screen at Brenden theatres, on the back of local transit buses, on postcard and flyer mailings, on the Vacaville Recycling website www.vacavillerecycling.com, and in local publications such as The Reporter and Grapevine.

In 2001, Dan was involved with two programs which the City of Vacaville won Helen Putnam Awards for. One of these awards was for the Give Winter Garb a 2nd Chance coat and blanket drive. In addition to having designed the ads for the program, Dan was asked to design the display that advertised this program at the Awards presentation. According to Dan, he is most proud of the work he did to promote this award winning program.

Take a look at the some of the new ads:

This year Dan created a series of new ads to help remind residents where to put their recyclables and how to dispose of hazardous waste. This "clever" company is hoping to catch your attention by using some easily recognizable products in ads to show where certain items go.

According to Dan, he came up with the idea for the ads from some trading cards that were popular in the 70's that parodied common brand items. The "put me here" message helps to remind residents to put that empty veggie can in the blue toter and take that leftover bleach to the hazardous waste facility. According to recycling coordinator, Kari Holmes, "It's a simple concept yet very effective. All you need to do is glance at the ad and it immediately reminds residents what to do with that empty can of peas or how to recycle their used automotive filter."

Dan hopes his ads are considered friendly and approachable to the residents that view them. Although he has a wide variety of styles, he feels that the work he has done for the recycling program allows him to both meet the needs of the recycling program and provides an opportunity for him to create ads that please him. So don't forget to take note of these new ads and recycle…pretty peas?

Vacaville elementary schools did their part to help the environment and teach our youth about the importance of recycling this year. Last fall local elementary schools started off the year with some major budget cuts. One of these cuts was in the area of garbage service. School garbage pick-ups were reduced from five days a week to three days a week. This prompted City recycling staff and Vacaville Sanitary Service to assist schools in finding ways to increase their recycling and further cut back their daily garbage.

To address the need of garbage reduction, each month a couple of elementary schools were contacted to assess their needs and find ways to reduce the garbage generated. Paper generated from schools made up the highest volume of garbage generated. While many schools had paper collection programs, the collection was expanded to include newspapers, and the programs were given a promotional shot in the arm. The paper collected in the individual classrooms was then dumped into a larger toter and picked up on a weekly schedule for recycling.

Beverage containers were also a popular recyclable item that schools were generating. These containers were the result of on-campus vending machines and those containers that were packed in lunches. To address this issue, some schools that did not have a current beverage can recycling program were given toters specially designed with a hole cut out at the top to collect the containers for recycling.

Some of our schools really got into recycling and took on food waste programs as well. Leftover food from lunch hours was collected each day in small toters at the exit doors of the school's cafeteria. The food was then brought to the Hay Road Landfill composting facility where it was composted and made readily available to residents and schools free of charge.

Congratulations to all of our elementary schools for a job well done this year!

If you are a parent of school aged children, there are things you can do to help with waste reduction at your child's school next year.

	Encourage recycling at home so that children are know the importance of waste diversion at home and at school. For example, do you generate a lot of paper at your home from junk mail? Place a separate garbage can next to your primary garbage container in your home for collecting your junk mail.
	Pack you child's lunch in reusable containers rather than paper sacks, and sandwich bags. Individual food packages including juice boxes and individually packed food items all generate more garbage at your child's school. Buying reusable containers will allow you to by your food in bulk and save you money.
	Have your child be in charge of recycling at your home by taking out the recycling each week.
	Take you child to the recycling center located at 855 ½ Davis St. to receive California Redemption Value for your beverage containers. The center is open Tuesday - Saturday from 9am-3pm.
	Purchase school supplies made from recycled products during the next school year.

As I was walking through a local home improvement store to begin buying flowers for my backyard I noticed a large amount of gardening products that stocked the shelves just in time for spring. It occurred to me that there are a lot of rather expensive chemicals on the market that promise to do everything from kill 10 species of insects to making your petunias grow bigger and better. The problem with pesticides is not just their toxicity but also the frequency in which people use them. These pesticides end up in our air, soil, and water and can be harmful to your family and the environment.

Remove aphids safely

Are aphids attacking your roses? Knock the aphids off of your plants with a garden house attached to a high pressure sprayer. Once the aphids are knocked off they aren't able to climb back onto the roses. You can also mix a solution of 1 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of vegetable oil and then dilute 1 tbsp. of this mixture with 1 cup of water and mix in a sprayer. Spray the solution onto your plants to help with aphids, spidermites, and mealy bugs.

Pick up free compost

Pick up free compost at the local landfill to help your plants grow well this spring. One load of compost (up to three cubic yards) per household per day is free to Vacaville residents and is available from April through October at the Hay Road Landfill. Residents must shovel the compost themselves and bring a copy of a utility bill to prove their residency. Please call prior to going to the landfill to ensure availability 678-4718.

Recycled content

Look for landscaping items made from recycled content. For example, some home improvement stores sell bender boards, weed barriers, mulch, etc. made from recycled plastic or recycled tires. These are great ways to promote an earth friendly garden. Check out the California Integrated Waste Management Board's website for a Recycled-Content Product Directory of vendors that sell landscaping materials made from recycled content www.ciwmb.ca.gov/RCP/

Practice "grasscycling" when mowing.

Practice "grasscycling" by mulching your lawn when mowing. Grass clippings will naturally and quickly decompose returning nutrients to your lawn soil and will not cause thatch buildup. Not only will this aid in the production of a beautiful lawn, it'll also cut back on the yardwaste generated each week as a result of throwing out grass clippings. It is not necessary to use a special mower. Cut your grass when the surface is dry and keep mower blades sharp. Mow your lawn more frequently so that no more than one-third of the length of the grass blade is cut in any one mowing. It's simple, easy and it works!

Check the reuse center.

If you must use a garden chemical, check to see if any is available at the reuse center located at 855 1/5 Davis St.Often paints and chemicals are dropped off at the center for recycling and are still in original containers and useful to other residents. Residents can pick up items free of charge every Saturday from 9am-2pm.

Did you know that it's the responsibility of all homeowners to ensure that a property's garbage service gets paid whether or not the home is owner occupied? Every year, unpaid garbage bills are liened against the property to which the service was provided. By doing so, this helps keep our garbage rates from increasing too much to compensate for the unpaid bills. As of the end of May there is $190,806 in unpaid bills.

Vacaville Sanitary Service's fiscal year begins April 1st and goes thru March 31st. This means that all outstanding garbage balances that remain unpaid after March 31st can be liened against the property address if left unpaid. Several opportunities are given to home owners prior to the lien taking affect. The first notification letter was sent out on February 6th this year that alerted property owners of any outstanding balances on the property's garbage account from April 1st through December 31st. A second courtesy letter was sent out April 18th that notified owners of outstanding balances through March 31st . A final letter from the City of Vacaville will be sent out in June. This letter informs homeowners of the remaining unpaid balance for a particular property address, and informs the owners of the final date that payments will be accepted. A formal hearing is held at the council meeting where the liens are approved. This hearing, which will occur July 11th, allows homeowners to voice any concerns they may have with regard to the lien process.

Sometimes outstanding garbage bill amounts are the result of renters who did not pay all or a portion of their garbage bills while living at a particular address. Unfortunately, this unpaid garbage bill is the responsibility of the home owner and not the renter. All homes are required to have garbage service for health and sanitation reasons (City ordinance 8.08.041). For this reason, Vacaville Sanitary Service must continue to provide garbage service to all homes regardless of any unpaid bills. There are a couple of ways homeowners can protect themselves from being left with unpaid garbage bills from current or previous tenants.

Homeowner's are always welcome to check the status of a tenants garbage account both while the tenant is living at the property and before the tenant leaves the property. When calling to check the status, it is important for the owner to give the tenants name and/or the account number. Often times an address will only give the owner information on the current tenant and not any prior outstanding balances. To check the balance, call 448-2945.
Some landlords include the garbage bill as part of the tenants rent. By doing so, the landlord is able to have the garbage bill come to their address and pay it out of the increased rent.

For a copy of the City ordinance the deals with the lien process (ordinance 8.08.200) and the ordinance that makes garbage service mandatory (ordinance 8.08.041) go to www.cityofvacaville.com and click on "municipal codes"

The City of Vacaville now collects several types of electronic waste in addition to TV's and computer monitors. On February 7th, the City expanded its program to include a drop-off program in which residents of Vacaville, Dixon, and unincorporated Solano County can drop off electronic equipment such as radios, fax machines, cell phones, VCRs, microwave ovens, computers, printers, and telephones.

The drop-off service is available every Saturday between 9 AM and 2 PM at the Vacaville Sanitary Service Recycling Center located at 855 ½ Davis Street. There is a two item limit per day and residents must be able to carry and unload their own equipment. There will not be staff available to assist with the unloading of electronics.

This new drop-off program has come about as a result of the upcoming 2006 ban that will be placed on electronics to prevent them from making their way into landfills in California. The City of Vacaville wanted to get a program in the works to both meet the requirements of the upcoming ban and promote recycling in the community.

The free drop-off service has been made possible by a grant that was cooperatively awarded to Vacaville, Dixon, and unincorporated Solano County by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. This grant has provided funding to construct an area at the Vacaville Sanitary Service Recycling Center in which to collect electronic waste as well as assist in funding the disposal of the items.

For the past two years, residents have successfully recycled 2,241 TV's and computer monitors through the City's pick-up program. Because of the lead that TV's and monitors contain, they were banned from disposal in all California landfills. As a result of this ban, residents have been able to use a pick-up service that involves calling Vacaville Sanitary Service to have a TV or monitor picked up from their home. One unit can still be picked up per residential address free of charge per year with additional units being picked up for a fee dependent on their size.

For more information please call Vacaville Sanitary Service at 448-2945.

After you've enjoyed your Christmas tree during the holidays, don't let it go to waste! Your tree can be collected curbside and turned into compost. Vacaville Sanitary Service will collect trees on your regular collection day, or you can support local Boy Scout troops by arranging for a troop to pick up your tree for a small donation.

Vacaville Sanitary Service will collect trees on your regular collection day, between December 26, 2007 - January 5, 2008. To prepare your tree for collection, please do the following:

Remove all tinsel, ornaments, lights and stands, including wooden stands.
Place your tree in or next to your green toter.
Large trees must be cut in half for safe loading into the yard waste trucks.

Please note that flocked trees cannot be composted!

The following table provides information about local Boy Scout troops that are collecting trees to raise funds for their activities. As with trees prepared for Vacaville Sanitary Service, please remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel and stands. Flocked trees cannot be composted, although some troops will collect flocked trees for an extra charge and take them to the landfill.

The map below this table indicates the areas of town served by each troop. Please call the telephone numbers provided in this table for more details or to arrange a tree pickup. Thank you for giving your old tree a new use!

Group	Pickup Dates	Pickup Area	Phone	Donation Amount	Flocked Trees?
Troop 180	No flocked trees Pick-up on Dec. 29 and Jan. 5 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.	Browns Valley including Vaca Valley Parkway and Vine Street areas	Ph: 301-1271 Fax: 707-447-3543 email: BoyScoutT180@hotmail.com	$10	No
Troop 265	No flocked trees Pick-up on Dec. 29 and Jan. 5 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.	Crestview, Vacaville High, Hemlock and Orchard schools, No. Orchard Park, No. Alamo, No. Orchard, and Fruitvale areas	Ph: 446-0725 or jim@moehrke.com	$5	No
Troop 476	No flocked trees Pick-up Dec. 29 and Jan. 5 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Alamo Park, Andrews Park, and Elm School Areas	449-4316 or basinger_david@hotmail.com	under 10' = $5 over 10' = $10	No
Troop 487 & 852	No flocked trees Dec. 29 and Jan. 5 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.	East of Peabody Road and South of Alamo Drive and 3 Oaks, Willows Park, Paden Park, Keating Park, New and Old Fairmont, Will C. Wood, Berryessa and Southwood areas	448-7740 or claariley@sbcglobal.net	under 10' = $5 over 10' = $10	No
Troop 488	Also Pick-ups by appointment Dec. 29, Jan. 5 & 6 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.	Leisure Town	448-7448 or jrreed@slurry.com	$10	under 6' = $15 over 6' = $20
Troop 897	Dec. 29 and Jan. 5 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.	Meadowlands, Regency Park, Stonegate, Canterfield, Creekside, Vaca Pena Middle School, Hawkins Park, Woodstock Greens, and Factory Stores Also accepting trees for drop-off at Rite Aid Parking lot on 1/5/08	447-4110 or bsat897trees@sbcglobal.net	$10	under 6' = $15 over 6' =$20

In recent years, more and more families have begun to recognize the tremendous amount of waste associated with the holidays season and seek ways to make their celebrations more Earth-friendly. Each year, Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than at any other time of year. This extra waste results in an additional one million tons of garbage per week!

Following are tips related to meals and parties, Christmas trees, gift wrap and cards, and shipping that can make your holiday activities gentler on the Earth.

Meals and Parties

If you usually fry your turkey, consider baking your holiday turkey this year to reduce cooking oil waste. If you must fry it, be sure to take your used cooking oil to Vacaville Sanitary Service (855 1/2 Davis Street) for proper disposal on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you’ll be throwing a holiday party, use glass dishware and cloth napkins and tablecloths – either your own or from a rental business.
After your party, be sure to put all of your glass bottles and #1 and #2 narrow-necked plastic bottles in your yellow recycle toter for recycling. If you don’t have a blue toter, take your items to Vacaville Sanitary Service at 855 1/2 Davis Street, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Christmas Trees

Consider buying an artificial tree that can be used year after year. If you can’t live without the smell of a real tree, pick up some tree branch clippings from a local tree lot and decorate your mantle with them.
When decorating your tree, get creative and decorate with jewelry, small toys, cookie cutters, or items from a family vacation such as seashells.
If you use a real cut tree, be sure to recycle your tree by sawing it in half and placing it in or beside your green yardwaste toter. Please remember to remove all tinsel, ornaments and the stand. Flocked trees cannot be placed in your yardwaste toter. Additionally, the Boy Scouts will collect trees after Christmas for a donation. For details, see upcoming information on this Web site.

Gift wrap and Cards

Gifts wrapped in a gift are twice as nice as those that come in a box. Get creative and wrap your gifts in scarves, a cookie jar or even a jewelry box. Children’s artwork also makes gift wrap that relatives particularly appreciate.
If you purchase wrapping paper, look for wrapping paper with recycled content.
Instead of using store-bought ribbons and bows, use ornaments, shoelaces, toys or other reusable items.
When you’re finished with your cards, cut them up and make gift tags for next year. Or send the fronts of the cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude Street, Boulder City, NV 89005-1618. The children at the ranch use the cards to make and sell new cards.

Shipping and Packaging

Flatten your cardboard shipping boxes and cut them down to dimensions not larger than 2 ft. x 3 ft. Place them next to your blue recycling toter for curbside pickup, or take them to Vacaville Sanitary Service on Davis Street for recycling.
Take used Styrofoam packaging peanuts to Mailboxes Etc. for reuse if you don’t plan to use them for your future shipping needs.

For additional holiday ideas or further information, call 469-6509. Happy Holidays from the City of Vacaville recycling staff!

The saying goes "Nothing in life is free," but your neighbors at Vacaville Sanitary Service are here to prove that's not true!

Free household, garden and automotive products are available from Vacaville Sanitary Service, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents may select these items at the Recycling Center, 855 Davis St. The household, garden and automotive products are turned in by other Vacaville residents and available for reuse.

Five-gallon buckets of recycled paint are normally available to residential customers for $2 a gallon, but for the months of May, June, July and August the same containers are available at no charge – FREE!. The paint has been reconstituted and tinted either beige or gray to create recycled paint. Nonprofit organizations and churches also are welcome to participate. Recycled paint is not available to commercial businesses or professional painters.

If you have paint or other household materials to contribute to Vacaville's reuse program, please follow this link to the household hazardous waste section for details on how to turn in these products to Vacaville Sanitary Service: www.vacavillerecycling.com/vaca_pages/hhw.html

For questions about dropping off or obtaining these household materials, please call Vacaville Sanitary Service at 707-448-2945.

Congratulations, Vacaville residents! Since July 2002, you’ve been placing your used motor oil at the curb for recycling, and your efforts are paying off. In just the first year of our curbside used oil program, we’ve recycled almost 6,300 gallons of oil and more than 3,700 filters. Your efforts help ensure that our waterways will be cleaner, which preserves habitat and benefits not only wildlife, but also humans.

For specific instructions about how to recycle your used oil at the curb, please visit our household hazardous waste Web page.

Here are a few reminders so that our curbside used oil pickup will continue to be a successful program:

Please drain your filter completely before placing it into the filter bag.
Please put only uncontaminated used oil in the jug provided by Vacaville Sanitary Service.
Oil must be placed only in the jug provided by Vacaville Sanitary Service; oil in other containers will not be collected.
If you have used oil for pickup, please be sure to put your blue toter at the curb whether it's empty or full. The blue toter signals the driver to stop for a pickup.

If you have used oil to recycle, please call Vacaville Sanitary Service at 448-2945 to request a free oil jug and filter bag. Thank you for participating in this program!.

As electronics become more and more popular, the use of batteries grows. It becomes increasingly important for consumers to be aware of the threat of improper battery disposal. It's estimated that households alone discard over 200 million lbs. of batteries each year into our landfill. These same batteries over time will break open and leak their contents into our soils, with pollutants eventually ending up in our creeks and other water sources. Do you ever see batteries lying in the road or in a parking lot? These batteries will eventually break open and their contents will wash directly into our creeks, contaminating our water supply.

You can take a handful of steps to prevent possible exposure to the dangerous elements found in your batteries.

Use batteries for their intended purpose. Tampering with them for an at-home scientific experiment can cause them to break open, leaking their contents.
Do not mix batteries with other metal objects such as keys or money. Items rubbing against the batteries can cause them to short circuit and may cause heat and/or sparks.
Purchase rechargeable batteries that can be used over and over to reduce the quantity of batteries you will have to purchase and discard.
Always remove batteries from items that you will not be using or will be storing for a long period of time. Batteries can break open or corrode inside of the item, possibly damaging the equipment.
RECYCLE! RECYCLE! RECYCLE! Collect old household and automotive batteries and take them to the Vacaville Recycling Center on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Be sure to keep them in a cool place up high enough to be out of your children's reach. I keep my old household batteries in a medium sized lidded plastic container similar to the type used for leftovers. Once the container is full, I take the batteries to be recycled.
If you have rechargeable batteries to recycle, they can be brought to Target or Radio Shack for recycling.

For more information on how to safely use and dispose of household and automotive batteries, check out www.ciwmb.ca.us or www.rbrc.org.

Most of us don't think of our computer monitors or television sets as housing toxic waste, yet they do. Each computer or TV display typically contains about four to eight pounds of lead, a hazardous waste that can cause serious human health problems. Exposure to lead is particularly dangerous for young children and babies, and can cause brain damage, behavior and learning disabilities, delayed growth and impaired hearing.

In 2001, the Department of Toxic Substances Control determined that it is illegal to discard any computer or television monitors containing cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in California municipal solid waste landfills. To be discarded safely, monitors and TVs must be treated as hazardous waste and may not be thrown away with residential or business garbage.

Do you have a monitor or TV that you no longer want? Before you discard it, consider sending it to an organization that can put it to use.

The California State Prison in Vacaville accepts computer and electronic equipment — both working and nonworking. Prisoners refurbish computers and donate them to schools and other organizations. Call (916) 322-7576 for details.
Want to help needy children? Vacaville resident Tony Kirth will accept certain computers and refurbish them to help local kids. He can be reached from 9 am to noon at 446-8228.
Is your TV or monitor in working order? Donate it to a local nonprofit or to a school. Visit the Reuse Department on this Web site for more ideas. Or check out the Solano Materials Exchange at www.solanomax.org for organizations seeking donations of electronics.
Don't forget that repairing electronic equipment and appliances is better for the environment than replacing them. Visit the Reuse Department for appliance and electronic repair shops.

If you need to discard your monitor or TV, Vacaville Sanitary Service offers a convenient and low-cost option for disposal. Just call Vacaville Sanitary Service at 448-2945 and request a pickup appointment. Each household may discard one TV or monitor each year for free! If your family has more than one monitor or television to discard, additional units require a fee that is determined by the size of the unit.

According to a report by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, "the 315 million computers that will become obsolete between 1997 and 2004 contain a total of more than 1.2 billion pounds of lead." Please help us keep this hazardous material out of our landfill by donating your monitors and televisions for reuse, or by calling Vacaville Sanitary Service to request a pickup.

Last spring we announced a fun and exciting new program, hosted by our mascot Curby, the Curbside Guy. We set a goal to collect 5,000 tons of recyclables by April 2003 — that's 500 tons more than we collected the previous year. We're making good progress, but we still need your help.
As of the end of December, you've set out almost 3,300 tons of recyclables. At our current rate of recycling, we're about on pace with our recycling record from last year.

Kari Holmes, Recycling Coordinator for the City of Vacaville, says: "We need to recycle another 1,700 tons of materials by the end of March to exceed our recycling tonnage from last year. If we succeed, then one lucky resident who sent in an entry to Curby's Corner will win a year of free garbage service! We have to increase our recycling substantially, though, if we're going to reach our goal."

We've already announced nine lucky winners of one quarter of free garbage service from our monthly drawings of Curby's Corner participants. Those winners are:

April: Doryce Olson
May: Keiko McCall
June: Sue Hoeft
July: Rose Ann Weinburke
August: Cathy Torvik
September: Anita Priddy
October: Tina Crim
November: Ann Delavara
December: James Wylie

If you'd like to play the current game at Curby's Corner, which tests your knowledge of recycling issues in our city, please click here or see The Reporter on the first and third Sundays of each month. All correct entries submitted are automatically entered in the drawings for free service. Meanwhile, we encourage you to visit other pages on this Web site to learn more about how to recycle in Vacaville.

Help us get to 5,000 tons — please keep your bottles, cans and junk mail coming!

The days are growing crisper and fall is upon us. Already many of the trees in our towns are losing their leaves, and this process will speed up with the arrival of our winter rains.

Please keep your lawn tidy and our streets and storm drains free of debris — while you recycle. Put leaves and other yard trimmings in your green toter for weekly pickup. And don't forget — you can also put fruit and vegetable scraps in your toter.

It's especially important not to blow or rake leaves into the street. Leaves can conceal substantial objects, such as rocks or hubcaps, resulting in dangerous driving conditions. They clog storm drains, creating flooding that can make cars stall or disrupt steering. And they may entice children to play in the streets, jeopardizing their safety.

Help us keep our Vacaville neighborhoods safe and free of tree debris. Put leaves in your green toter each week.

We're in the middle of baseball season and it's time to pitch in more than just a baseball! The City of Vacaville is installing recycling toters at several local parks so residents can "pitch" in their bottles and cans to keep the community clean and help the environment. Keating, Arlington, Nelson and Centennial Parks are already displaying the first seven of the large green bins.

The idea of installing these bins came from Girl Scout Troop 87. In January, the group took it upon itself to make a presentation to Vacaville Sanitary Service and the City of Vacaville recycling staff.

According to Troop Leader Marilyn Johnson, most of her Scouts play sports, and the girls were troubled by the large number of bottles and cans they saw discarded at their games. That experience sparked their interest in introducing recycling at the parks.

"As Girl Scouts, the girls pledge to make the world a better place, and recycling is part of the Girl Scout 'law,'" Johnson added. "This situation enabled them to meet their responsibilities as Scouts and helped them feel good about keeping our parks beautiful."

The park recycling toters were made possible by a grant from the California Department of Conservation.

Putting bins in the parks is just one of the many ways the City of Vacaville is working to increase recycling. This year the City also is sponsoring a game called Curby's Corner to encourage more recycling. Each month, one winner receives a prize of one quarter of free garbage service. For details or to play the latest Curby game, click here.

Meanwhile, let's make our local Girl Scouts proud and pitch our recyclable beverage containers into these new green bins!

Did you know that one gallon of improperly disposed motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of water? That state law imposes fines of $5,000 to $100,000 on individuals who dump used oil? That it's illegal to deposit used motor oil or filters in your gray toter, green toter or storm drain? Proper disposal of used motor oil is critical, both for our own health and the environment.

Fortunately, used oil recycling in Vacaville is now easier than ever! As of July 1, Vacaville residents can recycle your used motor oil and filters simply by placing them curbside on regularly scheduled garbage collection days. To take advantage of this convenient service, all you have to do is call Vacaville Sanitary Service at 448-2945 to request a free oil jug and filter bag.

Once you've received your oil jug and filter bag, please follow these three easy steps:

Carefully drain your oil into the jug.
Thoroughly drain the filter, put it in the bag, and hang the bag from the neck of the jug.
Place the jug next to your yellow recycle toter on collection day.

Please be sure to place your blue toter out whether empty or full to indicate that you have oil to recycle. On pickup day, you'll receive a new oil jug and filter bag for your next oil change. Meanwhile, your old oil will be re-refined, making it "good as new" and ready to be used again.

For more information about used oil recycling, please be sure to watch for the City of Vacaville's entertaining, yet informative, new commercials! Created by local claymation expert Ryan McCulloch and his father Bill, these commercials remind do-it-yourselfers of acceptable and unacceptable ways to dispose of used motor oil. You can view stills from the new commercials by clicking here.

If you prefer to recycle oil at our drop-off sites, please click here for a list of local businesses that recycle used motor oil. Our curbside oil and filter program is made possible by the California Integrated Waste Management Board, which provides grants to eligible cities to educate residents and promote recycling used oil and filters.

Hi! I'm Curby, the Curbside Guy, and I've been busy creating some fun and enlightening recycling games for you and your Vacaville neighbors! Last year we collected 4,500 tons of recyclables, and I think we can do even better this year. Play my bi-monthly quiz — which you can find in The Reporter or print from this Web site — and you could be one of 12 residents to get me to pay for your garbage service for three months!

On the first and second Sundays of each month, I'll give you a new word game with questions related to recycling. Check the main news section in The Reporter or visit this Web site for the latest game. (Please click here to go to my game page!) Fill in your answer, and mail your entry to Public Works — Recycling, 1001 Allison Drive, Vacaville, CA 95687. Each month's winners will be announced on the third Sunday of the following month.

Our goal is to collect 5,000 tons of recyclables by April 2003 — that's 5,000 tons of the newspapers and junk mail, glass jars, plastic bottles, and aluminum and tin cans that go in our blue recycling toters.

Each month when I announce the most recent winner, I'll give you an update in The Reporter and on this Web site, so you can see how close we're getting to our goal. If Vacaville reaches this goal, all correct answers to my games will be entered in a drawing to win one year of free garbage service!

When you're done reading this article, I hope you'll take a look around this Web site. It has lots of great information about curbside recycling, including details about the materials you can recycle curbside and how to prepare them. Please click here to go directly to the curbside recycling page.

If we're going to reach this goal, we all have to do our part. Thanks for helping me collect 5,000 tons of recyclables!

It may be "junk mail" to you, but to Vacaville Sanitary Service and the City of Vacaville Recycling, all those unwanted credit card offers, catalogs and sales announcements represent the raw material for new pieces of paper. And we want them!

Paper products represent nearly one-quarter of the trash in Vacaville's waste stream. Recycling your paper provides resources for creating new paper, which can save as many as 24 trees per ton of paper! How much waste can you help us avoid by diverting paper to your recycling toter? How many trees can you save? Read on for reminders about the wide variety of paper products you can put in your recycling toter.

The City of Vacaville accepts numerous paper products for recycling: junk mail, envelopes (including those with windows), carbonless forms, manila envelopes, Post-It Notes, typing and copy paper, fax paper, slick or glossy paper, catalogs, magazines, newspaper inserts, file folders and paper ream wrappers. And, of course, newspapers are always accepted.

From your kitchen, you can recycle paperboard egg cartons, brown paper bags, and boxes from cereal, crackers or other foods. However, please throw away any paper towels, as well as paper or boxes contaminated by food. (That pizza box looks recyclable, but is it greasy and full of crumbs? Sometimes the lid is food-free and can be recycled, but the bottom half of the pizza box usually belongs in the trash.)

Curbside recycling also accepts corrugated boxes, such as shipping or packaging boxes. Please flatten your boxes, break them down into a size not larger than 2' x 3'.

If you have a large quantity of paper to recycle, just collect it in a brown paper bag and set it next to your recycling toter — saving space in your bin for cans, bottles and other recyclables.

For more details about which paper products you can recycle and how to recycle them, click here.

Want more ideas for reducing paper waste in your household? Visit Co-op America's WoodWise Consumer Web site at www.woodwise.org.

Thank you for helping to make Vacaville's curbside paper recycling program a tremendous success!

Once again, the City of Vacaville and its generous residents will warm the hearts and bodies of some of our neediest neighbors. For one week in November, Vacaville Sanitary Service will collect clean winter coats and blankets along with residents' curbside recycling. The items collected will be distributed throughout our community.
Last year residents donated more than 1,500 coats and blankets. Once collected, the coats and blankets were sorted and then distributed at Christmas Wish parties, which were held at local Neighborhood Boys and Girls Clubs.
Individuals and organizations throughout Vacaville have taken part in the clothing drive. Roseanne Favala, leader of Brownie Troop 342, explained why she believes it's important for her troop to be involved in the Winter Garb Collection: "We want to foster at an early age the importance of helping out those in need."
According to Favala, participating in this effort also helps her Brownies realize "that this time of the season is not always for receiving, but for giving as well.... It also teaches youth to appreciate how fortunate they are."
Vacaville's Winter Garb Collection has been recognized on a statewide level as an outstanding waste reduction and community service program. In 2002, the program received the Helen Putnam Award from the League of California Cities. The previous year, the California Integrated Waste Management Board designated it for a Trash Cutters Award.
The Winter Garb Collection will be held again starting November 13-17, 2006. We welcome your participation!

Thank you to all those who support our Winter Garb drive.

If you've been watching Fox Family, USA, Lifetime or a handful of other TV stations lately, you've probably noticed a new series of charming claymation commercials. In celebration of two years of successful curbside recycling, Vacaville's Public Works Department commissioned three new commercials to appear over the next six months.

The commercials congratulate Vacaville residents for recycling approximately 8,000 tons of materials since 1999 and remind viewers that junk mail and other mixed paper — such as copy and typing paper, envelopes, and fax paper — is now accepted curbside.

Local residents have achieved exceptional results in the first two years of curbside recycling, according to Connie Donovan, Vacaville Utilities Analyst and supervisor of the recycling efforts. "The recyclables are very clean, which means they don't have a lot of trash mixed in with them. The vast majority of local residents recycle. According to a recent mail survey, 74% of respondents responded that they set their curbside bin out for collection weekly, while a total of 96% indicated that they participate on at least a monthly basis.

"Vacaville residents should be proud of their substantial efforts to reduce waste, reuse resources like aluminum and glass, and help preserve our environment, " she concludes.

The commercials are noteworthy not only for their entertaining depiction of Vacaville's recycling success, but also because they were produced by the local claymation production firm Studio 1018. Consisting of the father-son team of Bill and Ryan McCulloch, Studio 1018 may be the only production studio in the country to feature an 18-year-old claymation expert.

A recent graduate of Will C. Wood High School, the younger McCulloch has created films for HBO, presented his work at numerous national and international film festivals, and received awards ranging from the Silver Spire at San Francisco's film festival to top honors at the University of California at Davis International Film Festival. The Buck Foundation recently awarded him a scholarship, enabling him to attend the San Francisco Art Institute this fall.

Click one of the items below to view additional stills of the new claymation recycling spots or to see a miniature movie of the commercial.

For Earth Day 2001, the City of Vacaville sponsored its first Earth Day Quilt, with classes throughout Vacaville invited to create quilt squares. City staff thanks Sharon Riehl's second grade class at Cooper School for the students' outstanding submission. Although this panel was the only conforming entry submitted this year, we hope to have greater Earth Day participation in future years.

The students explained how they created their quilt square: "Each of us made our own quilt square out of paper, and then we put our ideas together on one quilt square." Some of the environmental themes depicted on the square include

Don't pollute the ocean.

Garbage is dangerous to animals.

Take care of our environment.

Recycle bottles and cardboard.

City staff would also like to thank Stacy's Quilt Shop at 912 Merchant Street in Vacaville for turning the quilt panel into an attractive wall hanging, which City staff presented to Sharon Riehl's class.

It's time to recycle more than your cans and bottles curbside. How about recycling your Yellow Pages as well? Each year SBC Pacific Bell distributes new phone books to businesses and residential addresses throughout Vacaville. Each phone book weighs more than two pounds! When you think about all the phone books that will need to be replaced this year, it makes it increasingly important to get those books recycled and keep them out of our local landfill.

In addition to recycling your phone book curbside, you can also drop your phone books off at any of the following locations:

Through November 6th

Vacaville Sanitary Service Recycling Center,
855 1/2 Davis Street (Tues. - Sat., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.)
Raley's Superstore, 3063 Alamo Drive
(collection inside the store)
Vacaville Public Library, 1020 Ulatis Drive
(inside the library entrance during normal business hours)

November 3rd only

Boy Scouts Recycling Center, 1001 Allison Drive
(City Corporation Yard, 9 a.m. - 12 noon)

2002 Key Club Phone Book Drive
by Rich Uyttebrock

Each year, a club from each of the local high schools sponsors a phone book collection contest at its school. Additionally, the two clubs assist in the collection of phone books from local businesses.

Following is an article written by a student who participated in last year's phone book drive at Will C. Wood High School:

October is the month that SBC Pacific Bell distributes its