Did you know that we have a Resolution (89-27) on the books, "Phasing Out the Use & Purchase of Styrofoam Products" approved Mar. 7, 1989? In fact the resolution states, "… that City Departments shall not purchase products made of Styrofoam to be used by the City if an alternative biodegradable product exists…". If this is coming as a surprise to you, then its time to pay attention. Starting today, phase out any Styrofoam containers you have in stock. Please purchase either recyclable (numbers 1 through 5 , not 6 or 7, on the bottom) or biodegradable/compostable products. I have contacted Smart & Final and they carry biodegradable cups and will order other items, if requested. We are working with them to carry more choices on a regular basis. Any paper plates will suffice for the switch. I am currently working with Costco to carry biodegradable products also and we'll share that information as it comes in. There are many distributors of the product.
   We're lucky that we have a conscientious and environmentally responsible Council that supports waste reduction and understands the importance of a healthy City, as evident in the signing of the United Nations Urban Environmental Accords. In April, Council considered the impacts of Polystyrene (commonly known as Styrofoam) as litter. Staff was directed to meet with various impacted groups that serve prepared foods in Polystyrene to seek comments and find alternatives to its use. Discarded food and beverage packaging constitutes a significant and growing portion of the City’s waste stream and is prevalent as litter found in roadways, parks and bay. Polystyrene debris threatens water quality and wildlife as the material breaks apart into small pieces and is then ingested by animals, often causing death.
   If you have somehow forgotten and are still using Styrofoam, stop. If you need help finding cost-comparable alternatives, give us a call. The cost for alternative products has dropped drastically.

I know the following paragraph will confirm the importance of reading as it helped me conduct important research on the reasons to conserve paper and water. I read a true-to-life romance novel! That's right, something sound and well versed. It's a very realistic story about an incredibly handsome man and an outrageously beautiful woman (neither of them realize they are handsome or beautiful) that meet in rural Kentucky in the year 2007. The woman has traveled back in time from the year 2225 to carry out some magnificent sleuth work. While Mr. and Ms. Perfect (he's a detective and she works for the FBI) find the bad guys, you get glimpses of what completely astounds a person from the year 2225. You got it: trees are still growing, paper is available, and water is abundant. She is so amazed of the feeling of showering with water, the amount of water that is wasted everywhere and that we still have books made from paper that she is beside herself. She cannot return to the year 2225 but she sends her family the greatest gift she can give them, a ream of paper! (Oh, and she remains in the year 2007, marries Mr. Great, has beautiful children, and becomes a Recycling Coordinator!)
   So: How can you reduce paper and water usage? Let me list the ways.

Save water. The Web site "Water -- Use it Wisely," created by a group of Arizona cities, lists 100 simple ways to save water. We’ll share just a few here:

• Put an aerator on all household faucets and cut your annual water consumption by 50%.

• Install a low-flow toilet. They use only 1.6 gallons per flush, compared to 3.5 gallons per flush for pre-1994 models. If you have an older model, adjust your float valve to admit less water into the toilet's tank.

Of course, you don't need products to save water -- behavioral changes also add up quickly: using a broom instead of the garden hose to clean your driveway can save 80 gallons of water and turning the water off when you brush your teeth will save 4.5 gallons each time.
   Save a tree, use less paper. You can buy "tree-free" 100% post-consumer recycled paper for everything from greeting cards to toilet paper. Paper with a high post-consumer waste content uses less virgin pulp and keeps more waste paper out of landfills. Other tips:

• Remove yourself from junk mail lists. Each person will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail this year, which adds up nationally to 4.5 million tons, according to the Native Forest Network. About 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread, and ends up in a landfill. To stem the flow into your own home, contact the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. Opt out of credit card or insurance offers at www.OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling 888-567-8688, a single automated phone line maintained by the major credit bureaus.

• Buy unbleached paper. Many paper products, including some made from recycled fibers, are bleached with chlorine. The bleaching process can create harmful byproducts, including dioxins, which accumulate in our air, water and soil over time.

• Finally, here's a third answer to the old "paper or plastic" question: No thanks. Carry your own cloth bags to the store to avoid using store bags.

   Reduce plastics, reduce global warming. Each year, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags -- from grocery and trash bags to those ultra-convenient sandwich bags. Unfortunately, plastics are made from petroleum -- the processing and burning of which is considered one of the main contributors to global warming, according to the EPA. In addition, sending plastics to the landfill also increases greenhouse gases. Reduce, re-use and recycle your plastics for one of the best ways to combat global warming.
   Garden green. First, use compost instead of synthetic fertilizers. Compost provides a full complement of soil organisms and the balance of nutrients needed to maintain the soil’s well-being without the chemicals of synthetic fertilizers. And healthy soil minimizes weeds and is key to producing healthy plants, which in turn can prevent many pest problems from developing to begin with.

• Use native plants as much as possible. Native plants have adapted over time to the local environment and support native animals. They also use less water and require less of your attention.

• Focus on perennials. Gardening with plants that live for more than one year means you don't have to pay for new plants every year; it also saves the resources used commercially to grow annuals.

• Stop using chemical pesticides. American households use 80 million pounds of pesticides each year, according to the EPA. These toxic chemicals escape gardens and concentrate in the environment, posing threats to animals and people, especially children. A better alternative is to try a variety of organic and physical pest control methods, such as using diatomaceous earth to kill insects, pouring boiling water on weeds or using beer to bait slugs. You can find more non-chemical pest control tips at the National Audubon Society's site.

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