Happy Holidays from the City of Ventura's Division of Environmental Sustainability! This holiday season let's focus on being kind to our planet and incorporating more sustainable actions into our holidays traditions. Here are a few tips to plan for a green holiday season:
Tip #1: Avoid food waste by making a list before shopping, only buying as much as you need, composting inedible parts of produce, and getting creative with any leftovers you may have.
Tip #2: Switch to LED lights. The cost to power a string of incandescent lights is exponentially greater than powering a string of LED lights. Not only will you conserve energy by switching to LEDs, but you can save some serious money if you're an all-out decorator. You can also conserve energy by turning on Christmas tree lights only when you are in the room to enjoy them or by using a timer.
Tip #3: Avoid single-use items, plastics, and other non-recyclable materials. Opt for natural decorations from tree trimmings, pine cones, and other eco-friendly materials.
Tip #4: Shop at antique stores, thrift shops, and other secondhand retail outlets, for great deals on thoughtful, unique holiday gifts that also reduce your footprint in the process! Ventura is also home to a bounty of small, local businesses, several of which belong to the network of Certified Green Businesses. Download the Shop Green app (available on the App Store or Google Play) to find local green businesses near you.
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There's Still Time to Go Solar!
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Featured Video: Preserving the Environment and Water Quality in Ventura |
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Environmental Program Updates |
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Thinking About Holiday Shopping? Shop Green!
Certified Green Businesses save water, energy, and waste and make our community more sustainable. By supporting them, you’re shopping your values and keeping the Green Economy going during this holiday season.
Are you looking for an easy way to find and support local Green Businesses? Download the Shop Green App from the App Store or Google Play, and you can find all City of Ventura Certified Green Businesses, in addition to Green Businesses from all over California! For more information, visit GreenBusinessCA/CityofVentura.
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Green Schools Supports Student Recycling at Home
While students at many local schools are learning from home, the Green Schools Program wanted to be sure that students have the knowledge and tools to recycle at home too.
Throughout October and November, the Green Schools Program distributed over 430 recycle bins and over 400 recycle bags at the weekly meal distribution locations. Families were also given a recycling guide magnet and "Where Does It Go?" coloring book to teach students how to properly dispose of items at home. For more information, contact khammond@cityofventura.ca.gov.
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In the United States, the holiday season is the most wasteful time of year, with an average of 5 million pounds of food tossed during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Be a part of the solution at home this season with one of our food waste-reducing steps in mind.
Get culinarily creative! The day after a holiday, toss leftover meat and veggie scraps into a pot pie or a quiche. Visit SaveTheFood.com/cook-it, f or creative, delicious ideas and recipes to use food scraps or food past its prime.
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E.J. Harrison and the City of Ventura make it easy for you to properly dispose of your Christmas trees after the holidays. Simply remove ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, bows, nails and the tree stand; cut the tree into 4-foot sections; and place it in your tan yard waste barrel on your scheduled pickup day. Flocked Christmas trees are accepted.
Trees we collect will be processed into various sizes of mulch. 100 percent of the material is used by our strategic partner Agromin to make products that benefit our farmlands, orchards, nurseries, as well as our own gardens.
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Upcoming Event
11/21/20
There are only a few spaces are left in our last HHW event of the year. Monthly HHW events will resume in January 2021.
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Water and Wastewater Rate Study |
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We must continually invest in our water and wastewater systems to maintain safe and reliable services. How does Ventura Water set rates that are fair and equitable, and meet our community's needs?
The Water Commission works closely with Ventura Water staff and City Council to achieve rates that balance infrastructure repairs, regulatory requirements, water quality improvements, water supply needs, and emergency preparedness with financial stability, affordability, and equity.
Learn more about the City’s on-going Water and Wastewater Study and share your ideas or comments at www.VenturaWaterRates.net
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Here's What We've Been Reading and Watching... |
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Exclusive Offers for City of Ventura Residents |
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