Looking for a few more Styro snappers each hour this weekend,
July 20&21, 10am-4pm.
Please read below.
Help Us Snap and Bag July 20 &21
The most common question that BI Zero Waste receives is, "When is the next Styrofoam recycling collection?" Our event's popularity is ever-growing and so, necessarily, must the number of volunteers we solicit to keep up with the amount of material dropped off.

Please sign up here to help us for one or more hours, 10am-4pm, at Bay Hay and Feed. On the Doodle, you can see which times need the most volunteers (our goal is 7 per hour) by looking at the blue number at the top of each column. This activity is suitable for families with children, say, grade 4 on up. It's also easy to chat and get to know your fellow snappers. Thank you!
What's the Next Step?
"Pets don't eat plastic...neither should sea turtles!" read a sign at a recent California rally to ban plastic foam containers. (Bainbridge has had such an ordinance since 1989.) When those tiny beads that comprise expanded polystyrene get loose, they can get washed down storm drains and gullies into Puget Sound. That is why, even though Zero Waste collects it for Bay Hay and Feed owner Howard Block to truck down to Styro Recycle in Kent, we don't condone the use of this material, and we hope you don't, either.

When a purchase comes packaged in Styrofoam, tell the manufacturer to switch to compostable or curbside-recyclable materials instead. The UPS Store in Washington state is being proactive and no longer accepts Styrofoam peanuts for packing, opting instead for air pillows and bubble wrap, which you can drop off in clean condition for them to reuse.
Sit a Spell at the
Zero Waste Farmers' Market Booth
Want to pick the brain of a veteran Zero Waster? You'll have the perfect chance this coming Saturday, July 20, at the Bainbridge Island farmers' market, where Zero Waste will host a booth, as we do most third Saturdays of the month.

Come down for an hour between 9am-1pm and keep us company at the booth. Ask all the questions you want, exchange ideas, and meet people passing by who share your interests and curiosity. Please email Barbara Ochota to let her know if you can spend an hour at our table.
National Night Out
Zero Waste is one of many community partners at this evening of free food and fun kid activities related to law enforcement.

We staff two ZW stations during this event from 5-8pm on Tuesday, August 6. Please sign this Doodle if you can help out.
Reusing Road Reflectors
If you come upon loose, intact road reflectors, turn them in at city hall, the police station or public works on Hidden Cove Rd. for reuse. Blue ones that pop off will definitely be replaced, since they denote fire hydrant locations. Yellow ones will be reapplied selectively.
Are Balloons Banned on Bainbridge?
No! Because of a 2017 ordinance, only their release into the environment is prohibited. BI Zero Waste and Zero Waste Washington are co-hosting Rubber Jellyfish, an 80-minute documentary that was created in order to convince other communities to do the same.

We are lucky to have the film's director, Carly Wilson, present for a free showing at Eagle Harbor Church on Thursday, August 15, 6:30-8:30. You will also hear ZWW executive director Heather Trim give a sneak preview of some of the plastic bills to be introduced in the 2020 state legislative session.
Low-Waste Successes at
Rotary, Street Dance and July 4th
Thank you to all members of the Rotary Green Team, many of whom also volunteer for Zero Waste activities, for contributing to the worthy goal of diverting Rotary donations and packaging from the landfill.

  • The Recycling Rovers sorted recycling, collected paper towels, broke down boxes, organized dumpsters, and emptied compost.
  • The Lawn of Opportunity (affectionately known as the LoO), kept useful items out of the landfill and redirected them to community nonprofits.
  • The Green Desk was the coordination center for it all.

All of these efforts also serve to keep trash removal costs down, thereby increasing Rotary's net profits.
As of Sunday, gross receipts totaled $606K!
The July 3rd Street Dance produced minimal landfill waste due to discard station staffing by the Bainbridge Island Water Polo Club. They received a grant from Zero Waste to watch over the stations and help diners dispose in the correct containers.
Finally, Zero Waste volunteers and the BHS swim girls teamed up as always on July 4th to superbly manage the festival recyclables, compostables and waste. Vendors helped make disposal easy for their customers by using compostable dishware. No more than two layers of trash bags, including the Street Dance's, filled the 30-yard garbage dumpster.
July/August Calendar
July 20 & 21 - Bainbridge Styrofoam and Disk Recycling Collection . Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm, Bay Hay and Feed barn. See poster above for details. PLEASE VOLUNTEER!
July 20 - Zero Waste BI Farmers Market Booth . Saturday, 9am-1pm. PLEASE VOLUNTEER to spend an hour at the booth by emailing Barbara Ochota.
July 29    -    Kitsap Styrofoam Recycling Collection   , 9am-3pm@Kitsap County Fairgrounds. See details  here  .
August 6 - National Night Out, Tuesday, 5pm-8pm@Waterfront Park. PLEASE VOLUNTEER (to set up, staff one of the two stations and/or take down).
August 15 - Rubber Jellyfish documentary , Thursday, 6:30-8:30@Eagle Harbor Church. See details in article above.
Newsletter editor: Diane Landry, BI Zero Waste (volunteer) director
Back issues are available    here   .
BI Zero Waste is an all-volunteer program of Sustainable Bainbridge.
Send feedback    here   .