The 2010 Green California Summit and Exposition opened on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 for two days at the Sacramento Community Center. Pre-Summit workshops were held on Monday. This year's theme is Committed to Sustainability and features education programs, awards and over 175 exhibitors. Admission to the exhibits and keynote presentations is free. Tuesday's expo opened with comments from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and expo co-chair, Linda Adams, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Senator Fran Pavley, author of AB 32, was the first keynote speaker. Pavley spoke about the current campaign to set aside AB 32 and defended the provisions of the Act with a Top Ten Li

The City of Sacramento is proud to offer many options for our customers to recycle their Christmas trees. Preparing Your Holiday Tree for Recycling Cut trees longer than 6 feet into 3-foot or shorter pieces. Remove trees from stands or plastic bags. Remove ornaments, lights, nails, tinsel and metal rod supports from trees. Artificial trees will not be accepted. Containerized Yard Waste Customers Option 1: After cutting your tree into 3-foot or shorter pieces, place your holiday tree in your yard waste container. Make sure the trimmed pieces fit completely into the container with the lid closed Option 2: Place your tree out for loose-in-the-street collection by 6:00am on your regular

Collection day morning in Midtown. Heralded once again by the clatter of shopping cart wheels, arguments over territory rights, and cans and bottles strewn about makeshift recycling centers upon the front yards of residents. The Police are powerless. Worse, the City of Sacramento’s utility code unwittingly encourages marginalization of the Homeless. By providing residents no choice in how their recyclables are reclaimed, and no alternative to a monthly fee for recycling pick up, Sacramento residents automatically subsidize the burgeoning activity of scavenging. Leaving many recycling bins nearly empty well before pick-up time, and many residents with increasing—and misplaced—animosity tow

Discussion over a Nestlé water-bottling plant appears to be growing in Sacramento, as the Swiss multinational prepares a facility for operation and new hires begin work. The Sacramento City Council, which was not involved in the decision to approve the plant, will discuss the issue publicly for the first time after a request two weeks ago by council members Kevin McCarty and Lauren Hammond. They asked the council to consider an emergency ordinance requiring a special permit before Nestlé Waters North America begins bottling city tap water and spring water at a plant in South Sacramento. Such a permit could "trigger" an environmental analysis of this and future facilities, McCarty said We

Posted by R.G. Angel Dear Officer Michelle, I like to sleep with the windows slightly open in my room to allow fresh air in when I am sleeping. However, on garbage and recycle collection nights, I have been woken by the sounds of someone going through the recycle cans and collecting the cans and glass bottles. I am wondering if there is someone I can call to report this or someway to have this issue looked into to. Thanks, ~Angel Dear R.G. Angel, This is a common problem. If you live in the city limits, you can call the Police Department’s non-emergency number at 264-5471 and request an officer be dispatched. There is an ordinance that makes it illegal to rummage through recyclables.

The newspaper you just threw in your recycling bin begins a wild new life if it’s processed at a recycling center on Fruitridge Road in Sacramento. That’s because newspapers, soda cans, cardboard boxes and all kinds of recyclable goods move through a huge, mechanical system at the Sacramento Recycling and Transfer Station owned by BLT Enterprises. Midtown businessman and environmentalist Scott Smithline describes BLT’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) system as a “Willy Wonka-like” process for recyclables. At the end of their journey at the MRF, the recyclables are combined by type. General Manager Kurt Standen explained that the materials are “squashed into these rectangular bales th

On January 15th, during a technical workshop that was poorly attended by the public and local media, the Sacramento City Council voted on a proposal that could wind up affecting the citizens of Sacramento for many years to come. The Council voted to table the City’s yearlong effort to replace the costly and environmentally detrimental practice of trucking Sacramento’s non-recyclable municipal solid waste (MSW) over the mountains to a landfill east of Reno, Nevada with a sustainable, less costly and more environmentally friendly waste-to-energy (WTE) approach. Our Sacramento-based company, U.S. Science & Technology, submitted a proposal that was ultimately selected from among 11 responses

Yesterday it rained in Sacramento. Yesterday I didn’t pay close enough attention to the weather forecast in Sacramento. Rather than parking near my office, I decided to park about a mile or so away and ride my skateboard in to work. It’s fun and gets me a little exercise. The ride in to work was quite pleasant. The ride back to my truck wasn’t so much, and the rain was not the worst part. I left my office around 5 PM, at which point a steady rain was falling. Skateboarding in the rain sucks. Getting wet sucks, having your wheels get super slippery sucks. That would’ve been plenty to spoil what’s usually an enjoyable ride. Not only did I have to endure getting soaked and trying not to fall

The Sacramento Bike Kitchen (SBK) has been open for a week and the buzz is all over town. A DIY bike workshop that spreads bike culture with its unique approach to getting 'er done. Volunteers help YOU know your bike by showing you how to fix and maintain it. The result is that you are much more at cause over your 2 wheeled friend NOT the effect. Your affinity skyrockets for all things bicycling and simply cannot go anywhere unless it's on a bike. Well alright thats a little over the top but I hope you get my point. At the kitchen we have a theory that most entry level bicyclists have had their hearts broken with the box store variety of bicycles that are not long for the dumpster. Poorly

Did you get a new gadget for the holidays and need to get rid of the old one? Considering buying a new TV for the DTV conversion next month? Electronic waste (E-Waste), such as televisions, VCRs, computers, and iPods cannot be just thrown out in the garbage. There are four easy ways to properly recycle your E-Waste devices in the City of Sacramento. 1) Neighborhood Clean-Up Program: Residential rate payers are entitled to one free clean-up day per year to dispose of bulky waste. This includes E-Waste. To learn more or to schedule an appointment call Customer Service by dialing 311or (916) 264-5011. 2) The City of Sacramento Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts E-Waste. CRT’s (telev

Have you ever wondered what the proper way to recycle something was but then instead of looking it up, you just put it in your garbage can, closed the lid and forgot about it? How would one recycle carpet? Pesticides? Wheelchairs? Cooking oil? On the Sacramento Regional Solid Waste Authority's Waste Management & Recycling Web site, there's a whole section titled "How Do I Recycle?" with over 30 different types of common waste products that can be recycled. For example, metal crutches and canes, walkers and non-motorized wheelchairs can be donated to the North Area Recovery Station in North Highlands. Inmates in correctional facilities restore these items to like-new condition and they a