December 2023 Newsletter
What do I do with ________? The 2023 Holiday Disposal Guide
Are you excited for the holiday season? We certainly are here at Marion County Environmental Services! While we love the holidays, they unfortunately also come with more waste than normal.
According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), Americans produce 25 percent more trash than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year's. During this time of year, it’s more important than ever to know how to dispose of items properly to help protect our environment.
Check out the extended article here for a breakdown of how to properly dispose of common holiday items, and some tips on how to reduce waste during the holidays. As a reminder, you can call your hauler to request an additional pick-up for a fee if you know you will produce a lot of trash during a specific time period this holiday season.
Wrap it up: Eco-Friendly Wrapping Paper Alternatives
Even something as simple as wrapping a present can have increased environmental impacts. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), Americans discard an estimated 38,000 miles of ribbon each year, enough to wrap around the planet with some left over to tie a bow. Not to mention, all wrapping paper that is shiny, slick, or glittery is not recyclable.
Don't get us wrong, there's nothing that beats the excitement that comes from unwrapping something new that you know you'll love. To keep that excitement without the waste, we've put together some wrapping paper alternatives to help you reduce waste. Check out the full article here!
Volunteer SurveY
We want to hear from you!
Marion Resourcers,
As we transition from our slower volunteering season to a busier time in the new year with more outreach opportunities available, I want to hear from you all! With busy lives and various interest areas in waste reduction and recycling, I also realize folks might want to see more support within this network from their peers also interested in similar topics.
For this reason, it would be so helpful if you could fill out the anonymous Outreach and Engagement Survey linked here to share your thoughts.
You can earn up to 1 hour of payback for filling it out (6 questions). Some topics include:
What outreach events/outreach did you like/participate in during 2023?
What events/outreach opportunities would you like to see in 2024?
What topics are you most passionate about? (i.e food waste, reducing plastics, green cleaners, advocacy?)
What are the barriers to pursuing projects or participating in volunteer opportunities?
How can the waste reduction program reduce barriers to your participation?
Staff Transitions: Dakota’s Last Day is January 16th, 2024!
Amazing Marion Resourcers,
I’m feeling bittersweet in writing this, but I will be leaving my post as a Waste Reduction Coordinator with Marion County in the new year. I have been so fortunate to get to know this network of volunteers within my just shy of 3 years with the County. Much has changed from when I began! A whole new program, renewed excitement to volunteer after the pandemic and increased participation in the training by new communities not served by the program previously. There is a lot to celebrate, but I am reminded that the success of the program was/is only possible with the support of you all. You all show up to events with knowledge and excitement, from repair fairs to swaps, tabling, waste audits, presentations and conversations with neighbors and friends. My time as a volunteer manager has been made that much more fun and impactful because of the dedication Marion Resourcers contribute to the program.
So what’s next? I want the momentum we have built up to continue! As I wrap up projects in the next month and a half, the Waste Reduction program plans to post the Waste Reduction Coordinator position and application before my last day. I will make sure this group is the first to know about the job post. If you’re interested in the role or have others in mind you think would be a great fit, please email me their contacts so our team can connect.
As for my next role, I will be joining the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability with the City of Portland as a Community Recycling and Waste Reduction Coordinator. I’m fortunate to be able to continue to work with volunteers (Metro Master Recyclers), with this role centering efforts to inspire green behavior change that supports combating the climate crisis while deeply involving community.
Story of Trash Video Series Completed
Take a video tour of Marion County’s solid waste management and recycling system as well the efforts towards waste prevention in our operations. “The Story of Trash” series includes 7 videos in total:
The videos are available via the above links, but are housed on Marion County’s Facebook here. Please let me know your feedback on videos and if you learned anything new!
