CVSan Holds Zero Waste Week for the Community

To help residents learn more about how to select their path to zero waste, Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) presented its Sixth Annual Zero Waste Week during the first week of February. Participants joined community events that were held each day, Monday through Saturday.

CVSan coordinated an Independent Tree Fruit Gleaning event to kick off Zero Waste Week, which was a huge success! Approximately 50 members of the community gleaned over 1,500 pounds of oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, and lemons on their own throughout the week. CVSan connected volunteers to local trees to glean fruit from and donated fruit pickers to help volunteers reach fruit higher up on the trees. The fruit harvested was donated to Faith Lutheran Church Community Food Pantry, Dig Deep Farms, and other local food assistance agencies.

For the first time during Zero Waste Week, CVSan offered virtual presentations to the public. The presentations are now available on CVSan’s website and YouTube channel.

The “Zero Waste at Home” virtual discussion on February 3rd featured a panel discussion about practical ways to implement a zero waste lifestyle at home. Participants asked questions to zero waste experts, who were featured in CVSan’s 2020 Calendar and Annual Report. Topics included environmentally friendly home remodeling, hygiene products, reusable food ware, and gardening. CVSan thanks Pamela Evans, Leticia Padilla, and Rosy Torres for being panel members!

At the “What Goes Where?” webinar on February 4th, participants learned about what goes in recycling, organics, garbage, and more. All the questions participants had about sorting waste were answered. Other ways to get on the path to zero waste, by reducing waste and reusing materials were also shared.

The “Bicycle Repair” virtual discussion on February 5th wrapped up Zero Waste Week. Tommy Bensko of Bay Area BikeMobile demonstrated how to repair a flat tire and responded to questions about general bicycle repair. Resources for bicycle repair and donation in the East Bay were also shared.

For more information and links to all recordings from Zero Waste Week’s virtual presentations, please visit cvsan.org/ZeroWaste. For personal tips about selecting your path to zero waste, visit the Select My Path section of the CVSan home page at cvsan.org.