By Daniel Hiestand
Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator
This month, I'm going to give you "homework." Ask yourself the following question: Does your bank match your sustainability values? For example, Is your bank invested in fossil fuels that drive climate change? Are they investing your money in projects that support living wages and environmentally restorative programs?
Before I continue with the assignment, I want to recognize the stark reality that many of our friends and neighbors often live paycheck-to-paycheck and don’t have the “luxury” of a savings account or investment portfolio.
Because of these unjust conditions, those privileged to have the means must step up to support sustainability-driven companies.
So, how to start? Easy. I'll help you cheat.
Visit Mightydeposits.com. The website can help you learn more about your bank’s values and compare it to other institutions to see things like how much money it's investing in the communities it serves, if it supports fossil fuels, etc.
And guess what? Sustainable banking and investments aren’t just doing good; they are often more or as profitable as their less-sustainable counterparts.
Happy homeworking.
Florence Household Hazardous Waste Roundups Set for June 7 & 8
Florence-area residents: Do you have household hazardous waste around your house that you need to dispose of safely?
Save a trip to Eugene's Glenwood Transfer Station (where you can drop off household hazardous waste all year) and instead discard your household hazardous waste materials closer to home!
The Florence Transfer Station (2820 Rhododendron Dr., Florence) will host two separate roundups on Friday, June 7 (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and Saturday, June 8 (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Click the links to learn more.
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Please note: Due to construction on Rhododendron Drive, please plan for unavoidable traffic delays.
Alternatively, if you are coming to Eugene soon, schedule a dropoff appointment at Glenwood Transfer Station (3100 E. 17th Ave., Eugene) at any time of the year at lanecountyor.gov/hazwaste.
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Join Waste Wise Lane County at AANHPI Heritage Celebration on May 17
Join Waste Wise Lane County at Guy Lee Elementary (755 Harlow Rd.) in Springfield on May 17 for great food, cultural performances, and fun kid's activities from 5 to 8 p.m. during the 2nd Annual Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration.
The county will have an informational table on-site with information about the county's new sustainability website, and food vendors will be serving many of their delicious meals using reusable dishes served via our Sustainable Events Services program!
Hope to see you there!
Food Waste Prevention Week and Springfield Restaurant Challenge Roundup Last month was wasted food prevention month. To recognize the designation, Waste Wise Lane County participated in Food Waste Prevention Week (April 1-7) to share information on preventing food waste on social media and in at events at the Public House in Springfield (see picture) and the Eugene Saturday Market.
Additionally, we launched the "Save the Food Springfield" challenge for Springfield restaurants seeking to reduce their food waste. A recent study showed that reducing food waste in the food service sector by just 20% could save businesses up to $7 billion annually! Recently, Waste Wise Lane County—in partnership with Sanipac—reached out to restaurants in Springfield to challenge them to increase their profits through reduced food waste.
Participating restaurants were presented with options for reducing wasted food, including creatively repurposing surplus foods, using imperfect foods (e.g., edible but bruised produce), donating edible food to local nonprofits, and starting commercial composting.
Over the coming months, we’ll share their food waste prevention stories.
For this issue, we'll start by sharing about Taqueria Fuego Burrito in Springfield (177 14th St.). Click the link to watch a very concise video.
The restaurant pledged to make side dishes and condiments optional (as opposed to automatically giving them away) and start commercial composting services donated by Sanipac and Waste Wise Lane County.
Commercial composting can help restaurants reduce their waste hauler expenses because food waste is billed at a less expensive rate than garbage. If you are a restaurant that wants to start saving money and natural resources while reducing the impact of food waste on climate change, visit lanecountyor.gov/wastewise-food for more resources.
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