Category: Community

In 2025 it can be difficult to stay positive about the state of the environment. On March 12th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that many important environmental regulations are being rolled back to accommodate the current administration’s focus on promoting the fossil fuel industry. At a time when climate change is already impacting Californians due to increasing wildfires, it might be incredibly upsetting and discouraging to hear news about deregulating industries that cause massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. While sadness, anger, and outrage are all completely reasonable responses to the current state of affairs, it’s also important to remember not to fall victim to despair and apathy.

One could argue it’s more necessary than ever to take action to protect the environment in our communities and personal lives. The beauty of taking action is that it directly improves the issue and creates a feedback loop of climate optimism. The more we get involved in our communities, the more we realize our collective power, and the more motivated we become to continue to take action.

RethinkWaste staff are no strangers to working as a collective to address environmental issues. As a public  agency, we are committed to promoting sustainability through our various public outreach and education programs. It is nothing short of inspiring to work in a field where everyone is focused on achieving a shared goal and collective vision for the future. A few staff members share below what helps them stay positive:

“Seeing diversity in the environmental movement – it’s not just young people who care about creating a better future, it’s also a lot of elders who reach out to learn and make sure they’re doing the right thing.”

“Seeing children being excited about learning about waste and asking what they can do to help reduce their impact.”

“Seeing all the innovation and people developing new, creative solutions to the problems we face. Reuse stores, makers spaces, and implementing reusable foodware in stadiums and concert venues are just a few examples.”

As we work within our communities, the more we realize just how many people are passionate about working towards a better future. We encounter invested community members during tabling events who care deeply about properly sorting their waste, meet passionate students who are improving sustainability efforts on their school campuses, and connect with staff at related agencies around San Mateos County who are working each and every day to change systems and educate the public.

If you don’t know where to start, you’re reading the right blog post! Here are some ways you can take action today to create positive changes in your life or your community:

1. Put your food waste in the compost and encourage others to do the same. Properly utilizing the compost bin actually makes a huge difference because you can help reduce methane (a greenhouse gas more toxic than carbon dioxide) emissions. When food waste breaks down in the landfill, it creates excessive methane emissions – putting landfills as the third highest source of methane emissions in the United States. Food waste accounts for 58% of these emissions.
2. Start a reading group with friends, family, and/or neighbors. Educating yourself about environmental issues is the first step to finding their solutions. Reading in a community can also be helpful for processing any grief or anxiety that arises along the way and can be a great catalyst for action in the future.
3. Research environmental action groups in your area. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when so many have started already. A quick search can connect you to plenty of groups that you can get involved in. You can also attend RethinkWaste community events to connect with like-minded people in the area!

While it’s understandable to feel sad and angry about the state of the world, once we start paying attention, we realize just how hopeful the future can be. Positive change is happening all around us, and we have the power to get involved and be the change we want to see in the world.

In late May 2024, RethinkWaste hosted the second annual San Mateo County Green Team Celebration! The event took place on a cheerful, sunny, spring afternoon at Beresford Elementary in San Mateo. Nearly a hundred students, parents, teachers, and school administrators all gathered to eat, play, and most importantly – recognize the dedicated work of the superstar students who take part in their school’s green team. 

You may be wondering… what is a green team? Green teams are an alliance of students who come together, with the direction of a school teacher or administrator, to tackle their school’s waste issues. The roles of the green team vary by school, but some typical tasks include keeping the campus litter-free and ensuring that waste is being properly sorted using the three bin system (compost, recycling, landfill). RethinkWaste’s Environmental Education Team helps train students to guide their peers in proper waste management and supports green teams by providing gear and materials at no cost. 

At this year’s Green Team celebration, RethinkWaste invited three green teams from schools in the County to present, including two from RethinkWaste’s service area, about their work. The schools represented were College Park Elementary (San Mateo), Fiesta Gardens International School (San Mateo), and Green Hills Elementary (Millbrae). Students spoke about what they have been working on during the past year, the challenges they face, and some personal anecdotes. It was deeply inspiring to hear from the students themselves about their passion for keeping their communities green. 

The representatives from College Park Elementary discussed how they educated their school through waste-focused assemblies and helped their peers sort during lunch time. Importantly, they discussed some of the most common mistakes they encounter while doing lunch bin monitoring. One major issue discussed is how there are many different types of trays the school-provided food comes on, and how it can be difficult for students to differentiate what trays go into which bins. 

The students from Fiesta Gardens International School answered several questions regarding their green team, including how it got started and their favorite parts of being on the team. A standout section of the presentation was when the students spoke about how being on the green team fosters a sense of community. A couple of students discussed how they made friends on their green team and that they enjoy working together to achieve the shared goal of helping the planet. 

The team members from Green Hills Elementary gave an overview of the different projects they worked on throughout the school year. The students talked about the compost pile in their school garden, in addition to how they conserve water and energy while at school. A highlight from this presentation was the discussion about the share table. The share table program is a method of food waste prevention offered by San Mateo County Environmental Health. Students place unwanted, uneaten, edible food on the “share table” instead of throwing it in the compost or garbage. Any student is welcome to pick something up off the share table if they would like to eat it. This way, students can ensure they have enough to eat during the day while preventing edible food from entering the waste stream. 

We wrapped up our Green Team Celebration by playing a round of waste bingo, painting pots, planting succulents, and eating snow cones! Our team at RethinkWaste is super thankful for all the work put in by our students, parents, teachers, and community partners to make this event possible. You can stay updated with all our future events by following RethinkWaste on social media. And if your child has expressed interest in keeping the planet clean, we encourage them to join their school’s green team! If your child’s school doesn’t have a green team and your school is located in the RethinkWaste service area (Burlingame to East Palo Alto), reach out to a RethinkWaste Environmental Education team member about starting one. We look forward to seeing you next year! 

In a world where environmental awareness is gaining momentum and power, the significance of sustainable practices is becoming increasingly important. Composting, recycling, and diverting from landfills is essential for cutting waste and protecting the environment for future generations. While many of us are familiar with the concept of recycling, composting and landfills, the true process of what happens to your waste after it leaves your bin often goes unnoticed. Interactive, In-Person tours of facilities that handle waste in your local area have proven to become very effective, educational, and engaging methods in closing this awareness gap.  

One of the primary advantages of interactive tours is the educational value they provide. Participants gain firsthand knowledge of waste processes, from collection to sorting and reuse. Seeing the journey of waste materials being offloaded from collection trucks, entering the facility, and sent off to its next destination can be a powerful and memorable learning experience. Hands-on education fosters a deeper understanding of the importance of waste management and encourages participants to make informed choices and changes in their daily lives. 

Interactive tours provide an excellent platform for community engagement. Tours have the ability to unite people who have a passion for sustainability and individuals who are just starting to learn. Participants have the opportunity to learn best sorting practices, ask questions, find hard to recycle item methods and build a sense of community around environmental stewardship. In-Person tours can further encourage individuals to take action for a greener future. 

We here at RethinkWaste have created the only In-Person facility tours in the local peninsula area! The tour of the Shoreway Environmental Center provides a firsthand look inside of the facilities where your waste goes after the bin.  

Tour participants are given an inside look of the Transfer Station, where the materials from the green compost and black landfill bin are handled. Along with the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where items from your blue recycle bin are sorted by machines and human sorters. The tour not only provides an inside look at the facilities, but guides participants on a review of what specific items are accepted in the bins, the importance of proper sorting by viewing how items like plastic bags can jam sorting machines and how batteries can cause safety issues for staff like fires, along with how to practice the 4 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot).  

The tour also mentions the free on-site resources like the Public Recycling Center, where the public can drop off hard to recycle items like paint, oil and electronics, along with the free compost that is available for pick up in the Transfer Station for service area residents. Public tours are provided both in-person and virtually to the public on the first Thursday of each month! 

Tour participants range from school groups to businesses and the public. One public tour participant and journalist, Greg Wilson, wrote in the San Mateo Daily Journal, “Prior to the tour, I thought I was clear about what can and cannot be recycled. However, I learned a lot about some edge cases. For instance, RethinkWaste really only wants “grocery store” glass: bottles and jars. All in all, it was a great tour; I highly recommend it.” 

By offering hands-on experiences, tours educate, engage, and inspire individuals to take an active role in waste reduction. As we navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing environment, fostering a culture of sustainability through immersive experiences becomes crucial. Sign up for a tour today and continue to discover the transformative power of recycling and composting firsthand! 

Trash talk | Columnists | smdailyjournal.com 

Storm drains are important to prevent flooding during our rainy seasons, but unfortunately are at risk of localized flooding hazards. Trash, leaves, plastic debris, pollutants like motor oil or fertilizers can easily accumulate in our streets and neighborhoods, which can end up contaminating the Bay and ocean, or clogging our drains when it rains. Fortunately, there’s a way we can prevent this from happening. The Adopt-A-Drain Program enables residents to help cities keep their drains clean. Currently, residents in Belmont, Burlingame, and San Mateo have official programs where residents can volunteer to adopt a drain on their block and commit to keeping it clear of flooding and pollutants.

How does it work?

Signing up to adopt a drain is very easy, simple, and fun! First, find a drain in your city that you’d like to ‘adopt,’ which basically means you will commit to keeping the top of the drain grate clear of leaves and garbage. Next, complete the online application or volunteer registration form. You could even name the drain! Finally, clean and maintain your drain. This can be a fun activity you do with your family, friends, or neighbors to make a difference in your own neighborhood. If you live in Belmont, Burlingame, or San Mateo, visit those linked pages to get more details on the program and how to sign-up. Each of these cities also provide free supplies to help you keep your drain clean.

What if my city doesn’t have an Adopt-A-Drain program?

Let your city know that you’d like to see a program like this in your city! As a resident, your voice matters and you can submit a suggestion to your local councilmember, City Manager’s office, or Public Works Department. Find the contact form for the office or department on their respective websites to make it known you’d like to see a program like this in your area.

Nevertheless, even if your city doesn’t have an official Adopt-A-Drain program, you can still help protect our waterways. If you want to protect your neighborhood from flooding, all you need is a bucket, rubber gloves, and a rake to keep your drain clean. You can also encourage your community to do the same by posting about your efforts on social media platforms like Nextdoor.

Small actions like keeping our neighborhood drains clean make a big difference, especially if we encourage others to take part too. As stewards of the environment, we can keep our local community clean if we work together. RethinkWaste encourages residents to take small actions because every little action adds up to make a big impact.

If you’re looking for other ways to get involved and make a difference this Earth Month, consider participating in our Litter Challenge! If you live in the RethinkWaste service area* you might even win a prize for participating!

*RethinkWaste service area includes: Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Parts of Unincorporated San Mateo County, and West Bay Sanitary District