The annual Redmond Community Indicators Report was recently published.  This is one way for the Redmond community to monitor progress toward implementing the Comprehensive Plan and an evaluation on conservation and other sustainability efforts.

The City of Redmond has seen improvement on a number of measures, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement! Impact Redmond will take a closer look at some of the indicators that are impacting our environment and ways you can help improve those trends in the years to come.  This week the focus is on waste and recycling. 

Waste and Recycling

You can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change by recycling.  Recycling uses less energy to make new products, reduces incinerator and landfill emissions and slows the harvest of trees for new products. By recycling, we can conserve natural resources and save energy-both having great benefits for the environment. 

Even better than recycling is not creating the waste in the first place!  Our “waste stream” is the amount of waste we create and will eventually need to dispose of.  By reducing our waste stream we are completely foregoing the energy and resources we would need to create and, later, properly get rid of the product.

The City of Redmond Community Indicator Report looks at two measures to gauge the community’s progress on meeting waste reduction goals. The first is how many pounds of waste are being created by a single family every week.  The second looks at how much of that waste is being recycled.  In 2011, Redmond families were creating 55 pounds of waste every week.  This includes both recyclable materials and garbage.  This is down 11 pounds from the initial measurement done in 2006, and close to the city’s goal of 50 pounds to be achieved by 2020. 

Of those 55 pounds of waste created each week, 35 pounds were recycled.  The recycling rate of 62% is slightly down from the 64% rate achieved in 2010 for single family homes.  Since 2004, the City of Redmond recycling rate has been between 62 and 65%.  The recycling rates of multifamily homes, such as apartment and condo complexes, is much lower at 16% in 2010.

City of Redmond Impact
The City of Redmond is working on improving recycling rates across the community.  Hosting recycling events for hazardous materials, educational programs on what can be recycled, and promoting conservation with composting are all ways the city is working to reduce our impact.

Your Impact

So what are ways you can help reduce your waste stream and increase the amount you recycle?  All actions large or small will make a difference, pledge to help today!

• Start a recycling awareness campaign at your apartment or condo complex
• Begin composting your kitchen scraps with a free kitchen scraps pail.  Waste Management in Redmond will compost kitchen scraps as part of your yard waste.
• Put recycling bins next to all trash cans in your home-you’ll be more likely to recycle if there is a waste basket handy
• Buy products that contain fewer packaging materials
• Reuse plastic containers and buy in bulk
• Bring a reusable bag for shopping at the grocery store and mall
• Learn about all the different products that can be recycled
• Donate old clothes and household goods instead of tossing them in the trash

Take the Pledge to find other ways to reduce your environmental impact.

New Lighting Labels

Similar to the helpful food nutrition labels, the new "Lighting Facts" labels give consumers more information about what they're buying.  Labels list the lumen - or brightness - of the bulb, the estimated annual operating cost and the light appearance (from warm to cool).

Output vs. Watts

In the past, consumers purchased light bulbs according to wattage.  However, watts are not a measure of light output.  They only measure the power needed.  The new lighting language focuses on lumens.

What are lumens?

Lumens measure the output of the light bulb.  More lumens mean a brighter bulb.  Starting this year, light bulb packages began showing the lumens - or brightness level - for all bulbs sold.

What about color?

Traditional incandescent bulbs are considered warm lights, while overhead fluorescent tube lights are cooler.  You can choose the color you like by comparing the "light appearance" section of new lighting labels to choose the level of warm or cool you prefer.

Plant Bullies:  Invasive Weeds Workshop and Demonstration Coming in July

Weeds are a nuisance for any gardener, but some invasive plants also pose a serious threat to the health of our urban forests and natural landscape.  King County noxious weed expert, Sasha Shaw, will show examples of invasive plants that are threatening community parks, waterways, and natural areas.  She will explain how invasive and noxious weeds spread, where they come from, and what we can do to stop them from spreading any further.

Come learn how to identify the most serious weeds so you can find new infestations while they are still small enough to control.

This workshop isn't until July, but get it scheduled on you calendar now as things have a way of creeping up on us during the summer.

Date:  July 7, 2012

Time:  10:30 am - 12:00 noon

Location:  Bellevue Demonstration Garden, 15500 SE 16th Street, Bellevue (in the picnic shelter)