Let's Talk Trash

At Mill Valley Refuse, we share our community's commitment to sustainable and responsible stewardship of Marin. On this page you'll find the latest information about waste management and recycling. Got a news item or question for us? Send us an email and tell us about it.

News You Can Use

Please come to our composting seminars
Learn all about our new food scrap composting service and the simple things that you can do to help us make food composting a success for our community.
These seminars are free and open to the public, no reservations required.
Thursday, September 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Tiburon Town Hall (map)
Tuesday, September 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Mill Valley City Hall (directions)

California Plastic Bag Ban Bill Fails to Pass Senate | Sept. 1, 2010
A bill that would have banned plastic bags at grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores in California failed passage in the senate ending with a 14-21 vote on August 31. Californians use 19 billion plastic bags every year. That's 600 bags per second! You can help remedy this situation by making it a habit to use cloth reusable bags instead of plastic every time you shop.

Mill Valley photographer makes statement about our throwaway society with his ocean of garbage photographs | July 27, 2010
One man's trash is another man's... art? Check out these pictorial commentary pieces by local photographer John Lund. With titles like, "A Waterless Tidal Wave of Garbage Surging Under Stormy Skies" you'll see garbage in a whole new light.
Visit John Lund's site

Let's Talk Trash newsletter available now | July 14, 2010
We've just completed our Summer 2010 Let's Talk Trash newsletter. It contains important information about our new food scrap composting service and a recycling guide. The newsletter will be mailed to all of our customers in the next few weeks, but we also encourage you to also download the pdf version below.
Download the Summer 2010 Let's Talk Trash newsletter (pdf)

Save money, help the environment and support young people | July 12, 2010
The California Youth Energy Services program offers free Green House Calls to residents of the East and North Bay. Their professionally-trained Youth Energy Specialists will visit your home, install free energy-saving equipment (like CFL lightbulbs and efficient showerheads) and provide you with a personalized energy-saving plan. There are a limited number of green house calls available this summer—reserve yours by calling 415-410-9760.
Learn more at www.risingsunenergy.org
Download the California Youth Energy Services program brochure (pdf)

Thank you for coming to our free Composting Seminar on June 29 | June 29, 2010
We're planning a few more composting seminars, please check back soon for details.

Senate to Weigh in on Bag Ban Bill | June 26, 2010
Banning of plastic bags in California just got one step closer to reality: AB 1998 (which would end the distribution of single-use plastic bags at grocery and pharmacies effective January 2012 and convenience stores effective July 2013) passed out of the Assembly and will now be heard in Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
Learn more about AB 1998

Marin IJ: Food composting coming to Southern Marin in August | June 17, 2010
Let the composting begin! Belvedere, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Tiburon and several unincorporated areas served by Mill Valley Refuse Service have all approved a new food scraps composting program.
Read the full article
Learn more about our food scrap composting service

San Francisco Chronicle: Not much trash talk over 'recycle or else' | May 31, 2010
One year after San Francisco began requiring seperation of food waste for composting, a spokesman for the city's environmental department calls the results "outstanding." More than two thirds of the city's households now have green composting bins, 63% of city apartment buildings (with 6+ units) now participate and in April alone, they diverted an average of 525 tons a of plant and food scraps that would have ended up in landfill.
Read the full article

JPA Alerts Cities to Proposed Work Plan for the Year | May 28, 2010
On May 28, 2010, Debra Strutsman, Chair of the Hazardous and Solid Waste JPA sent an open letter to City and Town Managers and Special District Managers about the JPA's proposed work plan for the upcoming year.
Read the letter to City and Town Managers (pdf)
Read the letter to Special District Managers (pdf)

Pacific Sun: From munch to mulch; Food-composting services could be a feast for the environment... | May 7, 2010
The Pacfic Sun weighs in on the benefits of food compost collection and the green jobs Mill Valley Refuse will create when/if it's approved.
Read the full article

Mill Valley Herald: Food waste pick-up on the horizon | April 28, 2010
Check out this article about the possibility of Mill Valley Refuse bringing curbside food waste collection to Mill Valley residents.
Read the full article

Marin IJ: Food composting could come to Southern Marin | April 27, 2010
Read the article in the Marin IJ about Mill Valley Refuse's proposal to begin curbside food waste collection.
Read the full article

You'll find previous posts on our news archive page.