Grand Opening of Coastal Climate Exhibit, Waste Audit
& Launch of the Cleaner California Coast Initiative
Our newest exhibit, Our Coastal Climate, had a grand opening celebration at our office over the first Saturday in August and included a waste audit of Point Reyes Station trash bins, and an art installation of plastics found on Kehoe Beach by activists and artists Judith Selby-Lang and Richard Lang. The exhibit funded by the West Marin Fund seeks to unite people to explore our changing climate and find space for hope and action. By providing a platform for education and discussion, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the global ecological and environmental challenges we face and empower individuals with the knowledge and motivation needed to take action. Our first action for the exhibit was a waste audit which also launched our partnership with the Cleaner California Coast Initiative. The grand opening engaged more than 100 people including EAC members, community members, volunteers, and the visiting public. Our team also engaged a number of local partners and businesses through the waste audit including, Marin County Community Development Agency-Reusable Foodware Ordinance Team, Conservation Corps - North Bay, Recology Sonoma Marin, West Marin Climate Action, and Zero Waste Marin.
Event attendees mingled around the multimedia exhibit and the outdoor Trash Castle, an art installation on the Livery Lawn outside the EAC office (and carried in the Western Weekend parade by EAC!) highlighting plastics found along Kehoe Beach by local activists and artists, Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang. The exhibit continues through November on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 - 4 pm and includes an entire web page dedicated to taking action and learning more about the impacts of climate change and what we can do to mitigate it. Thank you to our friends and partners who made this exhibit possible including West Marin Fund, Unicorn Printing, John Dulger-Sheikin, our Law & Policy and Coastal Advocate interns, and through the generous support of EAC’s 50th Anniversary Fund donors who made this vision possible.
The grand opening also invited people to participate in our waste audit of Point Reyes Station’s waste and recycling receptacles on Main Street, where volunteers sorted materials into landfill, recycling, and compost. The audit marked the launch of the Cleaner California Coast, a tri-county initiative to lessen coastal pollution by reducing litter through a coordinated messaging campaign focused on empowering individuals and communities to create a cleaner California coast through the practice of Leave No Trace Principles.
The audit raised awareness of:
Consumption behaviors and how landfill, recycling, and compost materials can more effectively be sorted, diverted, and reused. while working with partners to create a Cleaner California Coast.
How we will pivot to comply with SB 1383: California's Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy.
Our work on the Marin County’s Reusable Foodware Ordinance and develop more knowledge among our partners about the use of the landfill and recycle receptacles in Point Reyes Station.
How this year’s audit will inform future audits and infrastructure.
Special thanks to members John Dulger-Sheikin, Jim Boyer, William Prince, Daniel Venegas, Willow Wallof, Colleen Tukana, Zoe Rocco-Zilber, Ruby Clarke, Heather Mickley, and numerous other volunteers who made the deep-dive with us.
Waste Audit Summary and Results
The waste audit was completed along Main Street (Hwy Route 1) in Point Reyes Station. There was a total of 26 receptacles providing landfill and recycling options, but no compost. Each receptacle holds 23 gallons, with a total capacity of 598 gallons or 80 cubic inches of landfill and recycling.
The receptacles were emptied by the local service provider Recology Sonoma Marin 24 hours before our volunteers found 170 gallons and deposited them to be sorted. It was surprising to see the bins more than 25% full in less than 24 hours. View the results below.
LANDFILL RECEPTACLES AUDIT
From the thirteen landfill receptacles, the most surprising result was to see 44% of the deposited material was compostable, and 18% was actually recyclable.
RECYCLING RECEPTACLES AUDIT
From the thirteen recycling receptacles, the most surprising result was to see only 10% landfill, but with it about 10% of compost, which can make the recycling unusable. Unfortunately, contaminated recycling from compostables can make the whole load impossible to recycle.
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Join our community of dedicated supporters whose annual contributions help us protect and sustain the unique lands, waters, and biodiversity of West Marin through advocacy, education, and engagement opportunities.
Membership starts at $35 for individuals and $50 for households of two. Contributions are 100% tax-deductible,
and membership is based on the calendar year.
Member benefits include:
Protecting the lands, waters, and biodiversity of West Marin.
Exclusive access to annual Member Meeting & Awards (each June) and election of EAC’s Board of Directors.
Early-bird member registration (one week before the public) and waived registration fees to our annual Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival (each April).
10% retail discounts in our Advocate store in Point Reyes Station.
Annual invites to Litter Bugs Me/Coastal Clean Up Day, Piper on the Ridge, the Winter Gathering, and other events, or volunteer opportunities.
Subscription to our printed and online Advocate newsletter.
Often our efforts are not fought overnight, so your annual support is critical to our ongoing efforts to ensure environmental protection measures are in place and lasting.
Member hike to Divide Meadow with Sarah Killingsworth
Photo: Sarah Killingsworth
