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It's not easy being green
Saturday, November 29, 2008
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In Napa’s newly revamped Veteran’s Memorial Park, there are gleaming new trash cans but no recycling bins. They are also few and far between at many city- and county-sponsored meetings, events and offices open to the public. Shouldn’t the government step up here?

I’m beginning to think I’m journalistically — yes, that’s actually a legitimate word — clairvoyant. It already has happened on at least three occasions where the question I select for Glad You Asked pertains to either an upcoming event or a source’s recent musing on one topic or another. Readers: If you’re sending out those vibes, just willing me to choose your question, thank you. Ditto to my helpful sources.
Kevin Miller, Napa’s materials diversion administrator, filled me in about his recent meeting with Sara Gallegos of the city of Napa’s Recycling Department, Dave Perazzo and Jack Wiggin of the Community Resources-Parks Division, and David Briggs of the Napa County Department of Environmental Management.

The group met to discuss providing recycling receptacles or opportunities at several venues, including said Veteran’s Park, downtown locations and possibly the new Napa River Trail. Miller said all parties agreed to work together to try out new ideas on a “pilot” basis and then use the results to seek available funds to help buy equipment for a broader program. Veteran’s Memorial Park and a few River Trail receptacles at Kennedy Park will most likely be the areas to be tested.
Rather than replace existing receptacles, the concept is to change the interior and top of the receptacles to make them half-recycling/half-trash. Unlike several older receptacles that I’ve seen in San Francisco that are built like this, these receptacles are color-coded to further facilitate making the choice between trashing and recycling.

Does everything in Napa have to be beautiful? Of course. Color-coding really appeals to my illogical need to have practically everything in my life organized and a cinch to do.
I miss that old side of me. Not that I’m a slovenly mess now, but there is a certain ease that comes when you no longer have your hands by your sides, clenched in fists, your fingers simulating a typing motion as people speak. But I digress. Grossly.

Miller explained that there are similar units at Copia and the Meritage, which have been pretty successful. Not all receptacles are identical. Some have the half-and-half concept but can differ in color where the recyclables should be deposited. For example, City Hall has a sorting station. This station has four receptacles sitting side by side by side by side. Each one has a differently-shaped hole where items are deposited. Over each receptacle is a poster or a sign letting people know what to deposit where. Categories include trash, recycling, household battery recycling and small e-waste/ink cartridges. And I thought I had obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Maybe they are QWERTY-obsessed, too. For those of you who have visited Taylor’s Refresher on First Street, you may recall it also has different bins for kinds of garbage and recycling, as well.

For more information on special event recycling in Napa, visit the Napa Recycling Web site at www.naparecycling.com.

Now go put this in the right bin.

What is Glad You Asked?

Glad You Asked attempts to answer readers’ questions. Bin curious about anything? Send your questions to me at dmontanez@napanews.com or call 256-2224.
4 comment(s)

manxkat wrote on Nov 29, 2008 10:45 AM:

" The city of Napa writes all kinds of laws and rules for we citizens to do everything green, yet they can't even figure out how to put out recycling receptacles in public places.
As I have always said it is much easire to require others to be green than oneself. And, it is especially easy to waste money requiring greeen regulations when you are using people's tax dollars to fund the project. "

justnana wrote on Nov 30, 2008 12:14 AM:

" I never understood why there are no recy recepticles in our area! Memorial Stadium and the Little League Park would SO benefit from having them, and the overflowing garbage cans might actually last through a game. I see kids from school service clubs combing the bleachers at Memorial after a game to collect bottles etc for fundraising for his club. Even if they are big and blue...it's better than not recycling or littering. Other towns, parks, rec areas have these along with garbage cans. "

reason-ator wrote on Nov 30, 2008 12:04 PM:

" If the City of Napa would rather drag their feet and do studies and proposals and do things on a trial basis etc..........etc............- maybe they would allow these fundraising organizations to put out receptacles so that organization that actually WANTS the money could harves the recyclables. After all, they aren't sitting on their hands waiting for the zillions of Ritz/Copia dollars to come in and fix things.......... "

MP wrote on Dec 1, 2008 9:50 AM:

" Who is volunteering to take on the job? Manxkat? Reason-ator? Go for it guys and solve the problem. "

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