Make a Splash this Summer!

City of Sunnyvale, California sent this bulletin at 06/07/2024 08:32 AM PDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Sustainable Sunnyvale Newsletter - June 2024

Clean Cars and Clean Creeks

Is it time for a car wash? Instead of washing your car in your driveway, choose the eco-friendly approach by washing your car at a commercial car wash.

When we wash our cars at home, the soapy water can enter a nearby storm drain which flows directly to the Bay without getting cleaned first. It’s not just soapy water that can enter the storm drain system. Other pollutants such as motor oil, brake dust, metals and other chemicals can wash down your driveway and drain to the Bay. When pollutants enter our waterways, they can harm the plants and animals that live there.

A commercial car wash not only helps keep pollutants out of Bay, but it also saves water. The drainage system at a commercial car wash is separate from the storm drain system. Therefore, the water is typically treated and recycled before released into the sanitary sewer system.

Visit Watershed Watch for a car wash discount card.

Stay Cool This Summer

Stay cool this summer. Replace your old gas appliances with energy-efficient, all-electric appliances. Gas appliances produce unhealthy emissions and make your home hotter. Switch to save money, use less energy and keep your home healthier. Receive rebates up to $8,750 to replace your old gas appliances. Learn more through Silicon Valley Clean Energy’s (SVCE) Future Fit Homes program. Visit the Sunnyvale Rebates webpage to learn about the many energy-saving rebate programs.

Have questions about converting from gas to electric home appliances? Learn from a neighbor who has already made the switch. Register for the webinar Electrify your Life: Local Success Stories on Thursday, June 20, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Receive help for navigating the best programs and incentives for your upgrades. Click the image below for a new free service to help you electrify your home. Help the environment and your wallet today!

Put Life Back Into Your Leftovers

You’ve gone grocery shopping, prepared a wonderful meal and enjoyed it with family or friends. There’s inevitably food leftover, which you pack into containers and put in the fridge. How easy is it to push this surplus food to the back of the fridge and forget about it?

Keep leftovers at the front of your mind and fridge with a little meal planning and recipe ideas. Here are some fresh tips to revamp and reimagine your leftovers:

Fried rice is best with rice that was cooked a day or two ago. Add soy sauce, protein, eggs and vegetables for a dish that tastes just like your favorite takeout.
Unused party dip makes a great sauce for chicken, tofu or fish.
Add any leftover pasta or vegetables (or both!) to a frying pan. Whisk together some eggs and pour on top for an easy, healthy frittata.
Extra cheese, tomatoes and beans make a flavorful bruschetta. You can even use stale bread as the base and crisp it in the oven. Check out the bruschetta recipe by Love Food, Hate Waste.
When in doubt, soup is the ultimate blank canvas for leftovers that need some love. Extra vegetables or meat? Rice or pasta? Leafy greens, even chopped herbs? All of these make great additions to a comforting soup. The Zero Waste Chef also has a great recipe for “shop the fridge soup”.