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"Time spent amongst trees is never wasted time.”
– Katrina Mayer
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Plastic Wars
Check out this insightful special all about plastics in Oregon and beyond. With the plastic industry expanding like never before, and the crisis of ocean pollution growing, FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the fight over the future of plastics.
WATCH
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Waste Matters Community Calendar
Fill your spring with virtual green events! We know you care about the environment and waste reduction, and it's great to connect with others. Use this calendar to stay connected to the events around you, and don't forget to share it with others as well.
CALENDAR
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Earth Day Live
Wednesday, April 22 | Noon to 9 pm
Want to watch something binge-worthy? Tune into this exciting once in a lifetime stream to celebrate Earth Day! Join Marion County Environmental Services and community partners to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Live on Facebook, April 22, noon till 9pm. Special programming includes:
Storytime and Singalong (Salem Public Librarian, Mary Beth Hustoles)
Creative Reuse Center Tour and Craft from SCRAP PDX
Upcycled Craft (Artist, and Educator, Penny Feltner)
Natural Habitat/Native Species (Naturalist Bobbie Snead)
Worm Composting (Educator Sally White)
Recycling MRF Tour (Garten Services Will Posegate)
DIY Bees Wax Wraps (Environmental Services, Jessica Ramey)
Cooking with Scraps (Amy Joens, Marion/Polk Food Share)
Quiet in Nature (Willamette University, David Craig)
Nature Mocumentary
Seuss/Dre mashup of the Lorax (Wes Tank)
Live Music (Local Band, Erin Westfall)
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EarthWISE Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, April 29 | Noon to 1 pm
Join Rachel and local EarthWISE businesses on a zoom Lunch and Learn meeting to share resources on how to create a virtual water cooler and keep remote workers engaged and connected. Please pre-register
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Master Recycler Payback Hours
The central purpose of the Master Recycler program is to teach people how to engage others to reduce waste. This is often accomplished through group presentations, workplace or non-profit green team efforts, or implementing a recycling or composting program.
Many Master Recyclers have depended on large events (Home Shows, Earth Day, Salem Art Fair) to do their 30 hours of payback. However, due to cancellation or rescheduling, most of those events aren’t available. So, what can a Master Recycler do?
There are presently two options available for Master Recyclers to help reduce waste:
Assist Salem Harvest with their harvests. Salem Harvest leads teams of folks like you to pick crops that would otherwise go to waste.
SALEM HARVEST
Assist United Way’s Good360 with the distribution of their goods. The Good 360 program collects crazy amounts of unsold consumer goods and food from large vendors like Amazon and Walmart and redistributes those items to local non-profits.
GOOD360
You may also learn more about these groups via Waste Matters on the Air podcasts. The Good360 program aired recently and the Salem Harvest interview took place on June 21, 2018.
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DEQ Repair & Reuse Grants
DEQ is kicking off its 2020 workforce development grants to support repair and reuse activities. DEQ expects to award up to $80,000 in statewide funding. Grant application forms and instructions are now available on DEQ's website, and all completed applications are due Friday, June 5.
Update on Webinar Dates
The general public can ask questions about the application process during a webinar Tuesday, April 14, from 10-11 a.m. Oregon Tribal Governments can ask questions during a webinar Tuesday, April 21 from 10-11 a.m. The conference-call line information is posted online, and a recording of the calls will be made available on DEQ's website. For more information about this grant opportunity, contact Marie Diodati at 503-229-5446 or Diodati.Marie-Helene@deq.state.or.us.
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Tuna Can Diorama
Dig through your recycling and see what you can upcycle. We used a tuna can, old magazine, glue, and scissors to make this tuna can diorama. What creation can you make? Snap a shot of your work, share it, and tag us on social media. #mcearthday2020
LEARN MORE
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Earth Day Hat
Celebrate in style with your own Earth Day hat and share it on social media. Download the template, color it, and put it together. Snap a photo, share on social media, and tag your post using #mcearthday2020
MAKE YOUR OWN
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DIY Worm Bin
Upcycle plastic bottles into an in-home worm tower. You just need a 2 liter bottle, sharp scissors, a bit of duct tape, a few smallish rocks, soil, and 5 - 12 worms! Snap a photo, share on social media, and tag your post using #mcearthday2020
MAKE YOUR OWN
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Sock Darning 101
Mending extends the life of your clothes, helps save money, and reduces waste. Check out this video tutorial on how to darn a sock and keep your toes warm. After you finish your socks, snap a photo, share on social media and tag your post using #mcearthday2020
LEARN HOW
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Nature Color Wheel
Explore your backyard to create a natural color wheel. How many colors can you find? Can you name everything that you found? Snap a shot and share your photos on social media. Tag us #mcearthday2020
MAKE YOUR OWN
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Save the Food!
Food waste makes up 24% of Marion County's curbside garbage. Save the food, save time, and money with these tips to using leftovers. We have helpful tips to extend the life of your food, make leftovers you'll love, and give you tools for proper food storage.
LEARN MORE
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