Trying to Recycle That Plastic Bag? The Odds Are Nine to One It’s Not Happening

Trying to Recycle That Plastic Bag? The Odds Are Nine to One It's Not Happening
It can feel impossible to get away from using plastic. In our consumer world, plastic is everywhere and deciding what to do with it, can be confusing. More than 4.83 million tons of plastic film has been generated to date and only about 9.1% of that plastic is recycled. The Ecology Center Helpdesk fields dozens… Read more »

Berkeley on the Path to Zero Waste Dining!

Berkeley on the Path to Zero Waste Dining!
Last month, Berkeley City Council unanimously passed the Disposable-Free Dining Ordinance, a groundbreaking and expansive plan for phasing out single-use plastic foodware from Berkeley restaurants and businesses. The ordinance, the first of its kind in the U.S. to comprehensively address single-use plastics, has been met with an outpouring of support from the community including students,… Read more »

What I Did for Plastic-Free July & How to Break Free from Plastic All Year

What I Did for Plastic-Free July & How to Break Free from Plastic All Year
 Nizam Porter was recently promoted to Youth Program Assistant at the Ecology Center. A Berkeley native, Nizam is passionate about building a strong, healthy, and conscious community. Here’s his reflection and photos from the Shoreline Cleanup he joined for Plastic-Free July. Get inspired and check out our next cleanup, September 11 at the South Berkeley Read more »

It’s time to reduce plastics and return to reality-based recycling

It's time to reduce plastics and return to reality-based recycling
The Ecology Center began one of the nation’s first curbside recycling programs, on the heels of the first Earth Day. As operators of that same recycling program through the decades, we have had a front-row seat to the recycling industry’s complex evolution. In those early days, we fought to be taken seriously and to demonstrate… Read more »

Press Release: Berkeley Legislation Aims to Curb Use of Disposable Foodware

Press Release: Berkeley Legislation Aims to Curb Use of Disposable Foodware
[Berkeley, CA] The Berkeley City Council will soon consider the Disposable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance, the most ambitious and comprehensive piece of municipal legislation in the US aimed at reducing single-use disposable foodware.  The “Disposable-Free Dining” ordinance will get its first hearing at the April 24 Berkeley City Council Meeting. At 3pm that same… Read more »