Featured | Ecology Center

SB 1383 Implementation is Here, What Does that Mean for You?

September 12, 2022 by McNeilly Fieweger

Compost on the Facility Dirt Floor: Image is of food scrapes, wet paper and plastic film bags that contaminate the compost.

Contaminated compost A Look at Curbside Compost Having answered over 350 questions in 2022 so far through our Help Desk, we are well aware of our Berkeley community’s dedication to proper waste sorting. With inquiries ranging from where to drop off an old microwave to how to sort soiled cardboard, your thoughtful questions do make… Read more »

Market Match Supports Rural Communities in California

August 9, 2022 by Ecology Center

Ecology Center partners with over 55 organizations across the state to operate the Market Match program at farmers’ markets and other farm-direct sites by providing extra money to customers spending their CalFresh dollars on locally-produced food. Since 2017, Market Match has partnered with the Crescent City Downtown Divas, a nonprofit founded by women-owned businesses and… Read more »

How to Sort Clover’s Renewable Milk Carton

August 2, 2022 by Ecology Center

Grocery store dairy shelf featuring Clover Sonoma milk cartons

By now, you have probably seen or bought Clover Sonoma’s “Fully Renewable Carton.” Having introduced the carton in 2020, Clover claims to be the first dairy company in the US to switch to a “renewable,” plant-based milk carton. But what does plant-based mean when it comes down to disposing of the empty carton? Is it… Read more »

It’s Official! CA SB 54—California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act—is California Law

July 1, 2022 by Ecology Center

Yesterday SB 54 was signed into law establishing one of the world’s largest Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. The law has a special focus on reducing plastic waste and its harm to communities and the environment. This bill is also among the most far-reaching in its control over the plastic packaging industry. “As the nation’s… Read more »

To Shop with the Planet In Mind, You Need to Buy From a Store that Sources that Way Too

June 24, 2022 by Sandra Kozma-Kennedy

We are becoming increasingly aware that plastic never goes away. In fact, the U.S. is ranked #1 in plastic waste generation globally.¹ Did you know that plastics poison our food chain, threaten wildlife, and affect human health? As the facts pile up, we all need to be avoiding non-recyclable materials such as items wrapped in… Read more »