It’s time for the City of Kent’s annual fall clean-up. During the week of Nov. 12-16, residential households with trash service can place extra trash out at no extra charge. Households are limited to 10 units of garbage (1 unit – 32 gallon can, bag or box). Trash should be put out on the residents’ normal pick-up days and be put in a bag, box or can, that is no more than 60 pounds per unit. Extra yard waste – in yard waste containers – will also be picked up. No construction or demolition debris will be picked, nor will rocks, concrete, bricks or asphalt.

For more information, or to view the pamphlet mailed to city residents, visit Kent Recycles.

Green Kent needs you this Saturday for GREEN KENT DAY ’12! This Saturday Mayor Suzette Cook and hundreds of volunteers will gather at two locations for a tree planting extravaganza. Join volunteers at Morrill Meadows Park and the Green River Natural Resources Area to help plant trees. Work begins at 9 am and ends at noon. The event will include plenty of yummy food and end with a barbecue at Morrill Meadows Park. If you’re ready to volunteer, register online now!

Earlier this month, the City of Kent announced that levee work near Three Friends Fishing Hole (20025 Russell Rd., Kent) will begin on Sept. 17. The park will be closed until the completion of the project which is estimated to be March 2013. The Green River Trail  and portable restrooms at the trailhead will be open, but the park and parking lot will be closed. For more information about the project or the park closure, contact Tobias Hallock at 253-856-5536.

Contributed by the King County Solid Waste Division, reprinted with permission. Some links added by iLoveKent.net.

King County Executive honors 92 local companies and non-profits for waste prevention and recycling:  Organizations named as ‘Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling’

King County Executive Dow Constantine today applauded 92 local companies for reducing waste and increasing recycling, naming them as the county’s “Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling for 2012.”

“From recycling Styrofoam and cell phones to creating new programs for composting, the innovation these organizations have shown proves that sound environmental practices can go hand-in-hand with a successful business,” said Executive Constantine.

The sixth-annual list spans a wide array of businesses in King County, including hospitality, medical services, professional services, retail, finance, government, arts and entertainment and others. The list includes an honor roll for companies that have made the list at least five years in a row.

The businesses honored use a wide range of recycling and waste reduction strategies, including:

• Eastside Community Aid Thrift Shop’s program that donates customer cell phones to domestic violence shelters;
• Safeway’s styrofoam recycling program; and
• Lake Washington School District’s new composting efforts, which have helped reduce their garbage pick-ups by 50 percent.

“Many times, what businesses consider waste is something other entities can use and actually purchase,” said Andrew Koeppen, managing director at Hot Off the Press, a local family-owned printer based in Redmond, and a first-time Best Workplace for Waste Prevention and Recycling. “Finding out where our waste can be used helps our society become a community.”

Hot Off the Press holds green print design seminars to teach others how to design printed documents and business materials in an environmentally conscious way. They donate the paper they don’t use to local schools and non-profits.

Last year, businesses in King County sent more than 180,000 tons of recyclable materials to the landfill. King County’s Solid Waste Division compiles the “Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling” list annually to recognize the top recyclers and waste reducers, and help motivate others in the local business community.

All businesses operating in King County outside the City of Seattle are eligible for the list. To secure their spot, businesses are required to meet the same five basic criteria, as well as 10 additional waste reduction and recycling criteria, such as using reusable or compostable dishware in kitchens, collecting batteries for recycling or sending electronic invoices.

To see the complete list of 2012 Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling and to learn more about what these businesses are doing to improve recycling programs, visit www.kingcounty.gov/recyclemore, and click on the link.

To learn more about the program, contact Karen May at 206-296-4353, or karen.may@kingcounty.gov.

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On July 25, King County’s Solid Waste Division announced that 92 local companies have been named to the 2012 “Best Workplaces for Recycling and Waste Reduction” list, including five businesses/offices in Kent. The list recognizes businesses with exceptional recycling programs and for their commitment to reducing the amount of waste their company produces. Last year, businesses in King County sent more than 180,000 tons of recyclable materials to the landfill. However, King County’s Solid Waste Division compiles the “Best Workplaces for Waste Prevention and Recycling” list annually to recognize the top recyclers and waste reducers, and help motivate others in the local business community.

The sixth-annual list spans a wide array of businesses in King County, including hospitality, medical services, professional services, retail, finance, government, arts and entertainment and others. Below is yesterday’s press release from King County. We can offer interviews with King County Solid Waste representatives about business waste reduction, as well as contacts for Kent businesses that made the list.

Kent honorees:

• Applus Technologies
• City of Kent
• Ingenium
• Kent Downtown Partnership
• Torklift Central

Did you know that prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused narcotic preceded only by marijuana? A nation wide effort to reduce drug abuse, Prescription Drug Take Back Day is scheduled for Sat., April 28 from 9 am to 2 pm at the front of the Kent Police Station, next to Kent City Hall, 220 Fourth Avenue South in downtown Kent.  The goal of this unique program is to provide a safe and secure environment for the community to turn in unused, expired or otherwise unneeded medications.

Medications that can be dropped off include controlled, non-controlled and over the counter medicines; all solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers and liquid products like cough syrup, cold medicines, etc.

Let’s reduce drug abuse!  If you have any of the above medications to get rid of, support the Prescription Drug Take Back Day by taking them to the Kent Police Station on Saturday, April 28 from  am to 2 pm.

1)      Get rid of old bulbs: When long lasting CFL bulbs finally burn out, remember that CFL bulbs shouldn’t be tossed in the garbage or regular household recycling bins. PSE offers free CFL recycling at participating business locations all over Western Washington. In addition to free CFL recycling, PSE now offers free incandescent bulb recycling too. Don’t wait to make the switch, replace your inefficient incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR®-qualified CFL and LED bulbs that use up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. There’s no time like the present. Check PSE.com/BulbRecycling to find convenient locations.

2)      Host a bulb recycle box at your workplace: To make CFL and incandescent bulb recycling even easier for you and your coworkers, host a box at your workplace. Materials from CFL and incandescent bulbs including reusable glass, circuitry, aluminum and plastic can all be recycled and reused. Sign up to host a recycling box at PSE.com/BulbDrive.

3)      Dump that old fridge or freezer: Your old fridge or freezer could be costing you up to $200 a year on your energy bill. If your fridge or freezer is ready for retirement don’t hurt your back trying to get rid of it yourself, sign up at PSE.com/Recycling to have PSE haul it away for free. PSE will pick it up and recycle it for free and give you $20.

4)      Try an LED bulb: CFL bulbs are energy efficient and long lasting, but they don’t hold a candle to the latest LED technology. LED bulbs are even more efficient than CFL bulbs and can last up to 25 years. Replacing lights in hard to reach areas with long lasting LED bulbs means less time spent on a ladder changing burnt-out incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs can also be used in dimmable fixtures. PSE electric customers can receive up to a $10 rebate on ENERGY STAR-qualified LED bulbs at participating retailers. Visit PSE.com/LEDs to find a retailer who carries PSE rebated bulbs.

5)      Call 811 before you dig: If your springtime outdoor projects include building a new fence or deck, planting trees and shrubs or even pulling out a tree stump, please remember to contact the 811 Call Before You Dig hotline two business days prior to your project to help prevent serious injuries or potential hazards from striking or damaging underground utilities. All underground utilities must be marked before the start of digging. Don’t assume you know what’s below. Protect yourself and those around you – call 811 every time. It’s free, and it’s the law. Visit call811.com for more information.

Do you enjoy being outdoors while making the community a better, greener place? Then volunteer opportunities for the Green Kent Partnership might just be for you. Check out one of their upcoming work parties to help out. No experience is necessary, and gloves and tools will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle and sturdy shoes, and dress for the weather. Boots are highly recommended. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but volunteers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Drop-in volunteers are welcome, but RSVPs are preferred.For more info., visit Green Kent Partnership online.

Work Parties

Sat., April 7, 9 am – Noon:  Mill Creek Canyon Work Party

Sat., April 21, 9 am to Noon:  Earth Day at Park Orchard Park

Sat., April 21, 9 am to Noon:  Work Party at Morrill Meadows

Sun., April 22, 7:45 am to 1:30 p.m.:  Bird Census at Green River Nursery

Sat., April 28, 9 am to Noon:  Arbor Day at West Fenwick Park

Sat., May 5, 9 am to Noon:  Work Party at Morrill Meadows

The City of Kent is now accepting pre-registration for the city’s Community Garden P-Patch at the corner of James St. and 64th Avenue South in downtown Kent. Local gardeners can rent a 20 x 20′ plot for a $40 fee for water. There are 44 plots available on a first come, first served basis.

Pre-registration begins Mon., Feb. 27 and ends Fri., Mar. 9. Call the Kent Commons at 253-856-5000 or stop by the Kent Commons office at 525 4th Ave. South.

Started in 1997, the Garden P-Patch is a collaboration between the City of Kent and The Bishop’s Storehouse, affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.Call 253-856-5110 for more information.

Thanks to Victoria Andrews of the Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services for the story.