Coordinator Update: Winter 2003 Update from the Field

by Diana Rivera

Like the web of a spider, we are part of a large network and we all impact our surroundings. Therefore we work diligently, steadily, to reuse, recycle-to take care of our environment.

Sun-dappled leaves form a canopy in a wooded area of the buffer lands-home to 200 species of birds, a host of animals, streams, lakes, native trees, plants and some very big spiders.

We stood just a few feet from the web, which was attached to trees above and bushes near the ground. It had to be 7 feet in diameter. The spider's bulbous shape, like a dry, brown gourd suspended at the center of the web. I made my best poker face when I saw that huge spider. I didn't want to appear unprofessional to my colleagues, but I sure did want to sprint out of there and head back to our tour van.

I recently joined my colleagues on a tour of the Sacramento Regional Waste Water Treatment plant and the surrounding buffer lands. Located just off Interstate 5, about 11 miles south of Sacramento, the 900-acre plant is barely visible by commuters traveling along the I-5 freeway. Some 2,500 acres of preserved land create a large barrier between the wastewater facility and the surrounding neighborhoods of south Sacramento County.

The facility is remarkable; it is amazingly efficient at treating more than 173 million gallons of wastewater on an average day. Wastewater from Sacramento area businesses, industries, and homes travels through more than 3,000 miles of pipe to this facility. Like the proverbial spider's web, this 3,000 miles of infrastructure facilitates an operation of extreme necessity in the life of a modern city.

If you would like to learn about the facility and the surrounding buffer lands, go to www.bufferlands.com.

In This Issue

In the CalMAX Connection article, we visit with an inventor from Davis, Larry Fisher. He is always on the lookout for reusable items and has been using CalMAX for many years. He has diverted untold amounts of material from landfills.

We feature a guest article from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore Director in El Dorado County, Marilyn Orrick. She has written a piece about the deconstruction and salvage of Sam's Town in Cameron Park.

There is a second guest article from VCMAX--the Ventura County Materials Exchange--a minimax that operates in Ventura County. Program coordinator Pandee Leachman discusses the excellent work the county is conducting.

In the creative reuse feature, Sarah Weimer shares an interesting tale about a business in Oakland called Mannequin Madness. It sounds a bit like an old episode of the Twilight Zone, but it is actually a classic CalMAX business involved in an excellent enterprise.

Next, Terri Cronin provides an update on current activity in e-waste legislation and work underway on guidelines for State agencies on procurement, use, and end-of-life management of electronics.

Remember to take a look at our Electronics Waste directory. It contains excellent resources for those looking for ways to discard electronic waste responsibly. It provides the locations of public organizations that will accept electronic equipment for reuse or recycle.

The insert section of the catalog (Adobe PDF, 334 KB) highlights profiles of reuse organizations. You will find some very creative organizations working diligently in reuse. Through this work, these organizations are making a positive impact on their communities.

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Last updated: August 01, 2008